British Post Office. 1868 (March-July) Two incoming covers from London carried at 1s4d rate, franked by 4d. pl. 9 and 6d pl. 6 (2), one additionally bearing 1d late fee, Br. bs of Hong Kong and Yokohama. (Image)

1870 (Aug 26) Incoming cover from London via Marseilles, paying the single rate with 1870 4d pl. 12 and 1867 marginal 1s pl. 4, tied by London duplexes with Br. Hong Kong and Yokohama bs, the latter infrequently struck in blue, horizontal crease with some insect erosions. (Image)

British Post Offices. 1899 (June 1) Mourning cover from Shanghai via Brindisi to Vienna, franked by China 1898 2c (5) , tied by 'Pa-kua' cancel with bilingual cds on dispatch on reverse, in combination with Hong Kong 1891 10c purple and red, tied by small British Shanghai cds and rare framed "I.P.O." hs, Hong kong and arrival bs, very fine. (Image)

1899 (Nov 20) Postcard to Dollnstein (Germany), franked by China 1898 1/2c (6) and 1c, tied by 'Pa-kua' hs, Shanghai Local post and Hong kong cds's at tight, additionally franked with Hong Kong 1884 2c carmine (2) tied by Br. Shanghai cds, arrival at base, some toned perforations but an interesting Local Post usage. (Image)

1901 (March 26) Registered postcard from Peking to Liebenwerda (Germany), bearing China 1898 4c and 10c, each tied by bilingual dispatch ds, red Peking registration pmk, bilingual Shanghai cds in transit, entering the Br. P.O. with 1882-96 2c carmine (2) and 10c purple and red, tied by Shanghai small cds's, receiver at lower left, a rare registered usage in postcard. (Image)

French Military Mail. 1860-61 Two covers to France bearing well margined 1853 40c, tied by dotted "CECB.CL." lozenge, with matching "CORPS EXP. CHINE/Bau CENTRAL" cds alongside, the earlier dated June 1860, when the French Expedition was based in Hong Kong, the later (April 1861) dispatched from Shanghai. (Image)

1861 (April 15) Stampless envelope to Lorient, endorsed "Voie de Suez", bearing "CORPS EXP.CHINE/BAU C", charged "5" in ms, transit and receiving backstamps, some peripheral imperfections, scarce. (Image)

1861 (July 28) Envelope to Tarbes franked by imperf. 'Empire' 20c pair (vertical crease between stamps and lower right corner of the left stamp with paper scuff), tied by "CECA" lozenges, "CORPS EXP. CHINE/BAU A" cds, framed "PP" crossed out and amended with framed "PD", bs in transit and on arrival. (Image)

1863 (July)-1864 (Feb) Two covers, the earlier being stampless with "COR.D.ARMÉES/INDO CHINE" cds and charged with 30c on arrival, the later franked at double rate by 1862 20c, two examples with imperfections, each tied by "5104" dotted lozenge with matching "Indo Chine" cds on front. (Image)

1864 (May 21) Envelope to Belfort franked at concessionary rate with imperf. 'Empire' 20c, tied by "5104" lozenge showing "COR.D.ARMÉES/INDO-CHINE" cds adjacent applied in Shanghai on mail originating from the French forces in Indochina, Marseilles transit and receiving cds's on back, scarce; signed Baudot. (Image)

1873 (Sept 13) Cover to Lavarenne-St-Hilaire, most probably written by the famous French explorer Francis Garnier, who died fighting in Hanoi on 21.12.1873, franked by Cérès perf. 25c, tied by "5104" lozenge with "CORR. D. ARMÉES/SHANG-HAI" cds alongside, French transits and arrival on back. (Image)

1887 (Nov 24) Cover addressed to the Commander of the French Naval Division in Cochinchina, bearing Type Sage 15c blue, tied by "CORR. D. ARMÉES/SHANG-HAI" cds, showing an additional clean strike alongside, a very scare usage; (unpriced in Yvert on cover, €250 off cover). (Image)

French Military Mail. 1871 (April 15) Cover to Bourg-sur-Gironde franked by 1863 20c, tied by "5118" lozenge with "CORR.D.ARMÉES/YOKOHAMA" cds in centre, a very fine cover rarely sent during the period of the "Commune" uprisings in Paris. (Image)

1872 (July 13) Incoming envelope from Paris via brindisi addressed to Captain Lebon (Chief Artillery Instructor of the Military Mission to Japan) in Yedo (the old name for Tokyo before the Meiji Restoration), franked by 'Napoleon Laureated' 80c and 'Cérès' 25c pair, tied on dispatch on 31.5, framed "PD" in red which was later amended with "P.P." hs also in red, and "YOKOHAMA/BAU FRANÇAIS" cds, rarely struck in blue on reverse. (Image)

1874 (Feb 13) Incoming envelope from Paris addressed to Captain Lebon (Chief Artillery Instructor of the Military Mission to Japan) in Yedo (the old name for Tokyo before the Meiji Restoration), and sent by his mother, bearing perf. 'Cérès' 5c, 15c (bistre) & 80c, tied on dispatch, struck in transit on reverse with "YOKOHAMA/BAU FRANÇAIS" cds, scarce. (Image)

1876 (June 28) Cover to Landerneau franked by perf. 'Cérès' 25c, tied by "CORR.D.ARM./LIG.S.PAQ.FR.N°3" cds (Salles 1.976/3), repeated alongside, French transit and receiving bs, scarce; signed J.F. Brun and Calves. (Image)

1870-1900 Two covers, the earlier being incoming mail from Marseilles bearing 'Laureated Empire' 10c, 30c & 40c with "YOKOHAMA/BAU FRANÇAIS" cds uncommonly struck in blue on back, and cover from Yokohama to germany franked by 'Sage' 25c tied by octagonal "YOKOHAMA A MARSEILLE/L.N.N°10" ds. (Image)

French Post Office. 1865 (Oct 17) Entire letter from Yokohama to Vienna, bearing very fine "YOKOHAMA/17 OCT 65/BAU FRANÇAIS" cds, charged "1f20" in ms to pay the single rate per 7.5 grams to some European countries, embarked on the "Duplex" to Shanghai, where it was passed to the "La Bourdonnais" to hong Kong, the French rate being cancelled and converted into "48" kreuzer in ms on destination, one of the few second earliest known covers from this post office, and an extraordinarily rare postage-due letter sent to a destination outside of France; cert. Roumet (2002). Note: In accordance with the regulations, the french P.O. could not accept unpaid letters to destinations other than France. On another subject, the first mail from the French P.O. at Yokohama was dispatched on 13.9.1865, and only one cover has survived; this item belongs to the second dispatch of 17.10.1865. Provenance: Ryohei Ishikawa and Jun Ichi Matsumoto

1865 (Nov 8) Incoming cover from Amsterdam to Yokohama, displaying red dispatch cds at left, red french transit at right, and very fine strike of "YOKOHAMA/BAU FRANÇAIS" cds on 4.1.1866, endorsed "per Overland mail via Marseille" and carried by the British for the largest part of its journey, being transferred, for unknown reasons, to the French P.O. on arrival; one of the earliest incoming mails few months after the opening of the French P.O. on 7.9.1865. (Image)

1866 (Feb 1) Single rate envelope to Bordeaux, bearing 1862 40c vertical pair cancelled by "5118" dotted lozenge, showing "YOKOHAMA/BAU FRANÇAIS" and red French entry cds's alongside, two vertical creases clear away of the franking, a rare mail in the year of the Great Fire of Yokohama; cert. Roumet (2002), signed Calves; (Yv €700). Provenance: Jun Ichi Matsumoto (Image)

1866 (Feb 28) Cover to Lyon, paying the single rate with 1862 80c, tied by "5118" dotted lozenge, with superb "YOKOHAMA/BAU FRANÇAIS" and red French entry cds alongside, bs on receipt, very fine, carried by the British mail with involvement of the "Cadiz", "Baroda", "Delhi" and the "Tanjore" ships, sent some months before the Great Fire of Yokohama; cert. Roumet (2002), signed Calves and Pothion; (Yv €1'000 for the franking). Provenance: Jun Ichi Matsumoto (Image)

1866 (April 7) Cover from Hakodate to Yokohama, endorsed "p. 'Laringo'/Care of Messrs Siemssen & C/Shanghai", with corresponding "SIEMSSEN & C°/MAY 18 1866/SHANGHAI" dated cachet of this forwarding agent on reverse, then the endorsement was cancelled and re-endorsed at top "p. Shaftesbury", entering the French mail in Shanghai with "SHANG-HAI/18 MAI 66/BAU FRANÇAIS", with no other additional postmarks, an extraordinary and most probably unique mail addressed internally but carried via China, presumably due to the fact that Hakodate had no foreign post offices. (Image)

1868 (May 19) Incoming cover from Marseilles to Yokohama, franked by perf. 'Empire' 40c (2), tied by anchor lozenges with "LIGNE N/PAQ. FR. N°3" cds (Salles 1.921) adjacent, with neat "YOKOHAMA/6 JUIL 68/BAU FRANÇAIS" cds on back, a delightful and very rare incoming mail posted on a French steamer; signed Goebel. (Image)

1868 (July 11) Stampless envelope to Rochefort-sur-Mer, endorsed "Voie anglaise", bearing very fine "YOKOHAMA/BAU FRANÇAIS" cds, red French entry and correctly charged with "10" decimes in ms for an unpaid letter up to 10 grams, bs of Paris and destination, a rare postage due mail; cert. Roumet (2002). Provenance: Jun Ichi Matsumoto (Image)

1870 (Aug 29) Single weight entire letter to Flaviac, franked by 1863 80c and tied by 'gros chiffres' "5118" in black, with matching "YOKOHAMA/BAU FRANÇAIS" cds struck in blue, arrival on back, a scarce usage of the two French handstamps used in conjunction in different colours. (Image)