1897 Empress Dowager 1st printing surch large figure wide spaced 1/2c on 3ca in block of 4, with inverted surch variety (Chan 47b), pane.3,
1897 Empress Dowager 1st printing surch large figure wide spaced 1/2c on 3ca in block of 4, with inverted surch variety (Chan 47b), pane.3, tied by “Customs Shanghai” cds. One of two recorded blocks of four. Only one sheet of forty was produced with this variety, and Tony Kwan has accounted for 35 surviving examples, all of which are canceled to order by the “Customs/Shanghai” dater of “Mar 24 1897”. 2009 (Oct) John Bull, lot 186. Reference: Tony Kwan, “Large Figure 2.5mm Inverted Surcharge Half Cent on Empress Dowager First Printing Stamp”, Asian Philatelist, Vol 4 (September.2013), p. 71-78. Tony.T.W..Kwan,.Tony.T.W..Kwan,.“Introduction.to.the.Four.Double.and.Eight.Inverted.of.Empress.Dowager. Surcharged Issues”, Studies of Classic Stamps of Ching Dynasty,.Vol..17.(2015),.pp..22-25.1897年慈壽初版加蓋大字長距半角蓋3分銀四方連，帶加蓋倒蓋變異（陳目47b），銷上海海關日戳。為存世兩件四方連之一。此票印製僅40枚，關道華已記錄當中35枚，全部銷上海海關1897年3月24日日戳。2009年10月布約翰，拍品號186。 參考﹕關道華《慈壽初版大字長距三分銀暫作洋銀半分倒蓋票》《亞洲郵學家2013》第71至78頁。
