【Autumn 2023 Sales Special Features: Rare Ulanbator to Italy Postcard】
1885 Chefoo French combination, 1885 (20 Apr) Chefoo to London. Cover bearing on reverse 1883 Large Dragon, thick paper, clean-cut perf, 1ca green, Setting V, horizontal strip of three [position 11-19-20] and single + 5ca lemon-yellow, cancelled by Chefoo killer seal in black, matching ’Customs Chefoo’ cds alongside. Transit ‘Customs Shanghai’ (23 Apr) also tied to 5ca stamp. In combination with France 25c bistre on straw (creased), cancelled by ‘Shang-hai/Chine’ cds (24 Apr). One 1ca stamp [pos.20] is crossed by filing fold and has a defective corner. A fine and exceptional franking paying for the 9 candarins overseas rate. By far the finest of only 3 Large Dragon covers recorded to an overseas destination. Provenance: H.B.R. Clarke, Robson Lowe (London), 22.4.1953, lot 48. Dr. Warren G.Kauder, Robson Lowe (London), 2.5.19972, lot 62 James Huangco, Chen Sun-Sing James B.Whang, Christie’s Swire (Hong Kong), 2.11.1994, lot 1830 Wen Sun Kong, Interasia (Hong Kong), 29.6.2003, lot B8.Interasia (Hong Kong), 23-24.6.2019,lot 60. References: James B. Whang, A Comprehensive Illustration on Coven ers of the Large Dragons (Taipei,1997), pp.473-474.Illustrated. Customs Dater (1875-1913). Taipei : Philatelic Writer rs’Club, 2008, pp. 29-30. Illustrated.
【秋拍拍品介紹：煙台寄國外大龍封】
1885.4.20 煙台寄倫敦，貼大龍1分銀橫三連加一枚5分銀郵票，加貼法國25生丁郵票，銷上海法局日戳。煙台寄海外大龍封只有3件，本件是品相最佳的。源流：克拉克、高達醫生、黃天湧、莊順成、黃建斌、龔文生舊藏；《大龍信封存世考》473頁原件。
