China 4 Cent Hong Kong Overprinted Surcharge

We got off on a China topic on another tread. So I thought I start a new one here, it may be helpful for others. But one thing I wanted to fine out about is the the China 4 cent Overprinted Surcharge that
is listed as Hong Kong, but as we all know Hong Kong was British (UK) territory, not Chinese. In both Scott & Ma's it seems to have equal status with the other provisional surcharge issues for the various provinces. The difference of course is that they are 3 cent surcharges, not the 4 cent. Scott #440 overprinted on #382.

So my theory is that stamp with 4c surcharged overprint was meant to cover the extra cost to send mail to Hong Kong itself. Not that China was printing a stamp and implying sovereignty over Hong Kong.

What do you think or know about this issue?
Mike

Thanks for your China topic,Mike.

The #440 is Chinese stamps.

In the period of Anti-Japanese War(July 7,1937- August 15,1945),lot of Chinese stamps was printed in HongKong,Chongqing and Nanping.

The basic original stamp is #382,printed by Shanghai Dadong Book Company-HongKong Printing House in 1940(I can not find the detailed date).The surcharge #440 was issued on October 20,1940,overprinted by Shanghai Dadong Book Company-HongKong Printing House.

Because of the war and inflation,soaring prices in China,postage would also be adjusted accordingly,and the printing and issuing of stamps was very difficult,and in order to make the original stamps would not be waste,so to overprint them repeatedly and in many provinces.

Thanks again for your good topic.

ZhangCheng

Zhang Cheng, You're welcome!

Well I may have answered my own question. In Ma's Catalogue I found that the surcharged were 'surcharged by Da Dong Book Co. at Hong Kong in red in sheets of 50, 100, or 200 stamps, and issued on October 23, 1940. It was delivered to the Shanghai Head Office and then distributed among all district offices approachable from Shanghai.' ( Ma's #500)
So with that in mind, Scott's listing it with the other regional provisional issues would be incorrect and should be separated and noted why it;s not directly related.

Mike

Great answer,Mike.





About the quote,you know my broken English,so maybe I do not understand you correctly...if so,sorry.I think only the 4 cent (Chinese character:"ÔÝ×÷ËÁ·Ö" on the stamp) was overprinted in HongKong,other surcharge was overprinted in other province.The Scott's listing with other surcharge was overprinted by other province,is right.I trust there are comments about "other surcharge was overprinted by other province" in the Ma's catalog.

ZhangCheng

Unlike Scott's, Ma's dedicates a seperate page for that one stamp (Ma's #500/Scott's #440) as I feel it should be done, since it was available through out Nationalist China control territory.

Looks I understand your words mistakenly(I thought the point above you said it is about the place of printing).Sorry.

Thanks for the comment.Yes,Mike,I am unanimous with you about the Scott's #440,it was overprinted in HongKong,available in China.