A total of 1,722 stamps and coins will be auctioned at the upcoming 16th Asia International Stamp Exhibition (AISE) slated to be held in Mianyang City in southwest China's Sichuan Province from Nov. 20 to 24.

According to the organizing committee, the auction will be processed by China Post Land Stamp Auction Company Ltd..

A total of 168 coins, mainly belonging to the imperial Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and the Republic of China (1912-1949), will be auctioned. The other exhibition articles are precious stamps belonging to the Qing Dynasty, the Republic of China and new China.

The highest-priced piece is two connected stamps named "National Land is All Red" with a face value of eight fen or 0.08 yuan and an auction base price of 270,000 yuan (US$32,500) to 280,000 yuan (US$33,750).

(Xinhua News Agency November 14, 2003)