Issued in 1901 by the French post office in Canton, this overprinted block of four features the classic “Navigation and Commerce” design by Louis-Eugène Mouchon, depicting allegorical female figures symbolizing commerce and colonial authority. The base stamp, printed in yellow-green typographically by the Imprimerie Nationale in Paris, originally carried a 5 centime denomination. A red local overprint was added at the Canton post office, altering the face value to 2 centimes and marking the issue for use in the French Treaty Port concession. The bilingual overprint consists of “CANTON” in capital Latin script and the corresponding Chinese characters 州廣, both printed in bold red ink. Perforated 14 x 13½ and measuring 20 x 24 mm, the stamp is part of France’s broader colonial postal framework in Asia. Catalogued as Michel FR-IC B5I, Scott FR-CAN 3, Yvert et Tellier FR-CAN 5, and Stanley Gibbons FR-CAN 5, this mint never hinged (MNH) marginal block represents an increasingly scarce artifact of European-Chinese postal cooperation and influence at the turn of the 20th century. Estimate "$150 – 200"