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Auction: 21042 - The Opium Wars Collection
Lot: 48

First Opium War
The Eastern Expedition
The First Capture of Chusan
1840 (10 July) cover and part letter from "H.M.S. Melville, Chusan, East Coast of China" and marked "Eastern Expedition" and addressed to Edmund Lyons, His Majestys Minister Plenipotentiary, Athens, carried around the Cape of Good Hope and bearing a straight-line "lisbon". Without any rate mark as postage was free to H.M. Plenipotentiary.


An important letter, very early to be marked Eastern Expedition, very little mail was carried on the 'Melville' when she departed Chusan on 10th July and the only Opium War letter to Athens. Ex Sir Percival David

literature:
The Postal History of China & Hong Kong, Lee Scamp (illustrated p.170)


Edmund Lyons, 1st Baron Lyons was an eminent British Admiral of the Royal Navy and a senior diplomat


1840年7月10日從泊在中國東海岸的舟山皇家戰艦"HMS Melville" 携送往雅典的H.M. Plenipotentiary 上全權代表Edmund Lyons 的信函, 注有"東方遠征(Eastern Expedition)" 字句, 此信途經好望角及葡萄牙里斯本. 没有任何郵費標記, 因為送往H.M. Plenipotentiary 都是免郵費; 這是一封異常重要的信函, 是已知最早的"東方遠征" 郵件, 當她於 7 月 10 日離開舟山時, “梅爾維爾 (Melville)”號上攜帶的郵件很少, 也是唯一一封遞信雅典的有關鴉片戰爭之信函. 前珀西瓦爾·大衛爵士. 脚注: Edmund Lyons, 1st Baron Lyons 是一位傑出的英國皇家海軍上將和高級外交官

Sold for
HK$30,000

Starting price
HK$20000