HONG KONG.- Zurich Asia, the leading stamp auction house in Asia, will hold on 7 and 8 February 2015 its next Hong Kong auction at Harbour Plaza Hotel North Point. Over 2,600 lots of magnificent philatelic items and works of art will be offered. Public preview will take place from 5-6 February.
Taking center-stage is a special 1918 (23 June) Republic of China 1 cent light green Junk stationery card sent from Urga, Mongolia to France with additional Peking print 1/2 cent and 3 cents Junk stamps (Estimate: HK$1.2-1.4 million/ US$153,846-179,487, Lot 492). Each stamp was tied by bilingual 'URGA' circular date stamp, alongside a rare bisected 'Urga/Postal Letter Box/No.1' and bilingual 'KALGAN' & 'PEKING/3.7.18' transit. This Postal Letter Box cancellation, one of the rarest Mongolia cancellations, was only used between 1918 and 1919. This star offering is one of the only two examples recorded and expected to arouse tremendous interest of collectors.
The sale will present an array of 1980 Year of the Monkey (“Golden Monkey”) stamps, highlighted by an excellent complete sheet in unmounted mint and with vivid colour (Estimate: HK$1.1-1.3 million/US$141,026-166,667, Lot 1620).
An outstanding selection of highly sought-after Imperial Red Revenue stamps will also be offered, including a very fine used 1897 Small figures surcharged 4 cents on 3 cents (Estimate: HK$250,000-300,000/ US$32,051-38,462, Lot 376)
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A further highlight is a 1926 overprinted 'Limited For Use in Yunnan' on 6 cents brown stamp prepared for use but unissued, a great rarity of the Republic of China (Estimate: HK$150,000-200,000/ US$19,231-25,641, Lot 1274).
A vertical strip of three 1894 Dowager first printing 9 candarins dull green stamps with imperforate between variety (Estimate: HK$250,000-300,000/ US$32,051-38,462, Lot 212). An extremely fine and fresh example of bright colour and with full original gum, the present lot is notably the finest of the only 5 strips in the world with this variety.
A 1946 (14 June) cover from Chu Hsien in Shantung to Meng Hsien in Honan, sent from the army troop (Estimate: HK$50,000-60,000/ US$6,410-7,692, Lot 2069). On reverse it bears the surcharge on War Time Post, a vertical strip of five Chairman Mao $1 on 5c deep blue stamps and red surcharged with 'Temporarily used'. The cover is tied by large single ring 'SHANTUNG/CHUHSIEN' circular date stamp on front with small part of registration receipt attached. This fantastic cover was once in the collection of renowned collector Ronald F. Lankester.
