Lot# 5299 - Auction 321-332
Auction 321-332
-> Catalogue 327: Worldwide Postal History - The Enzo Carnio Collection (part I)
-> Overseas
-> Imperial China
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Lot# : 5299 Imperial China
1878/1883: Large Dragon 1 ca. green, thick paper, in a horizontal pair with 5 ca. chrome-yellow on thick paper - two single examples and a horizontal pair, with 3 ca. brown-red on thick paper; used on reverse of 1884 cover to Le Havre, France all cancelled by four strikes of the "PEKING" chop in blue. "I.G. OF CUSTOMS / PEKING" cds of despatch above (Nov 7) in blue, "CUSTOMS / SHANGHAI" transit cds in black (Nov 15) alongside. Passed to French P.O. with Type sage 1 fr. olive tied by "SHANGHAI / CHINE" cds (Nov 19) on obverse with probable Modane transit in red below (Dec 29). Blue wafer seal of the Russian Embassy in Peking in blue on reverse with Havre arrival cds in black. The 3 ca. does not belong to the cover and has taken the place of a missing 5 ca. (rate should have been 27 candarins) - see pages 446-447 in "Comprehensive Illustration of Covers of Chinese Large Dragons" by James B. Whang; some trivial aging but nevertheless a spectacular cover.rnProvenance: Collection Sir Percival & Lady David.Starting bid : 2,500 CHFHammer price : 19,000 CHF