This 1 cent bright red stamp was issued on January 2, 1897, as part of the Qing Dynasty's Empress Dowager Birthday series, with a black overprint in small figures denoting the new Western currency value. Originally a Coiling Dragon issue featuring an intricate floral and imperial medallion design, the stamp was lithographed and overprinted during a pivotal postal reform to adopt Western denominations. The surcharge reads "1 cent" in Roman letters beneath the Chinese overprint and is printed on unwatermarked paper with perforations that varied between printings, typically around 12. It was used widely in daily postal operations until its withdrawal in 1914. Catalogued as Scott IM 29, Michel CN-IM 17II, Yvert CN 17, Stanley Gibbons CN-IM 38, and CSS CN-IM 44. This example is postally used with a partial circular cancel, good centering, and slight irregularity in the lower right perforations. Estimate "$100 – 130"