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The stamp was issued to commemorate the state burial of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, one of the principal figures in the founding of the Republic of China. The central design depicts the Memorial Hall at Sun Yat-sen\'s Mausoleum at Purple Mountain, Nanking.
Each stamp bears the black 吉黑貼用 overprint, meaning “For Use in Kirin-Heilungkiang.” This regional issue was prepared specifically for postal use in the Kirin-Heilungkiang district of northeastern China and was placed on sale at Harbin on 30 May 1929.
The $1 red was the high denomination of the four-stamp State Burial set and had a reported issue quantity of only 55,000 stamps.
This example survives as an intact 2 × 2 block of four with original sheet margin at left. Multiples of the high value are considerably more distinctive than individual examples and are particularly appealing to collectors of Republican China, Chinese provincial issues and Manchurian postal history.
The block is Mint Never Hinged with original gum. There is light age-related coloration to the gum together with a few minor reddish transfer marks on the reverse. The stamps retain strong red color, good overall centering and well-preserved perforations.
