Scott No: 1803
Serial number: J85
Values in set: 1
Date of issue: August 25, 1982
Denomination: 100 fen
Designer: Liu Shuoren
Size of S/S: 136*80mm
Size of stamps: 60*40mm
Perforation: 11.5*11
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

J85 "First Congress of the All-China Philatelic Federation" commemorative souvenir sheet was issued on August 25, 1982. The set consists of 1 souvenir sheet, printed by photogravure, designed by Liu Shuoren, and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory. The souvenir sheet measures 136 mm × 80 mm, with a main stamp image of 60 mm × 40 mm, a face value of 1 yuan, and a circulation of 1,257,600 copies.

Theme of the Set

The First Congress of the All-China Philatelic Federation was held in Beijing. This congress formally announced the establishment of the national philatelic organization, gathered philatelic forces from all over the country, and promoted the standardized development of China's philatelic undertakings. The stamp selects the image of a relay courier from a Wei-Jin dynasty mural, echoing ancient relay communications, tracing the long history of China Post, and highlighting the cultural value of philately in carrying forward postal history and connecting philatelic enthusiasts at home and abroad.

Stamp Design and Historical Background

The Courier

The main image is taken from the Wei-Jin dynasty tomb mural The Courier in Jiayuguan, Gansu. In the image the courier rides a fine horse and holds a document; the courier is depicted without a mouth, implying that the letter-carrying envoy strictly guards the secrecy of correspondence. The courier and the fine horse are classic images of ancient postal relay communications, bearing witness to the history of China's early postal transmission of information. The souvenir sheet's border background is light olive green, covered with silhouettes of flocks of flying wild geese; "wild geese carrying letters" is a symbol of traditional letter communication. On the right side, vertically printed, are the words "First Congress of the All-China Philatelic Federation 1982 Beijing."

Artistic Design Features

It is antique and elegant, preserving the plain style of the mural, with steady colors. Using the ancient courier as the core main image and pairing it with the wild-goose border, it combines ancient postal relay culture with this grand philatelic event in an ingenious conception. This souvenir sheet is the leader of the philatelic federation series and a highly renowned classic souvenir sheet among JT stamps. Later, the Courier image was also adopted for China Post's postal savings green card.