1903 cover with preprinted "Tokmakov, Molotkov and Co., Foochow, China" in Cyrillic letters, franked with the diagonal half of 2c, tied by framed "Postage 1cent Paid" and Foochow 23 October 03 cancel, addressed to F. Simpson, J.M. Customs Chinkiang, with 2 Nov arrival pmk on back, filing fold away from the stamp, cover carelessly opened on back, otherwise fine and extremely rare genuine Foochow bisect (used for only three days, very few genuine examples recorded) cat. $1500 (Cat No. 123) (Image)

Cat. $1500, Est.US$2,500

1903 D.M. Melnikoff cover (a tea merchant, whose monogram is on the reverse) with framed "Postage Paid" and Foochow 23 October 03 cancel, addressed to Miss J. Shaw, Pagoda, Anchorage, "Mamoi" transit on back, fine and rare (Image)

Est.US$2,500

1903 D.M. Melnikoff cover (a tea merchant, whose monogram is on the reverse) with two strikes of framed "Postage Paid" and Foochow 23 October 03 cancel, addressed to Miss J. Shaw, Pagoda, Anchorage, "Mamoi" transit on back, fine and rare. When asked about this cover some years later, Melnikoff replied that he asked the postal clerk to make another impression to the left, since the first one "was not very clear" (The history of these covers is described in the 1988 Carl Kilgas' article on Collector's club "Opinions", pages 227-230) (Image)

Est.US$2,500