郵票，是郵件的單獨(dú)付費(fèi)憑證，也是近代郵政的顯著標(biāo)志。近代郵政所以不同古代的郵驛，其主要特點(diǎn)和標(biāo)志是： 政府設(shè)立專辦郵政的機(jī)構(gòu)； 郵件的傳送工具由馬、步，發(fā)展到近代的火車、輪船等； 引用西方的管理經(jīng)驗(yàn)和規(guī)章制度； 收件的范圍由官辦官用、官辦專用，到官辦官民兼用； 通郵地域由局部向全國發(fā)展，通信網(wǎng)點(diǎn)有幾處到幾十處、千百處； 郵件的種類由單一到多樣； 特別是誕生了郵票。
光緒四年五月十五 (1878年6月15日),德璀琳致函上海海關(guān)造冊處(海關(guān)系統(tǒng)負(fù)責(zé)印刷的機(jī)構(gòu))。他在信函中說： “根據(jù)總稅務(wù)司的指示，我現(xiàn)在正對上海和北方三口岸試辦郵政。我是有責(zé)任簡化各種手續(xù)的。由此發(fā)現(xiàn)為了避免復(fù)雜的操作和帳務(wù)處理，我目前最需要的東西就是郵票” ,“請盡快趕制一批我最迫切需要的郵票，首先是面值3分銀和5分銀的郵票各10萬枚。我建議5分銀郵票用黃色，3分銀郵票用紅色。我只請你們把那表示哀悼的藍(lán)色摒棄不用。”
根據(jù)德璀琳的要求，上海海關(guān)造冊處很快印刷出一批5分銀郵票，于同年六月十九日 (7月18日),給德璀琳發(fā)出公函，并附寄5分銀郵票500多張、1.25萬枚。六月二十五日 (7月24日),首批5分銀郵票，自上海運(yùn)抵天津，由德璀琳簽收，并開始在天津公開發(fā)行。這就是中國第一枚郵票首發(fā)的日子。
六月二十三日(7月22日),上海海關(guān)造冊處又寄出3分銀郵票500多張、1.25萬枚； 六月三十日(7月29日),首批3分銀郵票，也自上海運(yùn)抵天津。同日，德璀琳致函上海海關(guān)造冊處，要求再印制1分銀郵票10萬枚； 八月八日(9月4日),首批1分銀郵票，自上海運(yùn)抵天津。
這3種郵票的主圖，均為 “蟠龍戲珠” 的圖案，而且票幅較大。5分銀的郵票為黃色，3分銀的郵票為紅色，1分銀的郵票為綠色。世稱“大龍郵票” 。因?yàn)槭呛ｊP(guān)發(fā)行的，又稱“海關(guān)大龍” 。這是中國的第一套郵票。它伴隨著中國近代郵政的開始應(yīng)運(yùn)而生。
“大龍郵票”在印制發(fā)行過程中，有3個(gè)不同的階段： 開始時(shí)，是印刷在薄而微透明的紙上，俗稱 “薄紙票” ; 4年后，也就是由光緒八年 (1882)始，是印制在薄而易損的紙上，郵票圖案間距加大，俗稱 “寬邊票”或 “闊邊票”;再過1年，也就是由光緒九年 (1883)始，是印制在較厚而又不透明的紙上，俗稱 “厚紙票” 。3個(gè)階段、3種不同面值的 “大龍郵票”,總共印制了100萬枚。
郵票的誕生，不僅使近代郵政臻于完善，而且成為其后集郵家的收藏珍品。1942年，宋美齡為謀求美國對中國抗戰(zhàn)的支持而訪美，她了解到羅斯福總統(tǒng)酷愛集郵，便以國禮方式，送給他一冊包括全套大龍郵票在內(nèi)的珍郵，羅斯?？偨y(tǒng)非常喜歡，宋美齡訪美轟動了西方，“龍票外交”也成為世界外交史上一段佳話。
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.

·大龍郵票