CHINA
LUNAR CANCELLATIONS ON COVERS

Lunar Calendar has been used by farmer's in China for thousands of years, and is still in use. The years is combined by two Chinese characters. The first character is one of ten Celestial Stems called 'GAN'. The later is one of the twelve Horary Stems called 'ZHI'. A cycle will take 60 years to complete.
The following is a table of the Lunar years used during the Imperial & Republic era.
LUNAR YEAR   WESTERN   NOTES  
  1902.2.8-1903.1.28   FOUND ON SOME TOMBSTONE CANCEL ONLY  
  1903.1.29-1904.2.15   FOUND ON SOME TOMBSTONE CANCEL ONLY  
  1904.2.16-1905.2.3   FIRST MONTH CANCELS UNCOMMON  
  1905.2.4-1906.1.24   COMMON  
  1906.1.25-1907.2.12   COMMON, INTERCALARY (LEAP) FOURTH MONTH  
  1907.2.13-1908.2.1   COMMON  
  1908.2.2-1909.1.21   COMMON  
  1909.1.22-1910.2.9   COMMON, INTERCALARY SECOND MONTH  
  1910.2.10-1911.1.29   COMMON  
  1911.1.30-1912.2.17   COMMON, INTERCALARY SIXTH MONTH  
  1912.2.18-1913.2.5   UNCOMMON, REPUBLIC FIRST YEAR  
  1913.2.6-1914.1.25   UNCOMMON, REPUBLIC SECOND YEAR  
  1914.1.26-1915.2.13   UNCOMMON, REPUBLIC THIRD YEAR, INTERCALARY FIFTH MONTH  
  1915.2.14-1916.2.2   SCARCE, REPUBLIC FOURTH YEAR  
  1916.2.3-1917.1.22   SCARCE, REPUBLIC FIFTH YEAR  
  1917.1.23-1918.2.10   SCARCE, REPUBLIC SIXTH YEAR, INTERCALARY SECOND MONTH  
The following are examples of LUNAR cancellations used on CIP covers.
  • FUICHENG LUNAR CANCEL
COVER SEND FROM FEICHENG TO IRELAND

The 10 cents CIP stamp was tied by a "CHIHLI, 1908, Seventh month, Twenty Fifth, FUICHENG" Lunar cancel to the cover. Forward by the British office with B.P.O. Shanghai cancel alongside. Various cancels including Tangku and Tangshan bi-lingual back stamps.

     

  • SINAN LUNAR CANCEL
COVER SEND FROM SINAN TO HAWAII

A double rate cover with " Kwangtung, 1905, Ninth month, sixteenth day, sinan" lunar cancel ties a 20 cents CIP stamp to the Hawaii islands. French Canton date stamp, Hong Kong transit and Hawaii receiving seen on the back of the cover.

  

  • SHANGHAI LUNAR CANCEL
COVER SEND FROM SHANGHAI TO THE U.S.A.

"Kiangsu, 1905, first month, twenty eight day, Shanghai" ties five 2 cents CIP stamps to Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.A. Shanghai I.J.P.O. (Imperial Japanese Post Office) forwarding alongside.

 

  • WAIHING LUNAR CANCEL
RED BAND COVER WAIHING TO TUCCHOW

"Honan, 1911, second month, twenty fifth, Waihing" Lunar cancel ties a 3 cents CIP stamp to Tuchow. "Shantung, 1911, third month, third, Tuchow" receiving.

   

  • KIUNGCHOW LUNAR CANCEL
NATIVE COVER KIUNGCHOW TO CANTON

"Kwangtung, 1908, ninth month, eleven day, Kiungchow" Lunar cancel ties a 2 cents CIP stamp to a printed native cover (usually used for business correspondence) to Canton. Canton Bi-Lingual cancel on the back of the cover.

 

  • SOOCHOW LUNAR CANCEL
NATIVE COVER SOOCHOW TO TIENTSIN

Bi-Lingual" 1911, first month, fifth, Soochow" Lunar cancel ties a 3 cents CIP stamp to a native cover (usually used for invitation / congratulation correspondence) to Tientsin. Bi-Lingual " 1911 first month tenth, Tientsin" receiving alongside.

 

  • CHUNLIANGCHENG LUNAR
POSTCARD CHUNLIANGCHENG TO FRANCE

"Chihli, 1909, fifteenth, sixth month, Chunliangcheng" Lunar cancel ties the two 2 cents CIP stamps on a postcard with a purple cachet of "CHINESE EMPEROR'S FUNERAL 1.5.1909".
Tangku & Shanghai Bi-Lingual transit and French Shanghai forwarding cancellations on back

   

  • KIUKIANG LUNAR CANCEL
POSTCARD KIUKIANG TO NANKING

"Kiangsi, 1906, fourth month, nineteenth day, Kiukiang" Lunar cancel ties a 2 cents CIP stamp to Nanking. Nanking receiving alongside.

 

BACK TO HOME PAGE
NEXT PAGE