Scott No: 269-270
Serial number: C35
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: December 15, 1955
Denomination: 28 fen
Designer: Sun Chuanzhe
Engraver: Kong Shaohui
Size of stamps: 25*38
Perforation: 14
Sheet composition: 88(11*8)
Printing process: Engraving
Printing House: Beijing People's Printing Works

C35 "135th Anniversary of the Birth of Engels" commemorative stamps were issued on December 15, 1955. The set consists of 2 stamps, printed by engraving, engraved by Tang Linkun, and printed by the Business Branch of the Beijing People's Printing Factory. Stamp size 26 mm × 38 mm, perforation gauge 14, 80 stamps per sheet (10 × 8), with a total face value of 0.28 yuan for the set, without gum throughout the set.

Theme of the Set

Engels was one of the founders of Marxism; together with Marx he founded the theory of scientific socialism and made indelible contributions to the international workers' movement. 1955 marked the 135th anniversary of Engels's birth. The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications issued this set to commemorate the occasion, pay tribute to this revolutionary mentor of the proletariat, and publicize Marxist thought.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Portrait of Engels (8 fen)

Circulation 7 million copies. The main subject is a half-length portrait of Engels, with a dignified expression; the stamp bears "1820–1955" and the stamp title, with the inscription "China People's Post" at the bottom.

Portrait of Engels (20 fen)

Circulation 5 million copies. The portrait, composition, and text are completely identical to the previous stamp, differing only in face value, and it was used for international mail postage.

Artistic Design Features

The set uniformly adopts a vertical format and engraving; the two stamps share the same design in different colors, the engraving is delicate, and the figure is steady and weighty. The 20-fen stamp has a smaller circulation and is the bottleneck of the set. This set was issued at the same time as Ji 34, the 85th Anniversary of Lenin's Birth, and is an important set in the old Ji-te series of the mentors Marx, Engels, and Lenin.