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Auction: 19008 - The Lam Man Yin Collection of Small Dragons, Dowagers and 1897 Surcharges
Lot: 756

1897 New Currency Surcharges
Small Figures Surcharge
Covers
Incoming Mail
1896 (16 Dec.) envelope to the French Legation in Peking bearing France Peace and Commerce 25c. tied by Fourmies despatch c.d.s. On arrival to China and 4c. on 4ca. rose-pink was applied to pay the internal postage which has been cancelled by Customs Shanghai c.d.s. dated "JAN 23/1897" c.d.s. and, on the reverse, a good strike of "i.g. of customs/peking" struck in blue. A fine and rare cover.


All mail used before the official opening of the Imperial Post Office and the introduction of the new currency stamps are extremely rare with only about fifteen covers or fronts so far recorded. Photo

Although the Imperial Post Office wa officially open on the 2nd February 1897, the Small Figures Surcharge stamps were on sale in Shanghai from 2nd January . A number of stamps were cancelled by favour during this interim time, most bearing the Customs Shanghai c.d.s. applied in blue. However, some covers bearing the new currency stamps were sent through the post, the majority being addressed to M. Merteaux in the French Legation in Peking. Some of these covers were sent from the French consulate in Shanghai but several, such as this cover, had the stams applied in transit. Richar Pratt, in his book Imperial Post suggests that this surcharge on incoming mail may be to pay for the 4c. Special Winter Courier Service, however, a recently discovered cover from France to Peking bears an additional 2c. on 2ca., which would imply the stamps were added to pay new internal postage rate (in this case for under a quater of an ounce). This requiremant for internal postage was a hang over from the old Customs Post system. I wonder if this group of mail was passed to the French consulate in Shanghai for the additional postage to be added there.


1896年12月16日法國寄北京法國大使館封，貼法國郵票25仙，蓋法國Fourmies(富爾米)分發戳，信到中國後，加貼洋銀肆分蓋於肆分銀玫粉紅色票，以補中國國內郵資之用，銷1897年1月23日上海海關日戳，而在封背，蓋清晰藍色北京海關i.g.戳，不可多得的罕見入口加貼慈壽票實寄封. 所有郵件在大清國辦郵政局開辦前貼用慈壽票都極為珍罕，有記錄的目前只有十五件._x000D_ _x000D_ 雖然大清國辦郵政的正式開辦是1897年2月2日，但小字加蓋慈壽票已早在同年1月2日在上海發售了，且一定數目的郵票己被實寄蓋銷，當中以銷藍色上海海關日戳為多，然而有些貼改值新郵資信封主要被寄往北京法國大使館M. Merteaux. 且多由上海法國領館寄出，但這裡面也有些作為中轉而加貼加蓋慈壽改值票的. 據Richar Pratt在其著作中論述，這些貼用了入口封的蓋慈壽改值票，可能是加貼洋銀肆分用以作為信使的冬季額外服務費，但最近發現有一由法國寄往北京的信件卻只加貼了洋銀貳分蓋於貳分銀郵資，這可能是作為新加的國內郵票之用(這限於低於四分一安士重量之信件)，這項國內郵費要求是來由舊的海關郵政制度，我疑惑有可能這批信函是經由法國駐上海領事館用以增收國內郵費.

Sold for
HK$170,000