Stamps celebrate Hong Kong handover anniversary – but collectors be warned

On September 2, 1996, Queen Elizabeth appeared on a Hong Kong stamp for the last time.

Over the next few months the city’s stamp market exploded. People starting buying as many as they could get their hands on; amateur collectors shelled out thousands of dollars for a set of stamp sheets, hoping to resell them for a profit.

But at midnight on June 30, 1997, the bubble burst. After more than 150 years of British colonial rule, Hong Kong had been returned to Chinese sovereignty and stamps that had been as good as cash the day before suddenly dropped in value.

Twenty years later, Hongkong Post is celebrating the anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with its own set of commemorative stamps.

“We are trying to showcase the uniqueness and attractiveness and the strength of Hong Kong,” said Nelvin Lee Chun-yu, a senior manager of philatelic marketing at Hongkong Post.

A local artist designed the set of four stamps, which depict scenes that highlight different aspects of Hong Kong society, including its three branches of government, its diverse offering of sporting and cultural activities, and its finance and technology sectors.