This 1904 stamp from the French post offices in China features the elegant “Type Grasset” design, originally used in Indochina, overprinted for colonial usage in Chinese treaty ports. The allegorical figure of the Republic, clad in classical robes and adorned with olive branches, holds a fasces symbolizing authority and justice. This symbolic imagery is surrounded by intricate Art Nouveau motifs designed by Eugène Grasset, a master of decorative style. The original value of 5 centimes, printed in green, has been overprinted in black with the bilingual inscription “CHINE” and a value translation into Chinese currency, rendered as “2 cents” (仙 二). This dual-denomination system reflected the necessity of adapting French colonial postal issues to Chinese economic conditions. Measuring 20 x 24 mm and perforated 14 x 13½, the stamp was printed typographically on white paper. The current example is postally used, bearing a dark circular cancel across the portrait. The back shows heavy remnants of hinge and mounting paper, partially obscuring the original gum. It is catalogued as Michel FR-IC A20, Scott FR-CH 48, Yvert et Tellier FR-CH 65, and Stanley Gibbons FR-CH IND 32. The Grasset design is among the most artistically refined of all French colonial issues, and its usage in China highlights the visual and administrative complexities of imperial communication systems in the early 20th century.
Estimate "$55 – 75"