This German Empire stamp, originally part of the "Germania" definitive series, was overprinted in 1908 for use by the German Imperial Post Offices in China. The underlying design, printed in dark carmine and black, features an allegorical female figure wearing a crown of oak leaves and the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire, symbolizing national strength and unity. The bold "China" overprint in Gothic script, along with the surcharge "20 Cents," was applied to reflect the currency used in the Chinese postal jurisdiction. Typography was used for both the original print and the overprint, with a comb perforation measuring 14 x 14¼. The stamp measures 22 x 26 mm and is printed on paper with a lozenge-shaped watermark (pastille, upright orientation). Designed by Paul Eduard Waldraff, this issue forms part of the broader German foreign post office tradition and was valid until the closure of the German postal network in China in 1917 due to the First World War. Catalogued as Michel DR-CHI 42, Scott DR-CHI 51, Yvert DR-CHI 43, and Stanley Gibbons DR-CHI 50. Estimate "$20 – 30"