Large Dragon Stamps China's first postage stamps

1 - Stamps in China predate the first official issues

The first Chinese stamps were issued by overseas businesses who used Chinese ports.

This was a consequence of the Opium War and its concluding Treaty of Nanking. Britain opened five post offices from 1842 in the Treaty Ports that were opened to imperial powers.

2 - The first Chinese stamps weren’t issued by a post office

The first Chinese-issued stamps were also very tied to foreign trade and were issued by the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs department.

The flag of the Chinese Maritime Customs Department, China's first stamp issuer. Image Wikimedia Commons.

3 - A foreigner issued the first stamps

The department of Imperial Maritime Customs was under the control of Robert Hart, an Irishman, in 1865 when those first stamps were issued. They were used to to communicate between overseas consuls and the treaty ports.

4 - The first post office was in Shanghai

The first post office or Shu Hsin Kuan was established on July 24, 1878 in Shanghai, which was being used as a winter alternative to the sometimes ice-locked northern port of Tianjin (sometimes anglicised as Tientsin).

5 - A newspaper ad opened the service

With these words, Robert Hart, launched China’s postal history:

“Customs Notification.

Winter Service.
Postage Stamps and copies at the Customs Postal Department of Postal Tariff may be obtained on application

(Signed) J. H . Hart.
Shanghai, 16th December 1878.”

Sir Robert Hart lived in China for much of his life.

6 - The stamps were printed locally

Although some later issues of early Chinese stamps were printed outside the country, the very first stamps were engraved onto copper plates and printed by the Customs Statistical Department in Shanghai.

7 - The first issue was small by most standards

While China now had modern postage stamps, it didn’t yet have many of the things that had made the British issues of the Penny Black so impactful and necessary: industrial development, global trade, a growing literate population.

So, the first stamps were used almost exclusively for overseas post and printed in small numbers - just 25,000 of each of the three values.

The Guangxu Emperor was, in name, the ruler of China in 1878, but his mother Cixi, was dowager and very powerful. She was celebrated by China's first ever commemorative issues.

8 - China didn’t get an official national postal service for decades

It wasn’t until 1896 that China actually had an officially recognised Chinese Imperial Post Office. A decree of March 20, 1896 recognised the office.

9 - There’s a wide variety of 1878 Large Dragon stamps to interest collectors

There are three values of the issue: 1ca (green), 3ca (brown-red), and 5ca (orange).

Three primary dies were made for printing, from which were produced 25 dies. Three extra dies were made for the 3 Candarin stamp. There are 76 in total.

Some stamps were printed on thin paper. Some on thicker paper. Not all of the perforations were uniform.

All this produces particular varieties that collectors love to seek out.

10 - the most valuable ever Large Dragon stamps were a cover

This cover is the most valuable Large Dragons item yet sold. Image courtesy Inter Asia Auctions.

As with the Penny Black, one of the treasures of early postal issues in China is that they capture moments in history, including the earliest post sent.

The most valuable ever Large Dragon stamps were a $2.43-million cover sent to Shanghai on October 5, 1878. On it are three 5ca Large Dragon stamps. It was sent from Pekin to Shanghai for Hall and Holtz. Only four letters with Large Dragons on them are believed to survive.

It was sold in Hong Kong in 2018.