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Auction: 19009 - The Treaty Ports of the Shanghai Postal System - Part 1
Lot: 1029

Chungking
1894 Third Issue
Covers - International
1897 (4 Mar.) commercial envelope to London bearing 2ca. rose-red tied by the Chungking boxed datestamp, with 1897 Small Figures 4c. on 4ca. and 8c. on 6ca. cancelled by Ichang pa-kua with "customs ichang" c.d.s. (13.3) alongside and French "Chine" 25c. tied by "shang-hai/chine" c.d.s. (23.3) with a second strike alongside over the Ichang datestamp, the reverse with Customs Shanghai (21.3) and hooded London arrival (28.4) c.d.s. A fabulous and rare cover, believed to the only combination of Local Post, Imperial Post and Foreign Post Office adhesive. This is also the latest recorded use of Chungking stamps. Handstamped E.F.H Harpenden on the reverse.

An outstanding and historic cover of the highest importance to any collector of either the Local Posts or Dowager and Surcharge covers. Photo

provenance:
Frederick and Tomiko Bartlett, September 1992


With the openeing of the Imperial Post Office on 2nd February 1897 the Shanghai local postal service was discontinued. However, it seems that Chungking proved to be a bit of an anomily; here the 2ca. stamp pays for delivery by steamer to Ichang where this letter was put into the Chinese Customs Post. The international rate was 10c. and it apears that this letter paid 2c. over to cover the cost of the Chungking 2ca. stamp


1897年3月4日重慶寄倫敦商務封, 封面左上端貼玫紅色重慶信局銀貳分票, 銷長方框型中英文日戳, 經宜昌海關時補貼1897年大清慈壽小字加蓋四分及八分票各一枚, 銷宜昌八卦戳及3月13日海關小圓戳, 而在信封上端中央則貼法國客郵25仙票, 銷3月23日上海法國客郵局日戳, 另一枚相同的法國客郵局日戳蓋於旁邊的宜昌郵戳之上. 封背蓋3月21日棕色上海海關日戳, 及4月28日英國倫敦到達戳; 本信封為包含重慶信局, 大清郵政局及法國客郵局三個郵政系統之郵資票混合貼用實寄封, 極為難得, 存世孤品, 珍罕非凡, 且為重慶信局實寄之最晚期使用信封, 為無論以收藏商埠票封或加蓋慈壽票封的集郵家所追求的不可缺席之極重要珍貴郵品._x000D_ _x000D_ 源流: 1992年9月Frederick and Tomiko Barlett; 大清郵政局於1897年2月2日正式開辦後, 上海工部書信館的郵務運作就中止了. 然而重慶信局似乎不合時宜地運作; 此封的重慶銀貳分是由重慶往宜昌的郵資, 在宜昌時轉入了中國海關郵政, 因大清郵不承認重慶信局所貼二分郵資, 所以於宜昌補貼十二分郵資, 除補回二分國內平郵費外, 其餘十分是國際平郵郵費.

Sold for
HK$240,000