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Auction: 21042 - The Opium Wars Collection
Lot: 114

The Taiping Rebellion
1853 (24 Feb.) printed business entire to New York "via Marseilles" from Russell & Co. in Shanghai, with "2/6" rate mark, crossed through and "60" added with handstruck "65" applied in New York, the flap (which opens for display) with Hong Kong type 7 c.d.s. (10.3) overstruck by London transit (28.4). Free from filing folds and pays the rate for ¼oz. letter, 34c. British P.O., 10c. French P.O., 16c. transatlantic and 5c. U.S. inland postage, making 65c.


The contents include, "... but this season, the movement has been prevented or delayed by fears as to the result of the rebellion ... the alarm at Soochow has been so great as to cause a rise of 15% in the price of gold ... the impression is gaining ground among the Chinese that the rebels will not risk an attempt upon Nanking which is strongly garrisoned with some of the best troops of Empire. They are however in possession of Chongsha and Honkow ...". In fact Nanking was captured by the rebels on 19th March 1853.


A good letter which clearly illustrates the start of the middle period of the rebellion and the effect it was to have on the Qing Empire

provenance:
Drucker Family, February 2003


For later lots relating to the Taiping Rebellion, please see lots 184-186


1853年2月24日上海Russell & Co. 經馬賽寄紐約信函. 有劃去的"2/6" 遞送費標記, 並加註 "60" 及紐約加蓋的"65" 印記, 封舌蓋香港3月10日7 型日戳, 其上部份被4月28日倫敦中轉戳所覆蓋. 信函內主要述及太平天國在起義初期爭奪湖南一帶的戰況及屯兵實記.

Estimate
HK$8,000 to HK$12,000

Starting price
HK$6000