Home Catalogue index Volume 1 index Volume 2 index

Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

FRENCH POST OFFICES IN CHINA

Return To Catalogue - France

Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the catalogue;
contact me if you want to purchase it.

French post offices in China existed from 1862 to 1922. Stamps of France were used initially. The French offices were:
Shang-Haï (opened in 1862)
Tien-Tsin (opened in 1889)
Han-Kéou (opened in 1898)
Tché-Fou (opened in 1898)
Arsenal Pagoda(?) (opened in 1900)
Pékin (Beijing) (opened in 1900)
Fou-Tchéou (opened in 1900)
Ning-Po (opened in 1900)
Amoy (opened in 1902)

See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_post_offices_in_China

Stamps of France with numeral cancel "5104" of Shanghai:

(Shanghai "5104" cancel used in 1866)

1894 Stamps of France overprinted "Chine" in various colours

  5 c green
  10 c black
  15 c blue
  20 c red on green
  25 c black
  30 c brown
  40 c red
  50 c red
  75 c lilac on orange
  1 F olive
  2 F brown on blue
  5 F lilac

Surcharged

  '25' on 1 F olive (1900)

Surcharged with fancy letters in red

(Reduced size)

  '2 Cents' on 25 c black (1901)
  '4 Cents' on 25 c black (1901)
  '6 Cents' on 25 c black (1901)
  '16 Cents' on 25 c black (1901)

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

For the corresponding types of the basic stamps of France, click here.

I've seen postal stationary in the value 5 c green (with red "CHINE" overprint).

"5104" cancel from Shanghai and "SHANG-HAI CHINE" cancel of 1896. Also a "CORR.D. ARMEES SHANG-HAI" cancel of 1895.

(Error, red "Chine" overprint on 50 c and 5 F)

Forgeries exist. For example the forger Francois Fournier made forgeries of the "16 Cents" overprint (see page 165 of the Ragatz version of the Fournier Album). Fournier also made a forgery of the "25" surcharge (it can be seen in one of the last pages of the Fournier Album under "Divers", on the same page 165 of the Ragatz version).

Fournier forged overprints, the "Chine" one is on the top right.

A forged "Chine" overprint on a 75 c stamp.

Very dubious "Chine" overprint.

1902 As French stamps, but inscription "CHINE"

  5 c green
  10 c red
  15 c red
  20 c brown
  25 c blue
  30 c lilac
  40 c red and blue
  50 c brown and grey
  1 F red and green
  2 F violet and yellow
  5 F blue and yellow

Surcharged

  '5' on 15 c red (1903)

Surcharged with value in 'CENTS' or dollars and chinese text (1907)

  1 c on 5 c orange (1922)
  2 c on 5 c green (2 types)
  2 c on 10 c green (1922)
  3 c on 15 c orange (1922)
  4 c on 10 c red (2 types)
  4 c on 20 c brown (1922)
  5 c on 25 c lilac (1922)
  6 c on 15 c red (2 types)
  6 c on 30 c red (1922)
  8 c on 20 c brown (2 types)
  10 c on 25 c blue (2 types)
  10 c on 50 c blue (1922)
  20 c on 50 c brown and grey (2 types)
  20 c on 1 F red and green (1922)
  40 c on 1 F red and green (2 types)
  40 c on 2 F orange and blue (1922)
  1 $ on 5 F blue and yellow (1922)
  2 $ on 5 F blue and yellow (2 types)

These stamps have perforation 14 x 13 1/2. The stamps in the values 10 to 30 are in the design of the 15 c. The values 40 c to 5 F are in the design of the 50 c stamp. These stamps were used in various post offices: Shanghai, Beijing, etc.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Forgeries exist (for example the forger Francois Fournier made forgeries of the "5" on 15 c surcharge).

Postage due stamps

1901 Postage due stamps of France, overprinted "Chine"

  5 c blue
  10 c brown
  15 c green
  20 c green (1903)
  30 c red
  50 c lilac

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

50 c with "HOI HAO" cancel (not sure if this stamp is genuine...); I have seen other stamps pasted on small pieces of paper with this "HOI-HAO 3E 27 FEVR 06 CHINE" cancel.

1903 Provisional issue Postage stamps, overprinted "A PERCEVOIR"

(These two images were obtained from a Francois Feldman auction)

  5 c green (stamp of 1894)
  5 c green (stamp of 1902)
  10 c black (stamp of 1894)
  10 c red (stamp of 1902)
  15 c blue (stamp of 1894)
  15 c red (stamp of 1902)
  30 c brown (stamp of 1894)

The overprint exists in two types; type 1: small horizontal overprint (with subtypes 'A' above 'CE' or 'A' above second 'E' of 'PERCEVOIR', type 2 is printed diagonally (with 2 subtypes differing in the 'C'). Also different colours were used for the overprints (red or violet). Inverted overprints also exist. All these overprints are very rare to extremely rare.
By the way, my 1933 Senf catalogue says that these issues were mainly speculative stamps, made by the postmaster of Tientsin. Reprints exist.

Type 1: first subtype (left) and second subtype (right)

Forgeries exist (for example the forger Francois Fournier made forgeries of these overprints).

Primitive forgeries, both the "CHINE" and the "A PERCEVOIR" overprint are forged. I believe these are modern fakes.

1907 Postage due stamps of France, overprinted with value in "CENTS" and chinese caracters

  1 c on 5 c blue (1922)
  2 c on 5 c blue
  2 c on 10 c brown (1922)
  4 c on 10 c brown
  4 c on 20 c green (1922)
  8 c on 20 c green
  10 c on 50 c lilac (1922)
  20 c on 50 c lilac

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Stamps of Indochina, overprinted "CHINE"

1902 Stamps of Indochina overprinted "CHINE" and Chinese characters

(Reduced size)

  1 c black 
  2 c brown on yellow
  4 c brown
  5 c green 
  10 c red 
  15 c grey 
  20 c red on yellow
  25 c black
  25 c blue
  30 c brown
  40 c orange
  50 c red
  50 c brown on blue
  75 c lilac
  1 F green
  5 F lilac

The value is indicated in chinese characters and thus different for each value. Two types exist of these overprints (not all values were printed in both types, type I appeared in 1902, type II in 1904). Type II exists with a slightly larger 'C'.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Inverted and incomplete overprints were made illegally.

Probably Fournier forgeries; the vertical and horizonatl perforation does not match in the corners. Click here for more information.

1904 Stamps of Indochina of 1904 overprinted "CHINE" and Chinese characters

  1 c olive
  2 c brown on yellow
  4 c lilac on blue
  5 c green
  10 c red
  15 c brown on blue (two types)
  20 c red on green
  25 c blue
  40 c black on grey
  50 c brown
  1 F olive
  2 F lilac on orange
  10 F red on green

The value is indicated in chinese characters and thus different for each value. In type II of the 15 c, the word "CHINE" is below the chinese inscription. A subtype exist of these stamps with a larger 'C'.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer