China Coiled Dragon Surcharge, London Print, Half Cent, Inverted Surcharge

Republic of China · 1912 · ½ cent

A block of four unused stamps featuring the coiled dragon design, originally from the Qing Dynasty, surcharged '中華民國' (Republic of China) and '半分' (Half Cent) in Song font. This specific block exhibits an inverted surcharge variety and includes selvage.

These surcharged stamps were issued during the transitional period following the 1911 revolution, allowing the newly established Republic of China to utilize existing Qing Dynasty stamp stock. The inverted surcharge represents a significant and sought-after philatelic error from this era.