Scott No: 402-404
Serial number: C58
Values in set: 3
Date of issue: February 15, 1959
Denomination: 22 fen
Designer: Sun Chuanzhe, Liu Shuoren
Engraver: Kong Shaohui, Sun Jingyong, Sun Hongnian, Gao Pinzhang
Size of stamps: 27.5*34mm
Perforation: 14
Sheet composition: 90(10*9)
Printing process: Engraving
Printing House: Beijing People's Printing Works

Issued on February 15, 1959, this set contains three stamps, printed by recess engraving. Designed by Liu Shuoren and engraved by Kong Shaohui, Sun Hongnian, Gao Pinzhang and Sun Jingyong, it was produced by the Beijing People’s Printing Works. Stamp size: 27.5mm × 34mm; perforation 14; sheet of 90 (9 × 10). Total face value of the set: ¥0.22. Denominations and print runs: Steelmaking by All the People, 4 fen, 4 million copies; Combining Indigenous and Modern Methods, 8 fen, 8 million copies; Celebrating Completion, 10 fen, 3.5 million copies.

Core Theme of the Set

In 1958, a nationwide campaign of mass steelmaking swept across the country, with a target of 10.7 million tons of steel for the year, making it the most emblematic event of industrial construction during the Great Leap Forward. The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications issued this set to record that sweeping mass steelmaking movement and to reflect the era’s picture of the whole nation developing the iron and steel industry and accelerating industrialisation.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Steelmaking by All the People

At the centre of the design is a portrait of Mao Zedong, with workers and peasants gathered below, accompanied by the slogan “Strive for 10.7 Million Tons of Steel”. It expresses the determination of the people nationwide to strive for the steel output target and serves as the programmatic image of the whole set.

Combining Indigenous and Modern Methods

The design depicts rows of earthen blast furnaces, with the masses hauling ore and fuel, presenting the production model that combined indigenous backyard methods with modern industry. It recreates the fervent scene of the whole population taking part and smelting steel on the spot.

Celebrating Completion

The stamp shows a modern steelworks, with sparks flying from the furnaces and crowds cheering. It bears the inscription “Celebrating the Production of 11.08 Million Tons of Steel”, signifying the overfulfilment of the steel production target and displaying the bustling scene of industrial construction.

Artistic Design Features

All three stamps adopt a uniform vertical format and are recess-engraved, with firm, solid lines conveying the strength of printmaking. The three designs advance step by step: the first sets out the goal, the second depicts the actual scene of the masses smelting steel by indigenous methods, and the third presents the steelworks and the celebration, forming a coherent narrative. A vivid red dominates the palette, heightening the fervent, high-spirited mood of the era. The figures are rendered with summarised, powerful forms in a style characteristic of period propaganda art, making this a highly representative early commemorative stamp of the industrial campaigns of the 1950s.