Issued in 1903 for the French post office in Chongqing (then spelled Tchongking), this 5 centimes green and red stamp belongs to the Indo-Chinese colonial series overprinted for specific treaty port usage. The base design is from the “Navigation and Commerce” type by Louis-Eugène Mouchon, portraying allegorical figures representing trade and colonial power. The overprint in black features the bold uppercase name TCHONGKING along with two Chinese characters denoting the value “2 cents” in local currency: 仙 二 (xiān èr). This reflects the practical need to adapt French colonial issues to the Chinese monetary system and linguistic context. Printed typographically at the Imperial Printing Office in Paris, the stamp measures 20 x 24 mm and is perforated 14 x 13½. The background design and INDO-CHINE label in carmine highlight France’s colonial ambitions in Indochina, while the overprint indicates its sphere of influence extended into interior China through extraterritorial postal rights. The present example is unused with hinge remnants and mild surface disturbances on the reverse, but retains strong color and overprint clarity. It is catalogued as Michel FR-IC B20V, Scott FR-TCH 4, Yvert et Tellier FR-TCH 35, and Stanley Gibbons FR-TCH 4. A significant example of philatelic colonial outreach during the waning years of the Qing dynasty.
Estimate "$55 – 80"