I know that
Shepard Poorman also printed at least some the
Mirage print run. For a long time, people have noticed that there is a lot of variation in Mirage coloration and quality, particularly on red cards. I'll bet if you check, they have the same qualities as your Chinese 4th.
Mirage would have been printing at about the same time as the Chinese BB 4th was. Here is the WotC announcement, in case it can provide you any more help.
WIZARDS OF THE COAST, INC. LAUNCHES EIGHTH TRANSLATION OF GAME
Magic: The Gathering® Hits Chinese Market
August 23, 1996 (Seattle, Wash.)--Wizards of the Coast, makers of the 'hit' trading card game Magic: The Gathering, is pleased to announce the launch of the Chinese translation of its internationally successful game. The card game will be released immediately into the Taiwan and Hong Kong markets and will be available in traditional Chinese characters. Magic will sell primarily in the bookstores, video and computer game stores, and entertainment outlets of Taiwan.
The Chinese launch of the game comes on the heels of the sold-out release of the Japanese translation of Magic: The Gathering earlier this summer in Japan. Wizards of the Coast chose Chinese for its next language expansion because the Chinese market is one of the largest in the world. Collectable trading card games were relatively unknown in Asia until the English release of Magic: The Gathering was imported into parts of Asia more than a year ago.
The much-anticipated Chinese version is the eighth translation of the game that has quickly become known as the intellectual sport of the '90s. Developed by a math professor, Magic contains elements similar to bridge or chess. The strategic card game is often played in tournament settings where amateur and professional players compete to receive rankings and win prizes.
Wizards of the Coast created a worldwide sensation when it released Magic in 1993. So powerful was the initial demand for the card game that it sold out its initial print run of 10 million cards within six weeks. To date, more than two billion cards have sold worldwide and the game has been translated into seven languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German and Japanese.
"With the close support and coordination of our Taiwanese partner, Sharp Point Publishing, we are confident that we will be able to introduce Magic successfully to the consumers of Taiwan," said Jack Tse, Director of Asia Pacific Operations for Wizards of the Coast.
The release of the Chinese translation will be celebrated by a gala reception hosted by Wizards of the Coast's Taiwan partner, Sharp Point Publishing. Guests include Taiwan's government officials, U.S. Government and Washington State representatives, more than 350 of Taiwan's leading buyers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers, as well as the SOS Sisters, two of Taiwan's and Asia's hottest young pop singers.
If you have any questions, contact Customer Service at <
custserv@wizards.com>
Wizards of the Coast holds strategic business alliances with partners around the world which support the marketing and distributing of Magic. Key partners include: Wargames Club in Hong Kong; Sharp Point in Taiwan; The Black Room in Singapore; Novelty Entertainment in the Philippines; Ultra Light in Korea; Hobby Japan in Japan; Jedko Games, Ventura Intl, Walrus & Carpenter, Active Imports and Croftminster in Australia; and Crusader and Wizard Distributors in New Zealand. Wizards of the Coast is headquartered in Renton, Washington, with other offices in Glasgow, Scotland; Antwerp, Belgium; and Paris, France. For more information on Wizards of the Coast, visit the company's website at
http://www.wizards.com.