Issued in 1893 by the Shanghai Customs Post, this 4 cent stamp features the emblem of the Bureau in bold orange and black, rendered through lithographic printing on yellow paper. It includes the watermark with Chinese characters for “Ministry of Industry” in an upright orientation, signifying official Qing government authorization. This issue belongs to the daily-use series of the Shanghai Local Post, reflecting the transitional period of China's modernization and its semi-autonomous port administrations. The design, with its emblematic seal motif, emphasizes bureaucratic identity and institutional presence in a time of reform and foreign influence. With perforation 13½ x 14 and no gum as issued, it remains a vivid representation of late imperial postal history.
Estimate "$70 – 85"