Best Collection
The Second Customs Dragon Issue (the Small Dragon)
The Statistical Department of Imperial Customs engraved a newly stamp printing plate at end of year 1885 (the 11th year of Emperor Kuang Hsu) based on the main figure of the First Customs Dragon Issue (the Large Dragon). The figure dimension of newly plate is 19.5 mm by 22.5 mm, smaller than the Large Dragon, and designed also with the dragon but more finely than the Large Dragon, and the layout of Chinese characters, format and denominations are the same with the Large Dragon. That’s why it is called “Second Customs Dragon Issue”, and abbreviated as the “Small Dragon” by philatelists because the size of dragon figure is smaller than (probably 76% of) the Large Dragon. All stamps are printed on white paper bought from England, watermarked with the diagram of “Tai Chi” (supreme ultimate) hand-drawn by British Sir Robert Hart, Inspector General of Imperial Customs.
