Air 4 Hongkong Print Air Mail Stamps (1940) (C004)

Stamp SN : C004
Stamp Name : Air 4 Hongkong Print Air Mail Stamps (1940)
Stamp Cat Standard : Air Mail Stamps
Stamp Cat : Relics,Aviation
Issue date : 1940-06-20
Dimension of stamps(mm.) : 41×22.5
Printer : Commercial Press, Hongkong
Sheet composition : 10×10
Process : Intaglio
Perforation : 12-13

The stamps were issued since June 20, 1940, the issue date of each stamp follows：
Stamp No. Issue date
Watermarked
A4.1 20. 6.1940
A4.2 20. 6.1940
A4.3 20. 6.1940
A4.4 23. 5.1941
A4.5 3.12.1940
A4.6 23. 6.1941
A4.7 23. 5.1941
A4.8 23. 5.1941
A4.9 26. 6.1941
A4.10 20. 6.1940
Unwatermarked
A4.11
A4.12 21. 4.1941
A4.13 21. 4.1941
A4.14 23. 5.1941
A4.15 3.12.1940
A4.16 23. 5.1941
A4.17 23. 5.1941
A4.18 23. 5.1941
A4.19 23. 5.1941
A4.20 23. 5.1941

The outbreak of the War with Japen made it necessary for the printing of air mail stamps in Hongkong, which was undertaken by the Commercial press, Hongkong by new plates made out of the original dies of the third Peiping Print. The design, wording, face value, etc., remained unchanged except for following variations： 3rd Peiping Print (1)Perf. 14 (2)The gum on the back is yellow, thick and bright. (3)In the character 〝票〞(piao) the dot on the left side at the bottom is connected with the 8th stroke(horizontal) and the 9th stroke in the form of a hook (P-42). Hongkong Print (1)Perf.12-13 (2)The gum on the back is white, thin, but not bright. (3)In the character〝票〞(piao) the dot on the left side is not connected with any other part of the character (P-43). The air mail stamps of the Hongkong Print consisting of ten denominations are printed on two kinds of paper, one bearing the watermark of the Seal character 〝郵〞, and the other being unwatermarked paper. The former is similar to the paper on which definitive stamps of the Hongkong Chung Hwa and Dah Tung Prints were printed (P-31).