美国切利斯通（Cherrystone）拍卖行将于2010年12月16日开拍中国珍品邮票，其中包括中国清代红花邮票，民国邮票五珍中的四珍。估计本次拍卖，将创下中国邮票价格的新纪录。
1. 清代红花邮票 1896 unsurcharged Red Revenue stamp, 3c red, perf. 14, never hinged, few gum skips, post office fresh, v.f. and beautiful copy, with 2007 Experts and Consultants Ltd cert. Originally ordered for internal use by the Customs Department, the 3c stamp inscribed "China" and "Revenue" was ordered from the London printing company Waterlow & Sons, following a request from Sit Robert Hart, the Inspector General of the Imperial Maritime Customs to James Campbell, the Customs Commissioner in London. The stamps were perforated 12-16 on three different machines and were shipped to China on 18th September, 1896. Although the stamps never served their intended purpose, they were pressed into use for surcharging in order to fulfill demand for stamps in the silver currency adapted by the newly inaugurated national postal system. Practically all of the 650,000 stamps ordered from London were used for this purpose, although there remained 761 stamps without surcharge stored at the General Post Office. During the Cultural Revolution, this entire stock, except for 10 (!) stamps (which were given to the Chinese Postal Museum), was destroyed. This was recounted to Dr.Chang Min-Sheng by Mr. Wu Feng Gang, former director of the Postal Museum. Historically, other examples had survived, through various sources including contemporary Customs officials (Cat No. Chan R1)
2. 民国倒挂宫门。1915 Hall of Classics First Peking Printing $2 black and blue, variety center inverted, bright colors, well centered for this, with vertical guideline at right, previously hinged, lightly hinged, very fine and fresh unused, with certificate (Chan 245a) (YT 163A, cat. Euro 150,000). Only one sheet of 50 of this variety was sold at the Hankow post office. One of the "Four Treasures of the Repiblic" (latest auction realization HK$ 850,000 plus buyer's premium) (Cat No. 237a)
3. 民国二分倒挂 1923 surcharged in red on first Peking printing 2 Cts on 3c blue-green, surcharge inverted error, deep bright color, characteristic centering to lower right, nevertheless well centered, very fine and fresh with original customary flat and streaky, h.r., signed Holcombe, Champion, with certificate (Chan 280a) (YT 179a, cat. Euro 175,000), (SG 361a). It is believed that there are less than twenty examples known of this error. According to contemporary reports (Theodore Sidall), on thirteen of these stamps exist and were acquired at Wanhsien, a small port about half way between Chungking and Ichang, in July, 1924, by Dr. A. Germain, the medical officer on the French gunboat "Balny." He applied two of the stamps to separate covers which he mailed to himself locally and sold ten mint examples to the French dealer Theodore Champion. Champion than sold a block of four and a single to M.D. Chow, two singles to Bush and one each to Hinds and Hawkins. One of the "Four Treasures of the Republic" (latest auction realization HK$ 1,200,000) (Cat No. 247a)
3. 民国三分倒挂 1925 surcharged in red on second Peking printing 3 Cts on 4c slate-gray, surcharge inverted error, used, well centered for this, fine, with cert. (Chan 281a) (YT 208a, cat. Euro 160,000). One of the greatest rarities of 20th Century Chinese philately, certainly the top of the "Four Treasures of the Republic". Only ten examples of this error were originally reported discovered in 1925, seven unused and three used (two in Shanghai, one in Peking), it appears that no further examples have survived. A unique opportunity to acquire what might be the only available used error on the market (latest auction realization for a defective unused copy HK$ 1,800,000, plus buyer's premium) (Cat No. 274a)
4. 孙中山头像倒挂 1941 Dr. Sun Yat-sen New York Print $2 black and blue, variety center inverted, deep rich colors and paper of post office freshness, characteristic centering frame to foot, lightly hinged, v.f., signed Holcombe and Roger Calves, with cert. (Chan 508) Only one sheet of fifty is believed to have been printed with this error (last auction realization HK$ 900,000)
这些都是集邮人梦寐以求的珍品，许多人等的就是这一机会。它将是世纪大拍卖，不是甩卖，有可能创下价格新高。
