Lot# 8023

printed on thin native paper with bright, even impressions and wide margins, ungummed and without perforation. Produced at the Tainan Printing Bureau in mid-1895, this represents the first officially issued postage stamp of the Formosan Republic, bearing the “Tiger” design symbolizing national autonomy and the establishment of an independent postal system. The block shows precise alignment and sharp impressions, likely printed during the early stage of plate use when printing quality was at its best. A rare and representative multiple from the first issue of the Republic, well preserved and of exceptional philatelic and historical importance. Ex Meiso Mizuhara Collection.