This complete group of six unused stamps from the French Post Office in Chongqing (Tchongking), China, features the iconic "Navigation and Commerce" design with overprints in both Latin and Chinese characters. Issued in 1903, the stamps bear the bilingual overprint "TCHONGKING" and surcharged values written in traditional Chinese numerals: 4c (四), 5c (五), 10c (十), 15c (十五), 20c (二十), and 30c (三十). The underlying base issues, printed by Imprimerie Nationale in Paris, reflect the high typographic quality typical of the French colonial postal series. Designed by Louis-Eugène Mouchon, these stamps were intended for use in the French-Chinese postal treaty system, primarily for facilitating trade and consular communication in Sichuan province. The stamps are printed in various shades (bistre, grey, green, red, and violet-brown) on colored paper, each with the characteristic bold colonial frame and the “INDO-CHINE” inscription. These particular copies are mint hinged (MH), with fresh gum and well-centered design, showing only minor hinging traces on the reverse. The group is an excellent representation of early 20th-century postal presence in Western China and remains a sought-after issue for collectors specializing in French Indochina or Treaty Port material.
Estimate: "$150 – 200"