Issued on October 1, 1897, this 10 cent dark green stamp belongs to the “Dragon, Jumping Carp, and Flying Goose” issue of Imperial China, one of the most iconic series preceding the fall of the Qing Dynasty. The design features a detailed Chinese dragon surrounded by stylized clouds and framed by decorative traditional characters and Western script. Printed using lithography by the Tsukiji Type Foundry Co. in Japan, this issue reflects the transitional period when the Qing court began modernizing postal services, incorporating foreign printing techniques and bilingual inscriptions. The perforation is irregular due to varied gauge applications across print runs, and this specimen is gummed on the reverse, with signs of hinge remains and partial green offset typical of the period. The stamp bears a semi-circular cancellation that can be identified as originating from Shanghai (上海), then a treaty port of immense commercial and political significance. Catalogued as Michel CN-IM 40, Scott CN-IM 91, Yvert et Tellier CN-IM 39, Stanley Gibbons CN-IM 101, and China Stamp Society CN-IM 106, this stamp remains a culturally rich emblem of Imperial China’s late 19th-century philatelic expression. Estimate "$25 – 40"