中国邮票之诞生

邮票，是邮件的单独付费凭证，也是近代邮政的显著标志。近代邮政所以不同古代的邮驿，其主要特点和标志是： 政府设立专办邮政的机构； 邮件的传送工具由马、步，发展到近代的火车、轮船等； 引用西方的管理经验和规章制度； 收件的范围由官办官用、官办专用，到官办官民兼用； 通邮地域由局部向全国发展，通信网点有几处到几十处、千百处； 邮件的种类由单一到多样； 特别是诞生了邮票。
光绪四年五月十五 (1878年6月15日),德璀琳致函上海海关造册处(海关系统负责印刷的机构)。他在信函中说： “根据总税务司的指示，我现在正对上海和北方三口岸试办邮政。我是有责任简化各种手续的。由此发现为了避免复杂的操作和帐务处理，我目前最需要的东西就是邮票” ,“请尽快赶制一批我最迫切需要的邮票，首先是面值3分银和5分银的邮票各10万枚。我建议5分银邮票用黄色，3分银邮票用红色。我只请你们把那表示哀悼的蓝色摒弃不用。”
根据德璀琳的要求，上海海关造册处很快印刷出一批5分银邮票，于同年六月十九日 (7月18日),给德璀琳发出公函，并附寄5分银邮票500多张、1.25万枚。六月二十五日 (7月24日),首批5分银邮票，自上海运抵天津，由德璀琳签收，并开始在天津公开发行。这就是中国第一枚邮票首发的日子。
六月二十三日(7月22日),上海海关造册处又寄出3分银邮票500多张、1.25万枚； 六月三十日(7月29日),首批3分银邮票，也自上海运抵天津。同日，德璀琳致函上海海关造册处，要求再印制1分银邮票10万枚； 八月八日(9月4日),首批1分银邮票，自上海运抵天津。
这3种邮票的主图，均为 “蟠龙戏珠” 的图案，而且票幅较大。5分银的邮票为黄色，3分银的邮票为红色，1分银的邮票为绿色。世称“大龙邮票” 。因为是海关发行的，又称“海关大龙” 。这是中国的第一套邮票。它伴随着中国近代邮政的开始应运而生。
“大龙邮票”在印制发行过程中，有3个不同的阶段： 开始时，是印刷在薄而微透明的纸上，俗称 “薄纸票” ; 4年后，也就是由光绪八年 (1882)始，是印制在薄而易损的纸上，邮票图案间距加大，俗称 “宽边票”或 “阔边票”;再过1年，也就是由光绪九年 (1883)始，是印制在较厚而又不透明的纸上，俗称 “厚纸票” 。3个阶段、3种不同面值的 “大龙邮票”,总共印制了100万枚。
邮票的诞生，不仅使近代邮政臻于完善，而且成为其后集邮家的收藏珍品。1942年，宋美龄为谋求美国对中国抗战的支持而访美，她了解到罗斯福总统酷爱集邮，便以国礼方式，送给他一册包括全套大龙邮票在内的珍邮，罗斯福总统非常喜欢，宋美龄访美轰动了西方，“龙票外交”也成为世界外交史上一段佳话。
Stamp is postage evidence and the landmark progressof modern post services. The differences betweenmodern and ancient post include: post offices organizedby government; post services by train or ship insteadby horse or man; western managing style,rules andregulations; post office serving both the public andofficial sectors instead of separating them; post servicecovering the whole China instead of certain areas;the number of post units growing to hundreds andthousands; various items could be posted instead ofletters only; and especially,the birth of stamps.
On June 15,1878,Dertring wrote a letter to thePublication Office of Shanghai Customs,which reads:
"Under directions from General Taxation Department,I am preparing for launching post service in Shanghaiand three northern seaports. I am responsible to simplifyprocedures and the most I need is stamp to simplifythe complex operations and accounting." "Would youplease print stamps that are in urgent demand? Pleaseprint 100,000 stamps of 3-and 5-fen of taels separately.I suggest that the 5-fen stamp in yellow and 3-fen onein red. Do please discard the color blue,as it`s the colorrepresenting condolence."
In a quick response,the Publication Office ofShanghai Customs printed 5-fen stamps. On July 18,it sent an official letter to Dertring,together with 500pages of 5-fen stamps (numbered 12.5k). On July 24,the 5-fen stamps were shipped from Shanghai to Tianjin,received by Dertring and issued to the public. The daybecame the historical day in which stamps started beingissued in China.
On July 22,Publication Office of ShanghaiCustoms posted 500 pages of 3-fen stamps (numbered12.5k). On July 29,the 3-fen stamps were shipped fromShanghai to Tianjin. On the same day,Dertring wrote aletter to print 100k 1-fen stamps. On September 4,the1-fen stamps were shipped from Shanghai to Tianjin.
On the three types of stamps were pictures of"dragon playing with pearl". The 5-fen stamps were inyellow color,3-fen in red,and 1-fen in green. Thus theywere called "dragon stamp". Because they were issuedby the Customs,they were also called "Dragon of theCustoms". This is the first suit of stamp in China,bornwith the development of China`s modern post service.
"Dragon Stamps" were printed on three kinds ofpaper with its development: at first,it was on thin andtransparent paper (so called thin-paper stamp); four yearslater (in 1882),on thin and fragile paper with pictureenlarged (so called wide-edge stamp); one year later(from 1883 and on) on thick and opaque paper (so calledthick-paper stamp). In all,a totaled 1 million value"dragon stamps" were issued.
The birth of the stamps in China perfected China`smodern postal system. Those stamps later are alsoviewed as precious collections in the eye of stampcollectors. In 1942,Song Meiling visited the US,tryingto acquire America`s support in China`s anti-Japanesewar. Having learned President Roosevelt`s hobby ofstamp collecting,she sent him a book of preciousstamps,including a whole unit of "Dragon Stamps".President Roosevelt was very fond of the present. Thisvisit made a stir in the western world,while this "stampdiplomacy" became a famous story in the world historyof diplomacy ever since.

·大龙邮票