Memory of the remaining stamp album of my grandfather

Beautiful Life

A visit to grandmother today led to memory of my deceased grandfather. I am a hybrid-passion person, with a passion in both high-technology and antique. Before my grandfather passed away a few years ago, I chatted with him often, asking questions about the Ching Dynasty, World War I and II and, gave my best shot, anything interesting about his father and grandfather. My grandfather was an avid stamp collector, partly because he worked in office writing letters for Chinese sailors, many of those sent money back to families in China.

Grandma showed me the left-over small stamp album, the other albums sold for numerous non-wise reasons. I quickly took pictures of those which looked oldest and most interesting. A few websites such as China Postage History have good information, as not each stamp has a date on it. I am writing this article to express appreciation to my grandparents, for their persistent spirit to fight for a better life in the World-War era and Nationalist-Communist China era.


1) It is the oldest in the album. Released in 1911 from Ching Dynasty. Notice the red dragon in the center.




2) This one should be around 1928. The stamp says "Congratulate for the 150 years of United States Independence". The picture does not include Taiwan as part of China. The stamp bottom mysteriously printed "U.S. Billing company", possibily printed by a US company.



3) The look of Hong Kong Street in 1941. The fellow in the stamp is George VI of the United Kingdom, the son of the famous Duke of Windsor who abdicated his throne.




4) This one was released in 1943 to commemorate an agreement among China Nationalist Government, US and Britain.




5) Must be before 1945. It could be in the 1930s.



6) Inflation in 1947 that a 30 cents stamp to be re-surcharged as $10,000 yuan. The political loss later caught up with this postal chaos.



7) 1950, October 1st. Communist Party of China commemorated one-year anniversary of People's Republic of China (Communist), not Republic of China (Nationlist). The stamp is the largest in the album, about 2"x1.5"



I will post some more later in the next trip after Father's Day. Meanwhile, I am convincing grandma to put the album away in a bank's safety deposit, as a house can catch on fire.