HONG KONG.- Zurich Asia announced that it will hold its Hong Kong autumn auction on 29 and 30 September 2018 at Harbour Plaza North Point Hotel, offering 2970 lots of rare philatelic treasures, banknotes and coins. There will be a public preview on 27 and 28 September from 10am to 6pm.

The auction will present an exceptional selection of some of the most sought-after stamps from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Taking centre-stage is a unique 1882 Large Dragon cover back, bearing a Large Dragon 3 candarins brown red vertical strip of three, tied by a ‘TIENTSIN’ Antique type seal chop in black; alongside is a Large Dragon wide margin 5 candarins yellow chrome stamp (cut in half), tied by full strike of ‘CUSTOMS/TIENTSIN/30.12.82’ circular date stamp. (Estimate: HK$ 1,200,000-1,600,000/ US$153,846-205,128, Lot 466).

This unique piece has an interesting historical background. During that period, the normal postage rate for covers to Europe was 9 candarins. However, from 15 November 1879, the postage rate for letters passing through Italy to Europe was changed to 11 candarins. The 5 candarins stamp on the present lot may had been cut in half and used as postage because the post master no longer had any 1 candarin stamps left to make up the 11 candarins postage rate. This extremely rare offering is expected to arouse enormous interest among discerning collectors.

Another star lot is an 1885 Small Dragon 1 candarin horizontal pair imperforate between variety in bright colour. In fresh mint condition with much original gum, this great rarity is one of the only two pairs recorded and comes with an Experts and Consultants certificate of 2006 (Estimate: HK$700,000-800,000/ US$89,744-102,564, Lot 222).

Of note is an 1885 Small Dragon 3 candarins horizontal pair imperforate between and in delicate pastel-like colour complimented by seal cancellation in blue. There are probably less than five surviving pairs of this Imperial China variety. This spectacular lot has impeccable provenance, formerly in the collections of Count Philippe Von Ferrary, Arthur Hind, Anna-Lisa and Sven-Eric Beckeman, Huang Ming Fang and other esteemed collectors (Estimate: HK$450,000 - 500,000/ US$57,692-64,103, Lot 224).

A further highlight is an 1885 Small Dragon 5 candarins horizontal pair imperforate between and perfectly centered with Tientsin seals in blue. There is probably only about five of the ten original error examples survived today with the perforations intact. It was formerly in the collections of Bernard E. Stoloff, Anna-Lisa and Sven-Eric Beckeman and Huang Ming Fang (Estimate: HK$300,000-350,000/ US$38,462-44,872, Lot 225).

Another rarity on offer is an 1897 Large figures surcharged, $5 on 3 candarins in mint condition, no gum and with perforations and surcharge shifted downwards almost touching the side (Estimate: HK$150,000-170,000/ US$19,231-21,795, Lot 394)

The sale will also showcase an outstanding selection of stamps from the Liberated Areas and the People’s Republic of China. The top lot is a complete sheet of 80 stamps of 8 fen from the 1980 Year of the Monkey (“Golden Monkey”) in very fresh condition and shiny gold colour (Estimate: HK$1,200,000-1,300,000/ US$153,846–166,667, Lot 2962).

Also on offer is a rare 1926 overprinted ‘For use in Yunnan’ in black on second Peking print Junk 6 cents brown stamp. Unmounted, it was prepared for use but not issued, and carried a ‘HU SAN’ security violet chop. It comes with an Experts & Consultants certificate issued in 2018 (Estimate: HK$220,000-250,000/ US$28,205-32,051, Lot 1378).

A further rarity is a 1935 Chinese Soviet Northwest, woodchop, imperforated 8 cents dark blue stamp on white thin laid paper, mint and hinged, with a small piece of paper remnant on back and no gum as issued. It has an Experts & Consultants certificate issued in 2018 (Estimate: HK$200,000-250,000/ US$25,641- 32,051, Lot 2502).