China 1962 People's Republic China (PRC) general issues Stage Art of Mei Lan-fang 3 yuan miniature sheet, SGMS2044a.
A fine unmounted mint example with full original gum. There is some light overall gum toning and a couple of trivial tones and wrinkles. These minor imperfections do not detract and are evident in almost all examples in existence.
A modern People's Republic of China classic, highly sought after by collectors of modern Chinese stamps, and rare as only 20,000 were issued.
Known as the "Drunken Concubine", it is China's most valuable miniature sheet, with legendary status amongst collectors.
In the summer of 1962, eight motifs were issued by the People's Republic of China honouring the most famous performer of Peking Opera, Mei Lan-fang (1894-1961). The star of the show was this 3 yuan large format souvenir sheet issued on 15 September 1962.
The sheet features a scene from his starring role as "Drunken Concubine", surrounded by a white and blue decorated background. 20,000 were issued but sold relatively poorly as the price at the time was comparatively high by Chinese standards. Allegedly remaining unsold stocks were destroyed at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution meaning the number of surviving examples is much less.
Stanley Gibbons catalogue value: £11,000.
The Stanley Gibbons catalogue value looks to be behind current market realisations. In recent months, we have noted unmounted mint examples of varying quality sell in the European market at prices between 8,900 and 18,000 euros, plus commission fees of between 25% and 30%.
Discover more about this stamp in our newsletter.
-
BUY NOW: Order online, by phone +44 (0)1534 639 998, or via email info@paulfrasercollectibles.com
