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China Military Stamps

Given the pervasive military undertone of the People Republic of China (PRC), it will come as no surprise that military theme, especially that of the Army, have been widely used in postal stamps issued by the PRC government. China military stamps are a fascinating aspect of any china stamp collection. Some people who collect China stamps choose to build their collection just from this part of China’s unique history, and many online providers make it a point to make these stamps available.

Beginning with depictions of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen at the advent of the Republic of China in the early 1900’s, stamps with Chinese rulers and exaltation of the military and its heroics have been prevalently employed throughout the history of China stamps.

Upon the ascension of the Communists in 1950, depictions of Chairman Mao Zedong became commonplace in Chinese stamp releases, usually accompanied by military elements. Reverence for the Army and Army leaders were an important theme of military stamps released during the Cultural Revolution, 1966-1976.

And in fact, the military influence is so embedded in stamp collecting that military historians will often find themselves building a China Stamp collection as well, without even realizing they have picked up a new hobby.

The intertwining of military and political influences in the Chinese governmental system of the past automatically assured that much of the People Republic of China postage stamp content would reflect military subjects. As members of the ruling political party could also be military officers, it was (and still is) not uncommon for stamps to be issued commemorating older leaders from the early days of the PRC who died.

Collecting China military stamps can be rewarding if only because the Soviet realism imagery made famous in communism’s heyday is quickly becoming a collectable genre unto itself. Today, only a few regimes still exist in the world that employ muscular military themes in their governmental functions. Military stamps from China’s early days are among the most well collected of the philatelic world.

If you are just starting a China stamps collection, China military stamps represent an intriguing facet of this hobby. It is a great starting point for focusing your energy, and our stamp suppliers will not let you down. We do everything we can to bring all of our great resources together to ensure you can find both the classics and rare China stamps to make your collection complete.

China Monkey Stamp: An Integral Addition to Your Collection

Some of the most widely sought classics for people buying China stamps online are the different releases of the China monkey stamp. Much like the China dragon stamp, the monkey releases are closely tied with Chinese culture, and no stamp auction would be the same without them. There are many instances in which we see the monkey surface in the history of China stamps.

In the past 30 years China Post produced three ‘Year of the Monkey’ stamp issues, one in 1980, 1992 and 2004. Extremely popular and collected avidly by China stamp aficionados; a compilation containing all three sets is considered quite an achievement.

But the ‘Year of the Monkey’ releases were not the first appearance of a China monkey stamp in philatelic history. A special three-part monkey series was introduced in 1963 called ‘The Golden Haired Monkey.” Although it was not related to any formal Chinese New Year observance, its significance did not go unnoticed, and the fact that the tradition was so short-lived make these stamps popular.

It took about twenty more years for the monkey to make an appearance again in the stamp world. In 1980 the Gengshen Year (Year of the Monkey) design was issued, featuring a sitting monkey against a red background. The single value stamp was denominated with a value of 8 fen and was designed by Shao Boling.

Then twelve years later, in 1992 a two-piece Year of the Monkey set was released, which included designs, entitled ‘The Auspicious Peach’ and ‘Magpie in the Plum,’ with values of 20 and 50 fen respectively. These two stamps were the first set of the lunar year stamps in the second circle and were created with folk paper-cut art.

The first design is illustrated with a peach and a monkey figurine and can be used to celebrate a birthday. The second design has a background of a Chinese seal character of a monkey, with a red paper-cut of a magpie in the foreground that is announcing good news to all.

The 2004 New Year stamp issued by China Post was very colorful and entitled ‘Year of the Monkey (Jiashen Year)’. Available solo or in booklets of four or six, each stamp carried a value of 801 fen. While this release certainly have as much history to go with it, many people still cherish it as part of their China stamp collection.

And indeed, no one buying China stamps would deny that China monkey stamps are a highly desired part of any growing collection. They represent a big part of the historical and cultural elements of the engaging hobby that is stamp-collecting.

Cultural Revolution Stamps

China stamps have always had a close tie with the political and cultural movements in China, and they represent a unique part of the rich history associated with this old country. During the Cultural Revolution, beginning in 1966 and running nominally to 1976, posted stamps issued by the People’s Republic of China were commonly used as a propaganda tool, and these unique issues are known as the Cultural Revolution Stamps.

Stamps of Influence

Stamps during this period were used to educate, illuminate and glorify the twin of socialism and communism. Much like any other artifact of this period, they served as another tool for those in power. Whether or not they did their job is up for political debate, but they preserve a very interesting part of history. Influenced to a great degree by Soviet realism from the USSR, the artistry used in Cultural Revolution Stamps are known for making great use of the color red, which obviously had strong political implications at that time.

Chairman Mao Chinese Stamps

Cultural Revolution postage stamps most frequently featured Chairman Mao Zedong, followed by the Red Army and images of the common worker. The stamps represented an opportunity to enlighten and educate Chinese citizens at a crucial point in the government’s development.

The winds of Western popular culture in the 1960’s were buffeting the world’s more culturally isolated nations, with technological advancements launching the ‘Information Age.’ Launching a campaign to reinforce the ideals of its revolution was China’s logical response to Western encroachment. Stamps issued during the Cultural Revolution were a small yet important tool in the government’s effort to maintain its influence over Chinese culture.

The Whole Country Is Red’ Misprinted Stamps

The Culture Revolution stamp genre produced perhaps the most famous of all modern-era rare China stamps. In 1968, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications issued one stamp inscribed ‘The Whole Country is Red’.

To celebrate the triumph of the Cultural Revolution, the set of stamps depicted a red map of China with the bottom showing workers, farmers and soldiers waving the ‘Selected Works of Mao Zedong.’ The ocean is depicted as one of red flags and the bottom margin was inscribed with ‘Long Live the Complete Triumph of the Cultural Revolution’.

Upon release it was discovered, on the first day, that the Xisha and Nansha Islands had been mistakenly omitted on the stamps, resulting in the release being aborted. However, the misprints that did make it into circulation and private hands continue to be one of the most sought after stamps of the Chinese philatelic world today.

Cultural Revolution Stamps bring a lot of life and history to any China stamp collection, and many collectors feel a compilation is not complete without them. By staying in close contact with a reputable online stamp dealer and frequenting online stamp auctions, you are bound to find some great additions or some of the classics that simply never lose their allure.

Rare China Stamps: A Unique Path Through History

Rare China stamps offer a treasure trove of opportunity for collectors because of the geopolitical turmoil the country experienced in the first half of the 20th century. China’s transition from an imperial power into an international powerhouse created many conditions that increased the value and rarity of stamps issued during this period. Searching and adding these rare finds make a fascinating collecting hobby for true philatelic enthusiasts all over the world.

Early Chinese Stamps

Beginning with the Imperial Post Office creation in 1897, China’s nascent postal service pressed stamps printed in different countries, on different stock, adding a wide variety of attributes that could increase rarity. Later, commemoratives and special stamps, of varying quality and values complimented the issuance of such aberrations as a series of stamps for newly-occupied Tibet in 1911, thus creating even rarer find opportunities.

The use of surcharges and overprints serve to further increase prospects for rare china stamps to emerge. Surcharges occur when the inscribed value of the stamp is increased after the fact, usually due to powerful inflationary forces at the time.

Rather than throw away stamps whose values are out of date, they simply stamped a new value on them and sold them. Overprints would occur during times of transition between governments, with stamps printed by the old regime given new life and used again, denoted with a new marking.

Literally thousands of unique and commemorative stamps have been printed since the late 40’s. Chinese philatelic history is rampant with a colorful array of beautiful prints, and their sheer unique presentation opens up plenty of chances to become rarities. Characteristics recognized by collectors include their beautiful colors, striking thematic, a history reflecting a 5,000-year-old culture rich in political and cultural process.

Amongst some of the more significant occurrences that led to rare Chinese stamps are:

“The Great Soviet October Revolution”—this stamp is the result of an incidence when an attempt was made to produce a stamp which would honor the thirty-five years that had passed since the October Socialist Revolution. The Propaganda Department of the Chinese government were unhappy with the name and dubbed it a mistake, giving the order to trash the stamps which had already been printed and run a new print. As can be imagined, the stamps that survived become valuable finds.

“The Nuclear Glare of the Tiananmen”—In 1956, a unique release was anticipated to celebrate beautiful and important scenic locations throughout enignmatic Beijing. The print did not come out as expected. There was nothing particularly wrong with the finished product; onlookers simply felt it did not live up to the occasion. The release was terminated, and the surviving stamps lived on with their interesting name.

“Scientists of Ancient China”—This stamp was issued in the early sixties but a mistake was discovered in the first batch while they were still printing. The date of birth for Cai Lun was marked as Gongyuan (pinyin, A.D.) instead of the correct date of Gongyuan Quan (B.C.). When the stamp printers caught the mistake, they did as they would always do—stopped the print and fixed the plate to reflect the correct date. However, in this interesting case, they failed to change just one, and therefore each stamp sheet printed had a single stamp with the error.

“The Whole Country is Red”—In the midst of the tumultuous Cultural Revolution, this politically charged stamp was set to be released in the late sixties, but not long after the presses had been running, someone noticed the Xisha and Nansha islands had somehow been left off the print. The release was cancelled.

Chinese culture is fascinating and distinctive, and its stamp history is no different. For those who collect China stamps, there is nothing like having not only a piece of history in your home but a limited artifact. Rare China stamps are cherished by those with the fortune or money to own them, and they will only go up in value over the years.