1856 (July 31) Entire letter from Shanghai (written by Eugène Buissonet) to Paris, with Hong Kong cds on reverse, on obverse red boxed "PAID" of Hong Kong, taxed on arrival with 10 decimes, which was crossed out and amended to "20" at left.

1857 (Dec 7) Entire letter from Shanghai to Cadiz (Spain), privately carried to Gibraltar, where it was handled by the agent James Speed with corresponding octagonal "FORWARDED/BY/JAs. SPEED" marking in blue, delivered to the Spanish mail and posted at the bordering town of San Roque, with application of Spain 1855 4cu red, tied by oval grid with "SAN ROQUE/16 FEB 58/CADIZ." cds adjacent, both neatly struck, receiving cds of Cadiz one day later on reverse, a highly interesting postal artifact featuring an extraordinary combination, of which only two covers so far recorded; cert. Graus (2000). Note: The text, written in Spanish, was sent by a Spanish merchant. In order to avoid high Spanish charges, merchants from Spain requested the services of British packets to carry their correspondence to Spain via a forwarding agent in Gibraltar. (Image)

1861 (Dec 23) Entire letter from Shanghai to Paris, struck with red "FORWARDED BY/PUSTAU & C°/HONG KONG" hs, and as entering the mails in Hong Kong, bearing "GB/1F 62 4/10" rhomboid hs and 9 decimes postage due collected in Paris. (Image)

1863 (Dec 24) Printed matter from Shanghai to Marseilles, sent without any postal sign until entering the port of Marseilles, with red French entry cds and "PJ" marking of private origin, very scarce. (Image)

1869 (July 2) Entire letter from Shanghai (Siemssen & Co cachet on back) to Amsterdam, bearing rhomboid "GB/1F66c" accountancy marking, red transit cds of Marseilles, "60" cents ms postage due and treated as a letter originating in Hong Kong. (Image)

Incoming Mail. 1886 (Aug 8) Cover from Germany to Taku franked by 'Pfennig' 10pf pair, tied by dispatch cds's, carried via New York and San Francisco with corresponding transit backstamps, with also neat oval "U.S. POSTAL AGENCY/18 OCT.86/SHANGHAI." ds and faint strike of Customs Tientsin cds, obverse displaying very fine "CUSTOMS/24 Oct. 86/TAKU" cds, a very rare incoming mail to Taku sent through the unusual route via San Francisco and the U.S. postal agency in China. (Image)

China Province Manchuria. 1927 (June 19) Rare express envelope cover from Harbin to Kobe (Japan), bearing 1927 "Limited For Use in Hi-Kei" overprinted 4c and 10c, tied by Harbin cds, arrival on reverse. (Image)

Yunnan. 1929 (Feb 8) Postcard from Yunanfu to Maisons-Laffitte (France), franked by 1926 6c scarlet, tied by rare "TRAIN POST OFFICE N°9/YUNANFU-HOKOW 1929" cds, some toned perforations. (Image)

1878-83 Large Dragon. 1878-83 Large Dragon thick paper, clean cut perfs, 1ca, 2ca and 5ca used, the 1ca and 5a with partial blue Peking seal, 3ca with indistinct black oval, the 1ca with a couple of tone spots otherwise fine to very fine. (Image)

1885-88 Small Dragon. 1885 3ca mauve, clean cut perf. 12 1/2, a fresh lightly hinged mint o.g. example; and 1888 1ca green, clean cut perf. 11 1/2, mint o.g. with only slight traces of toning at top, a fine duo. (Image)

1888 1ca perf. 11 1/2-11 3/4, featuring 'broken frames at top left & lower left" variety, in both existing shades bright green and deep green, mint o.g., fresh and rare in this choice condition. (Image)

1894 Dowager. 1894 Empress Dowager, first printing, 9ca dull green vertical TÊTE-BÊCHE PAIR with sheet margin, mint og with lower stamp unmounted, slightly toned gum, very fine and scarce (SG 22d £1'800). (Image)

1897 60th Birthday of the Dowager Empress, 5ca yellow from unissued second printing, with interpane margin at left, mint og, fiagonal bend, fine and scarce. (Image)

1897 (Mar) Dowager Large Wide Surcharges. 1897 Empress Dowager, first printing, large figure, wide spacing surcharge, 1c on 1ca reddish orange mint large part og, very fine (Image)

1897 Empress Dowager large figure, wide spacing surcharge on first printing, 30c on 24ca rose-carmine, used with part Shanghai 'dollar chop', slightly heavy hinge, very fine and scarce. (Image)

1897 Dowager Empress 1/2c on 3ca, second printing wide spacing, in mint top marginal block of 12, very fine multiple. (Image)

1897 (May) Empress Dowager large figure, wide spacing surcharge on 2nd printing, unused set of 9 to 30c on 24ca deep rose-red, mostly without gum, fine. (Image)

1897 Dowager Empress 1c on 1ca, second printing wide spacing, in mint left marginal block of 8, very fine multiple. (Image)

1897 Red Revenues. 1897 Red Revenues 1c on 3c deep red showing "Large Box of central character" variety, used by part cds, very fine (SG 88a) (Image)

1897 4c on 3c, very well centred, mint o.g., a fresh and superb example; (Scott 82, $1,650). (Image)

1897 4c on 3c, mint o.g., a fresh and ver fine example; (Scott 82, $1,650). (Image)

1901 (Sept 6) Registered postcard from Shanghai to Lichtenthal (Germany), bearing 1897 'Dowager' Small Figure 5c on 5ca (no signs of perf. at base), 'Red-Revenue' Large Figure 4c on 3c and 1898 5c flesh, tied by bilingual cds on departure, franked for onward transmission with "Chine" overprinted 10c type I and 25c, tied by "Shang-Haï/Chine" cds, repeated at right, alongside Chinese and French "R" registration markings, German transit and arrival; a rare usage of the scarce 'Red Revenue' issue on registered postcard; (Benjamin Y. K. Hwa census #559). Provenance: Paul Ke-Shing Chang (Image)

1899 Revenues: 20ca, 100ca and 1'000ca money order revenues in unused lower marginal blocks of four, 100ca with some minor imperfections otherwise fine.

1912 Statistical Department Overprints, 1/2c to $5, complete set of 15 values, mint o.g., very lightly hinged, a fresh and very fine choice assembly; (Scott 146-160; $1,828). (Image)

1912 Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, 1c to $5, complete set of 12, mint o.g., lightly hinged, very fine; (Scott 178-189; $1,984). (Image)