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Auction: CSS31 - Fine Stamps and Covers of China and Hong Kong
Lot: 2562

China
Customs Datestamp
Chinkiang: 1877-78 a group of three envelopes sent from Basil Edward Cochrane to his wife in Maine, U.S.A. The first envelope, 1877 (23 Nov.) was sent from Shanghai and bears Japan Koban 5s. tied by cork crossroads cancellation with "i.j. postal agency/shanghai" c.d.s. (24.11) alongside and faint Yokohama (6.12) in red; the reverse bears a faint strike of Shanghai Local Post c.d.s. in blue and San Francisco transit (2.1) in rose-carmine.


1878 (14 Jan) a similar envelope but with two Koban 5s. franking and bearing, on the reverse, a good strike of "customs/chinkiang" c.d.s. in black, Shanghai Local Post c.d.s. in blue and two New York datestamps (28.2) because this letter had been forwarded.


1878 (7 Apr.) a very similar envelope to the previous but with a less clear strike of the "chinkiang/customs" c.d.s.


A highly important group of covers being the only two pre-Large Dragon covers bearing the Customs Chinkiang datestamp. Photo

Sixty pre-Large Dragon covers are recorded bearing Customs datestamps, the most common being Kiukiang and Newchwang



Vice Admiral Basil Edward Cochrane (1841 - 1922). In 1860 he was promoted to Commander and, whilst serving in China, was commander of H.M.S. Lily.



HMS Lily was an Arab-class composite gunvessel built for the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1874, saw service in Chinese and North American waters, and was wrecked on the coast of Labrador on 16 September 1888. Lily served on the China station and was recommissioned at Hong Kong in 1879.


During the 1860's and 1870's the Yangtze River partols plied the lower part of te Yangtze, protecting merchant ships and were generally operating up to the deepwater port of Hankow 680 mi (1,090 km) inland.

Sold for
HK$260,000