China 1882 5ca Orange Yellow Wide Setting block of nine on “Countess Caroline” cover

This philatelic artifact, known as the 'Countess Caroline' cover, is a significant piece of Chinese postal history from the Qing Dynasty era. It features a block of nine 5-candarins orange-yellow stamps from the 1882 Wide Setting issue, specifically Setting III, applied to the reverse of an envelope addressed to Countess Caroline von Tattenbach in Munich, Bavaria.

The stamps are tied by Peking blue oval pakua cancels and a red wax seal. The cover serves as an example of international mail sent via the French Post Office in Shanghai, bearing various datestamps including 'I.G. of Customs, Peking' from March 1883 and French Ligne N markings. The stamps are noted for their 'Wide Setting' layout, with the top right stamp exhibiting a 'long-leg Dah' printing variety. This item represents the largest recorded multiple of the 1882 5-candarins wide setting used on cover, illustrating the complex intersection of foreign postal services and Chinese imperial customs operations in the late 19th century.