1955 People's Republic of China 'First Five-Year Plan' Postage Stamps (Set No. 特13)

This is a collection of several unused and used postage stamps from the People's Republic of China, specifically from the 'First Five-Year Plan' set issued in 1955. The stamps are presented in a black stock sheet within a philatelic album. Visible designs include depictions of heavy industry, transportation, and infrastructure development, which were characteristic of the socialist realism art style of that era. One stamp features a cargo ship being loaded by cranes, while another shows surveyors with a theodolite working in a mountainous landscape. The stamps are printed using a multi-color photogravure or offset process on white paper, framed by a decorative grey intaglio-style border. Each stamp has a face value of 8 Fen (indicated by '8分'). The perforations appear varied; some edges are clean, while others show slight irregularities common in mid-century Chinese production. Condition-wise, the stamps show some signs of age-related toning (light yellowing) on the paper fibers. The surveyor stamp in the bottom right is an uncancelled specimen, though some of the top stamps show partial circular black postal cancellations (postmarks), indicating they were previously used. The craftsmanship reflects the state-sponsored propaganda art of the 1950s, emphasizing national progress. These items are historical artifacts of the early PRC period, often sought after for their cultural and political imagery.