In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria following the Mukden Incident, in which the Japanese military staged an act of sabotage in order to provide a pretext for war. In 1932, the Japanese formed the puppet state of Manchukuo, with Henry Pu-Yi, the former Emperor of China, as its head of state.
In 1934, Manchukuo issued a set of four stamps picturing either the Emperor's Palace or a phoenix, symbolizing the former emperor's "restoration" (Scott #32-35). 120,000 were issued, and Scott '14 prices the unused set at $51.50 ($75.- for NH).
I recommend this issue due to both its scarcity and potential dual market among collectors of both China and Japan. I believe that it has been overlooked by collectors in China, due to their current tendency to spurn stamps issued by foreign occupiers.
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