The Carl Kilgas Collection of China
Part Three
November 29, 2023

Part III of the Carl A. Kilgas collection of China, with 385 lots will be sold on November 29th, 2023 at 10:00 A.M. on CherrystoneLIVE, at our Teaneck, New Jersey Galleries. Please note this is an online sale only - there is no printed catalog.

ImagesDescriptionCurrent Bid
Lot #2295
CHINA 1949 Silver Currency - Silver Yuan Issues
1949 (4 May) two covers to Portland, Oregon, one posted May 4th, 1949 from Shanghai, franked with block of 4x$10,000 green, the other registered from Canton paying $1,200,000 with 12x$100,000 surcharges, appropriate arrival pmks, minor cover wear, fine examples of the wildly fluctuating currencies
Envelope
Unsold
Lot #2296
CHINA 1949 Silver Currency - Silver Yuan Issues
1949 (10 June) local unit label printed on reverse of a postal form, canceled in Shensi district, used in Nancheng, with red authenticity seal, v.f., scarce
O
Unsold
Lot #2297
CHINA 1949 Silver Currency - Silver Yuan Issues
1949 (13 June) local unit label printed on reverse of a postal form, canceled in Shensi district, used in Nancheng, with red authenticity seal, v.f., scarce (Nancheng fell to the Communists within a week)
O
Unsold
Lot #2298
CHINA 1949 Silver Currency - Silver Yuan Issues
1949 (12 Aug) cover from Tien Wo (small settlement near Canton), with emergency 15c meter label and 4x10c adhesives, addressed to Portland, Oregon, with cancels of Tien Wo, Sun Wui on back and additional markings on back, fine and scarce usage (Canton itself was divided into postal districts extending 100 miles in a southerly direction, each one entitled to use the Canton Postage Paid chops and meters)
Envelope
Unsold
Lot #2299
CHINA 1949 Silver Currency - Silver Yuan Issues
1949 (9 Aug) registered and flown cover from Canton to Chinese Consulate General in Chicago, franked with two different surcharges and pair of 10c, paying 75c, with 11 August San Francisco and 12 August Chicago arrival pmks
Envelope
Unsold
Lot #2300
CHINA 1949 Silver Currency - Silver Yuan Issues
1949 (11 Apr) flown cover from Shanghai to Portland, Oregon, franked with single $3,000 (equivalent to 1c in Silver Currency), minor back cover flaws, otherwise fine (The Chinese gold yuan was legal tender currency of China between August 1948 and 1949. It was a method used by the Republic of China government to accumulate gold from its citizens in preparation to relocate to Taiwan. It circulated in the country under the control of R.O.C., which issued paper money on August 19, 1948. This currency was notorious for vicious inflation due to inadequate issuance preparation and failure to strictly enforce issuance limits. In the early days of the issuance of the Golden yuan, the government used executive actions to force the public to exchange gold, foreign currency for the new currency. The legal exchange rate was 0.22217 grams of gold per gold yuan but it could not be honored. After the failure of the Golden Yuan, the government issued Silver Yuan, but it was soon rejected in circulation, and the Chinese golden yuan was recalled)
Envelope
Unsold
Lot #2301
CHINA 1949 Silver Currency - Silver Yuan Issues
1949 (22 Apr) flown cover from Kungyifow (new Canton) to Portland, Oregon, postage paid in Gold currency ($41,000, with 20x$2,000 surcharges and single $1,000), tied by departure pmks on back, some cover wrinkles, otherwise fine
Envelope
Unsold
Lot #2302
CHINA 1949 Silver Currency - Silver Yuan Issues
1949 (19 Apr) flown cover from Canton (University preprinted address) to Chicago, paying $17,000 (8x$2,000 surcharges and 2x$500), tied by Canton departure pmks, on back, fine
Envelope
Unsold
Lot #2303
CHINA 1949 Silver Currency - Silver Yuan Issues
1949 (Nov) stock transferred to Taiwan, cover used domestically with two Hong Kong overprinted adhesives in Taipei, "Flying Date" cancels, fine. The Silver Currency Issues ended the era of Nationalist China on the Mainland, but continued to be vital in relieving the acute shortage of postage stamps in the early days of ROC in Taiwan
Envelope
Unsold
Lot #2304
CHINA 1949 Silver Currency - Silver Yuan Issues
1949 (14 Aug) flown cover from Sin Chang (new Canton) to USA, 15c Meter strip used in combination with 2x20c surcharges, fine. The 15c meter strip was used for about two months until 15c and 40c surcharge on the Peiping Scenery issue were released on 20th August, 1949, fine
Envelope
Unsold
Lot #2305
CHINA 1949 Silver Currency - Silver Yuan Issues
1949 (Postage Paid Canton LD) on flown cover (little reduced at left) to USA, with framed Sin Chang (16 May) origin and Canton (21 May) cancel on reverse, fine and unusual district emergency chop from Kwantung district on international mail
Envelope
Unsold
Lot #2306
CHINA 1949 Silver Currency - Silver Yuan Issues
1949 (29 Apr) unit label used on cover from Canton to Hong Kong, overall toning, otherwise fine (purchased at current rate at Post Offices, mimeographed on soft newsprint in sheets of 32 (8x4), bound in book form, cut out as needed and later imprinted strictly on envelopes)
Envelope
Unsold
Lot #2307
CHINA 1949 Silver Currency - Silver Yuan Issues
1949 (Postage Paid Canton LD) on flown cover (little reduced at right) to USA, with "Paksha (Toishan)" (May 22) and Canton (25 May) cancels on reverse, fine and unusual district emergency chop from Kwantung district on international mail
Envelope
Unsold
Lot #2308
CHINA 1949 Silver Currency - Silver Yuan Issues
1949 (Postage Paid Canton LD) on flown cover (little reduced at right) to USA, with "Tien Ch'Eng" (May 26) and Kutsing pmks at bottom, also (28 May cancels on reverse), fine and unusual district emergency chop from Kwantung district on international mail
Envelope
Unsold
Lot #2309
CHINA 1949 Silver Currency - Silver Yuan Issues
1949 (26 June) flown cover (slightly reduced at right) to USA, franked on back with pair of 20c surcharges (40c was the correct rate, Air 30c and UPU 10c), fine
Envelope
Unsold
Lot #2310
CHINA 1949 Silver Currency - Silver Yuan Issues
1949 (12 July) cover with special 15c Meter label and pair of 20c surcharges, used from Sin Chang to the United States, re-sealed with brown label at left, fine (the international postage rates effective July 5th, were 15c for a first class letter, plus 40c for Air Mail. No 15c stamps were available and 15c meter was used instead in the first several days), fine and scarce cover
Envelope
Unsold
Lot #2311
CHINA 1949 Silver Currency - Silver Yuan Issues
1949 (19 July) cover (slightly reduced at left) flown from Kutsing, Yunnan to Portland, paying 15c with 1c and 4c surcharges and 10c SYS, lower left corner clipped, otherwise fine
Envelope
Unsold
Lot #2312
CHINA 1949 Silver Currency - Silver Yuan Issues
1949 (3 Nov) cover (slightly reduced) franked with vertical strip of 5x$100 Dah Tung Shanghai printing, second supplemental surcharge, used after the fall (to the Communists) of Canton, fine and rare (Canton fell on 14th October)
Envelope
Price Realized
$240.00

Lot #2313
CHINA 1949 Silver Currency - Silver Yuan Issues
1949 (6 May) Official mail Tao Yuan, Hunan "Domestic Postage Already Paid D.P.P." local emergency chop on red band cover (corner clipped) with Changsha receiving cancel (7 May) on back
Envelope
Unsold
Lot #2314
CHINA 1949 Silver Currency - Silver Yuan Issues
1949 (2 May) flown cover to USA, framed "Postage Paid Canton" chop used in lieu of postage stamp, with corresponding departure pmk alongside, delayed for 9 days and eventually sent on 11 May, fine
Envelope
Unsold

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