Asian philately, or Far-Eastern philately, is a specialized area of
philately
Philately (; ) is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting or the study of postage; it is poss ...
which focuses on the stamps of China, Japan, Hong Kong and neighboring countries.
Stamp collectors
Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is an area of philately, which is the study (or combined study and collection) of stamps. It has been one of the world's most popular hobbies since the late nineteenth ...
and
stamp dealers often specialize in a particular aspect of Asian philately, and many
stamp auctions are devoted to this area of interest. Hong Kong is a major center for Asian philately with Chinese collectors and
investors some of the biggest buyers.
Notable items
The Chinese Red Revenues
So called because of their colour, these stamps are highly sought after by collectors.
The Golden Monkey stamp
In addition to interest in rarities by advanced collectors there has been spirited public interest in stamps such as the
Golden Monkey
The golden monkey (''Cercopithecus kandti'') is a species of Old World monkey found in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, including four national parks: Mgahinga, in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Vi ...
the 1980
Chinese zodiac stamp which is considered auspicious. A full sheet of this stamp, which is not rare — 5 million were printed, sold in 2011 for $180,000 with a single stamp selling for $1,500. This stamp had a catalogue value of $10 unused and $5 used in 1988. Demand for
Chinese zodiac stamps extends to current issues such as the Year of the
Rabbit
Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...
stamp issued in 2011 with supplies selling out at post offices in China within a few hours.
"Rabbit Stamp Ignite the Collection Frenzy"
CRI English.COM, January 8, 2011, accessed February 1, 2011
See also
* Postage stamps and postal history of China
*Postage stamps and postal history of Hong Kong
This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Hong Kong.
British Colony, 1841-1997
The postal system in the British colony of Hong Kong began in 1841 when the Royal Mail established the first General Post Office in the region. B ...
*Postage stamps and postal history of Japan
The story of Japan's postal system with its postage stamps and related postal history goes back centuries. The country's first modern postal service got started in 1871, with mail professionally travelling between Kyoto and Tokyo as well as the ...
References
{{PostalhistoryAsia
Philately
Philately of China
Philately of Japan