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Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

TCHONGKING (Tch'ong K'ing)

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Stamps of French Indo-China overprinted "TCHONGKING", "TCHONG-KING" or "Tch'ong K'ing'':

1902 Stamps of Indo China of 1893, overprinted "TCHONG-KING"

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

This issue (and the next) was not official, but still did serve at the post office of Tchonking. It was done at the request of a printer who was befriended with a stamp dealer in Bordeaux (source: https://www.franceandcolonies.org/philatelist/238.pdf). The overprint also exists in red colour on the values 1 c, 2 c, 4 c, 5 c, 10 c black, 15 c, 20 c, 25 c black, 25 c blue, 30 c and 40 c.

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

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

The cancel "TCHONG KING 12 OCT 02" (all other dates between 12 and 31 October exist) was used to cancel whole sheets, but the postmaster refused to cancel them on letters, see https://www.franceandcolonies.org/philatelist/238.pdf for more information. Genuinely used stamps that were used on letters are very rare.

Forgeries:

Fournier forgeries

The forger Fournier has made forgeries of these stamps. In all the forgeries I have seen, the words "TCHONG" and "KING" did not have a "-" between them.
According to an article in https://www.franceandcolonies.org/philatelist/238.pdf many forged overprints exist. All overprints with a missing letter are forgeries according to the aforementioned article. Forged cancels also exist.

Forgery with a "TCHONGKING 3E/27 FEVR 02 CHINE" cancel.

1903 Stamps of French post offices in China, overprinted "TCHONG-KING"

  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
  30 c brown
  40 c orange
  50 c red
  75 c lilac
  1 F green
  5 F lilac

This issue (and the previous issue) was not official, but still did serve at the post office of Tchonking.

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

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

Probably a forgery of the 50 c value, made by the forger Fournier?

1903 Stamps of Indo China of 1893, overprinted "TCHONGKING" and value in Chinese characters (different for each value) in black

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

This overprint is larger than the 1902 and 1903 ones.

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

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

Illegally produced 'errors' exists with inverted or incomplete overprints.

The forger Fournier has made forgeries of these stamps.

Fournier forgery, note the imperfect perforation at the corners.

Forged "TCHONGKING" overprint (lower right) taken from part of a Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries.

1906 Stamps of Indo China of 1893, overprinted "Tch'ong K'ing" and value in Chinese characters

  75 c red on orange (red overprint)
  5 F violet

The chinese overprint signifies the value of the stamp and is thus different for each value.

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

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

1906 Stamps of Indo China of 1904, overprinted "Tch'ong K'ing" and value in Chinese characters

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

The chinese overprint signifies the value of the stamp and is thus different for each value. Two different printings are distinguished by experts; one with shiny ink and one with matt ink.

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

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

1908 Stamps of Indo China of 1907, overprinted "TCHONGKING" and value in Chinese characters

  1 c olive and black (red overprint)
  2 c brown and black (red overprint)
  4 c blue and black (red overprint)
  5 c green and black (red overprint)
  10 c red and black (blue overprint)
  15 c violet and black (red overprint)
  20 c violet and black (red overprint)
  25 c blue and black (red overprint)
  30 c brown and black (red overprint)
  35 c green and black (red overprint)
  40 c brown and black (red overprint)
  50 c red and black (blue overprint)
  75 c orange and black (blue overprint, larger size)
  1 F red and black (blue overprint, larger size)
  2 F green and black (red overprint, larger size)
  5 F blue and black (red overprint, larger size)
  10 F violet and black (red overprint, larger size)

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

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

Surcharged (1919)
  2/5 c on 1 c olive and black (red overprint)
  4/5 c on 2 c brown and black (red overprint)
  1 3/5 c (red) on 4 c blue and black (red overprint)
  2 c on 5 c green and black (red overprint)
  4 c (blue) on 10 c red and black (blue overprint)
  6 c on 15 c violet and black (red overprint)
  8 c on 20 c violet and black (red overprint)
  10 c on 25 c blue and black (red overprint)
  12 c on 30 c brown and black (red overprint)
  14 c on 35 c green and black (red overprint)
  16 c on 40 c brown and black (red overprint)
  20 c (blue) on 50 c red and black (blue overprint)
  30 c (blue) on 75 c orange and black (blue overprint)
  40 c (blue) on 1 F red and black (blue overprint)
  80 c (red) on 2 F green and black (red overprint)
  2 P (red) on 5 F blue and black (red overprint)
  4 P (red) on 10 F violet and black (red overprint)

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

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

Postage Due Stamps

1903 Postage due stamps of of the French Colonies, overprinted "TCHONG-KING"

  5 c blue
  10 c brown
  15 c green
  30 c red
  40 c black
  50 c lilac
  60 c black
  60 c brown
  1 F brown
  1 F red

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

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

I've been told that this is a forgery (most likely a forged overprint on a genuine basic stamp).

Forged stamp with forged overprint. The second "R" of "PERCEVOIR" is placed too far to the left, the "1" is also placed too far to the left.

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer