Red Revenue Small One Dollar Surcharge（紅印花小字當壹圓）

Red Revenue Small One Dollar Surcharge

Estimated value: US$333,382

The Red Revenue Small One Dollar Surcharge was a revenue stamp used as a postage stamp after being stamped with the small words of One Dollar. It was the first surcharged stamp among all the red revenue stamps surcharged for postal use during the Qing Dynasty (1636-1911).

After two sheets of 50 pieces of the red revenue stamps were surcharged, the words One Dollar were considered too small, so the mould was to replace them for a bigger one.

Now about 30-some pieces still exist, including one block of four and one horizontal pair. Most of them are unused ones. Only one used stamp, cancelled with the PaKua Cancellation, has been found, which is now exhibited in the China National Post and Postage Stamp Museum.

In 2009, one such stamp issued in 1897 was auctioned for 2.59 million HK dollars (US$333,382) in Hong Kong.