【Summer 2024 Sales Special Features: PROVISIONAL NEUTRALITY POSTAGE DUE STAMPS】
1912 “Provisional Neutrality” overprints for use in Foochow, Postage Dues ½c blue to 30c blue, set of six, deep colours, unused, original gum, the 10c has light ageing mostly on reverse and the 20c has short perf. at left, fine to very fine.
The Provisional Neutrality overprints were originally from a presentation sheet intended for a member of the French diplomatic service. These then possibly formed part of the collection of Sir James Haldane Stewart Lockhart, the long serving Commissioner of Wei-Hai-Wei, whose wife, by coincidence, was a member of the Hancock family. Philatelically, its most famous member was William Hancock, an official in the Chinese Maritime Customs.
【夏拍拍品介紹：1912 臨時中立 欠資郵票】
1912年福州加蓋“臨時中立”欠資封半分藍色至3角藍色，一組六枚。色澤深峻。新票原膠。1角背面微黃，2角左邊短齒。中上品至上品。
“臨時中立”加蓋票出自贈予法國外交人員的展頁。後來可能落入了在位甚久的威海衛專員駱克的集藏中。其妻子則恰好是Hancock族成員，其親戚兼中國海關職員William Hancock在郵學界亦赫赫有名。
