French Post Offices in China: Stamp Issues and More

French post offices in China have been a fascinating part of the country's postal history. The first French post office in China was established in 1860.

From the early days, French post offices in China issued their own unique stamps, often featuring Chinese motifs and landscapes. These stamps were highly sought after by collectors and remain popular today.

One notable example is the 1897 issue featuring a Chinese dragon, which is still a prized find among philatelists. The dragon stamp is a testament to the cultural exchange between France and China during the late 19th century.

French post offices in China also played a significant role in the country's postal infrastructure, providing reliable mail services to remote areas.

The French post offices in China issued a range of stamps between 1894 and 1922. These stamps can be identified by their overprints, inscriptions, and values.

The most valuable stamp in this series is the 50c carmine overprint, which can be worth up to $62.50. This stamp is part of the French post offices in China 1894-1900 Sc#9a issue.

The Peace and Commerce series is another notable issue, featuring stamps with different denominations such as 15c, 25c, and 30c. These stamps are available in mint hinged condition.

The French post offices in China also issued stamps with a 2Fr value, which is part of the Peace and Commerce series. This stamp is listed as Sc#12.

Authentication of these stamps can be a challenge, but a trustworthy provenance is often the best method. This involves verifying the stamp's history and ownership to ensure its legitimacy.

Individual offices in China used their own stamps, which were administered by Indochina at the time. These offices were separate from the French general offices in China.

In 1901, Indochina type Groupe/Navigation and Commerce stamps were overprinted with "HOI-HAO" and the name in Chinese. This was the first instance of individual office stamps being used.

The overprints used by individual offices varied over time. For example, in 1903-04, the Chinese overprints stated the equivalent values in local currency, resulting in different inscriptions.

Kwangchowan/Kouang Tchéou (Guangzhouwan) was a leased territory at the mouth of the Maxie River. It's interesting to note that this territory had a unique postal history, with its own set of stamps and overprints.

In 1906, overprints on stamps of Indochina were issued with the Chinese inscriptions representing the equivalent denomination in local currency. These overprints were a way to adapt the Indochina stamps to the local currency.

The overprints continued in 1908 with very small additions of the equivalent value in Chinese. This was a practical solution for the postal service to accommodate the local population.

Surcharges were added to the previous issue in 1919, indicating an increase in postal rates. This is an important detail for collectors of postal history.

Taller letters reading KOUANG-TCHEOU were overprinted on stamps of Indochina in 1923. This change in font size was likely done to make the overprints more visible.

A list of the overprints issued in Kwangchowan/Kouang Tchéou (Guangzhouwan) is as follows:

The French colonial omnibus issues were released for Kwangchowan in 1937-39. This marked a significant change in the postal operations of the territory.

Pak-Hoi/Packhoi (Beihai) was a French post office in China that operated from 1903 to 1922.

In 1903-04, the Indochina type Groupe stamps were overprinted with "PACKHOI" in Chinese, stating the equivalent values in local currency for each stamp.

These overprints were a result of the French postal system's attempt to accommodate the local currency.

The overprints were later changed to "PAK-HOI" in sans-serif letters in 1906, with the Chinese inscriptions giving the equivalent denomination in local currency for each stamp.

Here are the different issues of Pak-Hoi/Packhoi stamps with their corresponding Chinese inscriptions:

French post offices were closed in December 1922, marking the end of Pak-Hoi/Packhoi's operation.

Stamp overprints were a common feature of French post offices in China, particularly during the early 20th century. Overprints were used to indicate the specific office that issued a stamp, with different offices using different overprints.

For example, the Canton office issued stamps overprinted "CANTON" rather than "CHINE", while other offices used the "CHINE" overprint. This can be seen in the stamps themselves, which often feature the overprint in addition to the standard French postal markings.

Stamps from the Indochinese offices in China can be identified by their unique overprints, which were applied to the then-current stamps of French Indochina. This is in contrast to the Paris-run offices, which used overprints applied to the stamps of France.

Here are some examples of the different overprints used by the Indochinese offices:

The use of overprints can help philatelists identify the specific office that issued a stamp, and can also provide valuable information about the history of the postal system in China.

The 1894 France "Chine" Overprints are a fascinating topic. These overprints were used on various stamps of France, overprinted with the word "Chine" in different colors.

The stamps come in a range of values, from 5c to 5F, with some having surcharges. The 5c green stamp, for example, has two shades of green, dark green (type II) and yellowish green (type I and II).

You can find these stamps with various cancels, such as the "5104" cancel from Shanghai and the "SHANG-HAI CHINE" cancel of 1896. Some stamps also have military cancels, like the "CORR.D. ARMEES SHANG-HAI" cancel of 1895.

The rarity of these stamps varies, with some being very common (c) and others being extremely rare (RRR). The 75c stamp, for instance, is rare (RR) in both unused and used conditions.

Be aware that forgeries exist, including ones made by the forger Francois Fournier. The Fournier Album contains examples of his forgeries, including the "16 Cents" overprint and the "25" surcharge.

Here's a breakdown of the values and their rarity:

Keep in mind that some stamps, like the 50c with the "HOI HAO" cancel, can be dubious or even forged.

Indochina 1904 Overprinted Stamps were created by overprinting the value of the stamps in Chinese characters. Two types exist of these overprints, not all values were printed in both types, type I appeared in 1902, type II in 1904.

The value is indicated in Chinese characters and thus different for each value. In type II of the 15 c, the word "CHINE" is below the Chinese inscription. A subtype exists of these stamps with a larger 'C'.

The 1904 Overprinted Stamps of Indochina are relatively rare, with some values being extremely rare. For example, the 4 c stamp is extremely rare in both unused and used condition.

Here's a breakdown of the rarity of the 1904 Overprinted Stamps:

These stamps were likely overprinted in small quantities, which contributes to their rarity.