Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 2

RUSSIAN POST OFFICES IN CHINA

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 the catalogue.

1899 Stamps of Russia, overprinted with "KNTAN" (in russian characters)

  1 k yellow (overprint blue)
  2 k green (overprint red)
  3 k red (overprint blue)
  4 k red (overprint blue)
  5 k lilac (overprint blue)
  7 k blue (overprint red)
  10 k blue (overprint red)
  14 k blue and red (overprint red or black)
  15 k lilac and blue (overprint blue or black)
  20 k blue and red (overprint blue or black)
  25 k green and violet (overprint red or black)
  35 k lilac and green (overprint red or black)
  50 k lilac and green (overprint blue)
  70 k brown and orange (overprint blue)
  1 R brown and orange (overprint blue)
  3 1/2 R black and grey (overprint red)
  5 R blue and green (overprint red)
  7 R black and yellow (overprint blue)
  10 R red, yellow and grey (overprint blue)

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 k	c	c
2 k	c	c
3 k	c	c
4 k	c	c
5 k	c	c
7 k	c	c	On vertically laid paper: ***
10 k	c	c	On vertically laid paper: RR
14 k	c	c	Error: with blue overprint: ***
15 k	*	*	1908
20 k	*	*
25 k	*	*	1908, error: with blue overprint: **
35 k	*	*
50 k	*	*	On vertically laid paper: R Error: with black overprint: ***
70 k	*	*
1 R	*	*	On vertically laid paper: ***
3 1/2 R	**	**
5 R	**	**	1907
7 R	***	***
10 R	R	***	1907

Forged overprints exist; among them those made by Fournier. He offers 14 values for 8 Swiss Francs in his 1914 pricelist. I presume he used genuine stamps for his forged 'KNTAN' overprints. The cancels given in 'The Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries' are: a double circle with "PORT3-ARTYPb 27 5 04 * * a" (Port Arthur) or a double circle with "LIAY-RHGb 30 8 04 * * a". I haven't seen these forgeries personally, if anybody posesses a picture, please contact me.

Page of a Fournier album with three forged stamps, a forged overprint and two forged cancels as found in 'The Fournier Album', reduced sizes.

Another Fournier page.

Another forged cancel from the Fournier Album, possibly used on forged Russian stamps in China.

Some bogus overprints seem to exist. If anybody has a picture, please contact me!

More information about forged overprints can be found in : 'The “Kitai” Overprints of Russian Offices in China 1899-1916 (How to recognize the genuine overprint)', by E. Wisewell, Jr. , 8 pages in Rossica #45. He distinguishes six different types of forged overprints.

1910 Stamps of Russia, overprinted with "KNTAN" (in Russian characters)

  1 k yellow (overprint blue)
  2 k green 
  3 k red (overprint blue)
  4 k red (overprint blue)
  7 k blue 
  10 k blue

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 k	c	c
2 k	c	c	Error: with blue overprint: **
3 k	c	c	Error: with black overprint: ***
4 k	c	c	Error: with black overprint: ***
7 k	c	c
10 k	c	c

Probably a Fournier forged overprint on a 2 k stamp with a "FAUX" overprint applied to it.

1917 Stamps of Russia, overprinted with value in "CENT" or "DOLLAR" from the left lower corner to the right upper corner

  1 c on 1 k yellow
  2 c on 2 k green
  3 c on 3 k red
  4 c on 4 k red
  5 c on 5 k lilac
  10 c on 10 k blue
  14 c on 14 k blue and red
  15 c on 15 k brown and blue
  20 c on 20 k blue and red
  25 c on 25 k green and violet
  35 c on 35 k lilac and green
  50 c on 50 k brown and green
  70 c on 70 k brown and orange
  1 D on 1 R brown and orange
  3 D 50 c on 3 1/2 R black and grey
  5 D on 5 R blue and green
  7 D on 7 R black and yellow
  10 D on 10 R red, yellow and grey

The 14 c on 14 k exists imperforated:

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 c on 1 k	c	c
2 c on 2 k	c	c
3 c on 3 k	c	c
4 c on 4 k	c	c
5 c on 5 k	*	*
10 c on 10 k	*	*
14 c on 14 k	*	*	Imperforate: ***
15 c on 15 k	*	*
20 c on 20 k	*	*
25 c on 25 k	*	*
35 c on 35 k	*	*
50 c on 50 k	*	*
70 c on 70 k	*	*
1 D on 1 R	*	*
3 D 50 c on 3 1/2 R	**	**
5 D on 5 R	**	**
7 D on 7 R	**	**
10 D on 10 R	R	R

1920 Charbin issue, stamps of Russia, overprinted with value in "Cent." in 2 lines

'2 Cent.' on 2 k green '3 Cent.' on 3 k red
(Reduced sizes)

  '1 Cent.' on 1 k yellow (perforated)
  '1 Cent.' on 1 k yellow (imperforated)
  '2 Cent.' on 2 k green (overprint in red or black)
  '3 Cent.' on 3 k red
  '4 Cent.' on 4 k red
  '5 Cent.' on 5 k lilac (perforated)
  '5 Cent.' on 5 k lilac (imperforated)
  '10 Cent.' (red) on 10 k blue
  '10 Cent.' (red) on 10 on 7 k blue

Charbin was cut off from Russia in 1920 and therefore these provisional stamps were issued.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1 c on 1 k	***	***	Perforated
1 c on 1 k	**	**	Imperforate
2 c on 2 k	c	c	With black overprint: ***
3 c on 3 k	c	c
4 c on 4 k	**	**
5 c on 5 k	**	**	Perforated
5 c on 5 k	***	***	Imperforate
10 c on 10 k	R	R
10 c on 10 on 7 k	***	***

All Russian postoffices in China were officially closed towards the end of 1920.

Postal Stationery

Envelope of Russia, used in China, example:

(Reduced size)