Scott No: 655-660
Serial number: C95
Values in set: 6
Date of issue: January 1, 1963
Denomination: 44 fen
Designer: Sun Chuanzhe
Size of stamps:
36.5*26mm for Value 1, 2, 5, 6;
48.5*27mm for Value 3, 4
Perforation:
11 for Value 1, 2, 5, 6;
11.5 for Value 3, 4
Sheet composition: 50(5*10)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

Issued on January 1, 1963, the set contains six stamps, photogravure, designed by Sun Chuanzhe and printed by the Beijing Stamp Printing Works. Stamps (320), (321), (324) and (325) measure 36.5 mm × 26 mm with perforation gauge 11; stamps (322) and (323) measure 48.5 mm × 27 mm with perforation gauge 11.5. Each sheet holds 50 stamps (5 × 10). Total face value of the set: 0.44 yuan. Printing quantities: 3 million for (320) China‑Cuba Friendship; 3 million for (321) Defend Cuba; 6 million for (322) Firmly Oppose U.S. Imperialist Aggression; 6 million for (323) Support the Just Struggle of the Cuban People; 2.5 million for (324) Cuba Shall Prevail; 2.5 million for (325) Victory Belongs to the Cuban People.

Theme of the Set

The Cuban Revolution triumphed in 1959, overthrowing the Batista dictatorship, and in 1961 Cuba proclaimed its socialist path. China and Cuba established diplomatic relations in 1960. Amid the intricate international situation of that era, China firmly stood with Cuba against foreign interference. Issued by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, this set narrates the course of the Cuban revolution through six scenes. It conveys China’s solidarity with Cuba’s socialist revolution and celebrates the Cuban people’s resolve to defend sovereignty and resist aggression. It ranks among the most iconic Chinese stamps of the 1960s themed on international solidarity.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

China‑Cuba Friendship

The design centres on Cuba’s revolutionary monument bearing inscriptions, set against a restrained background. It symbolises the friendship uniting the peoples of China and Cuba across the ocean and embodies their close partnership at that time.

Defend Cuba

The scene portrays two Cuban militiamen standing guard with rifles, beside tall palm trees and a distant revolutionary memorial tower. It depicts ordinary citizens taking up arms to defend their homeland and the nation’s united will to resist invasion.

Firmly Oppose U.S. Imperialist Aggression

A vast mass rally fills the frame. Countless Cubans gather beneath a sea of red flags, echoing the Havana Declaration and expressing the nation’s unified stand against foreign armed intervention.

Support the Just Struggle of the Cuban People

Another grand parade of crowds bearing banners. The powerful composition conveys that progressive forces worldwide stand alongside the Cuban people in support of their just cause.

Cuba Shall Prevail

The design features a revolutionary raising a megaphone in impassioned outcry. His defiant, spirited posture embodies the Cuban people’s courage in the face of hegemony and their faith in the future of their revolution.

Victory Belongs to the Cuban People

The stamp presents the Cuban national flag alongside the portrait of Fidel Castro. The flag’s red‑blue stripes and white five‑pointed star stand out sharply, representing the revolution’s leader, the nation and its people, affirming that the just struggle shall prevail.

Artistic Features

Printed in photogravure, the set uses two different stamp sizes and two perforation standards. Its rich, bold palette features striking contrasts of red, green, ochre and brown, carrying the visceral power of political poster art. The visual narrative unfolds sequentially: from symbolic monuments and armed defenders, through mass protest assemblies, to revolutionary resolve and ultimate triumph. Compositions are dense with firm, forceful linework, characteristic of 1960s revolutionary graphic art and steeped in period flavour. The two 10‑fen higher denominations had smaller print runs and are especially sought after by collectors.