Lot 348 Canada #FHT1 1913 (July 16), $500 black and green Chinese Immigration Act tax certificate, commonly known as a “Chinese Head Tax” certificate, number 77212 issued at Vancouver, bearing the embossed seal of the Immigration Office and an oval purple handstamp reading “Dominion Immigration Agent / July 16, 1913 / Vancouver P O”, with manuscript signature of the Controller of Chinese Immigration, all tying an affixed portrait of the applicant secured with a metal grommet, a powerful artifact of Canada’s exclusionary immigration policies toward Chinese nationals in the early 20th century; as these documents were required to be presented upon demand, the certificate exhibits expected multiple folds and some edge wear, still remarkably well-preserved and exceptionally rare.Under the Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 and its subsequent amendments, Chinese immigrants were required to pay an increasingly punitive entry tax, reaching $500 by 1903, a sum equivalent to more than two years’ wages for a labourer, in an attempt to restrict Chinese settlement in Canada. Ex-Simone Collection. Estimate C$3,500, sold for C$5,200.00 plus 18% buyer’s premium.
A Traditional Philatelic Auction House — Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
