HONG KONG.- Zurich Asia is pleased to announce that it will hold its Hong Kong autumn auction on Saturday, 16 and Sunday, 17 September 2017 at Harbour Plaza North Point Hotel, offering 2805 lots of rare philatelic treasures, banknotes and coins. There will be a public preview on Thursday, 14 and Friday, 15 September from 10am to 6pm.

A major highlight of the sale is a 1949 (23 Oct.) airmail cover from Changchow, Fukien, China to Göteborg, Sweden with extremely rare Fukien Liberated Areas stamps. On the reverse are two vertical pairs and a vertical strip of four Longki hand surcharged $10 on $100 yellow brown stamps, on Sun Yat Sen Shanghai Dah Tung print, and a $100 on Silver Yuan Unit Hong Kong print orange stamp; all tied by the character „FUKIEN/LONGKI‟ and „HONG KONG/ 1.11.49’ transit, a total rate of $180 for overseas 20g. This rate was effective from 1 October 1949. Fukien was liberated on 17 August 1949. (Estimate: HK$400,000 - 500,000/ US$51,282 - 64,103, Lot 4149).

A notable lot in the Imperial section features the sought-after 1897 Large figures surcharged stamps of 4 candarins on 3 candarins, including a complete block of 20 stamps, a horizontal strip of four and one single stamp. These rare stamps are in mint condition with original gum (Estimate: HK$400,000 - 500,000/ US$51,282 - 64,103, Lot 332).

A further highlight is a rare complete pane of 25 brown red 3 candarins 1878 Large Dragon stamps. In excellent condition, it is in unmounted mint and very fresh on both sides (Estimate: HK$250,000 - 300,000/ US$32,051 - 38,462, Lot 96).

Also on offer is an 1897 Small figures surcharged 4 candarins on 3 candarins revenue stamp in mint condition with full original gum, one of the most highly coveted Chinese philately items (Estimate: HK$180,000 - 220,000/ US$23,077 - 28,205, Lot 309).

Leading the People‟s Republic of China section is an extremely fine and rare complete sheet of 80 of the 1980 Year of the Monkey (“Golden Monkey”) stamps in shiny gold and vivid red (Estimate: HK$1,100,000 - 1,200,000/ US$141,026 - 153,846, Lot 3187).

Another rare item is an unissued 1946 Su-Wan Border Area, Chairman Mao, 5 candarins red Common Mail. This very fine and rare, unused stamp is an exceptional exhibition item (Estimate: HK$150,000 - 200,000/ US$19,231 - 25,641, Lot 2586).

Of great interest is an extremely rare 1922 inverted surcharge in blue green on Junk First Peking print, 2 cents on 3 cents. This variety is known as one of the „Four Treasures of the Republic ‟ and is highly sought after by philatelic connoisseurs. In mint condition with partial original gum, it comes with a British Philatelic Association certificate dated 2015. With this new discovery, the number of recorded copies of this variety has increased to just 15. (Estimate: HK$500,000-600,000/ US$64,103 - 76,923, Lot 510).

A treasure in the sale is an extremely rare 1945 CNC Chengchow surcharge, $20 on $2 grey brown on Sun Yat Sen Chungking Chung Hwa print. It is one of the rarest Republic of China stamps, and Zurich Asia has recorded only 4 copies (Estimate: HK$100,000 - 120,000/ US$12,820 - 15,385, Lot 615),