This mint never hinged block of four from the 1893 Shanghai Municipal Local Post Office represents the 15 cent denomination of the postage due series issued for recovering unpaid correspondence fees within the international treaty port system. Printed in orange yellow using typography by Barkley and Fira in London, the stamp features a symmetrical bilingual layout with “POSTAGE DUE” and “SHANGHAI MUNICIPALITY” inscriptions, framed in a fine-lined ornamental border. Produced on watermarked paper bearing the Chinese characters for “Ministry of Industry” in upright orientation, the stamp has a perforation gauge of 13½ x 14. This high-denomination value reflects increasing commercial postal costs in the rapidly growing treaty port. It is catalogued as Michel CN-SH P17, Scott CN-SH J19, Yvert et Tellier CN-SH T19, Stanley Gibbons CN-SH D174, and China Stamp Society CN-SH 1219. The design and production demonstrate the hybrid international-local character of Shanghai’s semi-independent postal authority during the late Qing Dynasty. Condition: Mint never hinged block with fresh color, clean margins, full original gum, and sharp impressions. Estimate "$140 – 170".