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Auction: 16012 - Meiso Mizuhara, The Exhibition Collections, The Chinese Customs Post
Lot: 1503

China
Forerunner Period
Macau Crowned Circle
1844 (Sept.) opened-out envelope to Paris "Viá Southampton" bearing fine strikes of both of the rare "paid/at/macao" Crowned Circle and, on the reverse, "british government agency office/macao" double-circle, both in red, the reverse with Hong Kong (3.9) and faint Paris (3.1) c.d.s.


The top right corner shows the rate calculations with "20" (avos) in red ink overwritten with "2/10" "1/8" making a total of "4/6", there is a bold, stylised "44" (decimes) in the centre of the address. The top of the cover is marked "No.9 - Bocca Tigris", the Bouge of the Canton River.


A rare and important cover, there are only four recorded examples of the Crowned Circle and only a few more of the Government Agency handstamp, this is possibly the only cover bearing both of these handstamps.

provenance: C. Derek Houston, October 1955



literature: Hong Kong & the Treaty Ports of China & Japan, F.W. Webb; 1961. Plate 58 (illustrated)



Derek Houston reported that he acquired this cover in 1951 "after lying in the stock of a Paris dealer for about fifteen years, who did not appreciate what it was". Originally it contained a sixteen page letter which appeared to have been from a French diplomat on a mission to China.



The postage rate of 4/6d. is for a double rate cover being the British rate of 1/- times 2, plus twice the Medierranean rate of 5d. making 2/10d; plus four times the French rate of 5d., making 1/8d.

Sold for
HK$400,000