2nd OPIUM WAR PERIOD - RARE LETTER FROM "FOOCHOW" TO TASMANIA PREPAID 4d FROM HONG KONG; Fine 30 Apr. 1859 EL (report on slackness of tea business; folds to show internal heading alongside address-panel) from "Foochow" to "Launceston, Tasmania" endorsed "Per Mail" with mainly v. fine small red "HONG KONG/C/PAID" c.d.s. (4 May) on the front beside red crayon "1/-" rate, also having a faint small black HK c.d.s. on the top flap overlapped by the diamond-framed Launceston "SHIP LETTER/INWARDS FREE" d.s. (13 Aug. 1859). Very few pre-1865 covers from Foochow have been recorded and this Australian destination is exceptional. Exhibition Quality. Cross Reference : TASMANIA (Image)

INGOING PRESTAMP "CONSIGNEES" COVER WITH "HONG KONG/PAID" C.D.S.; 7 Mar. 1861 EL (ref. consignments of opium) from HK to "Foochow" endorsed "Per [Ship] Rajah" and "Consignees" on the front, prepaid "4[d]" with v. fine small red "HONG KONG/C/PAID" cds (light fold) on the front. Unusually early for a cover to Foochow and attractive. Cross Reference : HONG KONG, MARITIME MAIL (Image)

QV-KGV GROUP INC. "FOOCHOWFOO" & "FOOCHOW" C.D.S. CANCELS, BOXED "R/FOOCHOW B.P.O./No.", ETC.; 1897 env. to Ireland with HK QV 5c Pair tied by a single fine "FOOCHOWFOO" cds, 1904/15 trio (PPC + 2 envs.) with HK 10c, 4c or 2c tied by different "FOOCHOW" cds's, and 1920 front regd. to US with CHINA o.p. 10c(2) beside fine rare boxed 2R/FOOCHOW B.P.O./No." mark. (5 items) Cross Reference : REGISTERED MAIL (Image)

CHINA/HONG KONG COMBINATION COVER FROM FOOCHOW TO G.B. VIA HONG KONG; Most attractive 14 Jan. 1899 env. to Bristol with China 5c Red Pair tied by mainly very fine large bilingual 2-ring cds beside HK 5c Blue Pair tied by partly fine HK cds's; unusually all the stamps are on the address side. Rare and of Exhibition Quality. Cross Reference : COMBINATION COVERS, CHINA (Image)

FOOCHOW - INGOING HK 4c ON 3c REPLY CARD, OFF-COVER PURPLE "Cancelled" STAMPS, ETC.; 4 July 1900 HK usage of the outward 4c on 3c Brown P. Stat. PC with mainly fine "FOOCHOW" arrival cds, 1906/7 much-travelled PPC ex GB to Foochow but redirected to "Lo Nguong", fine uprated 1 Nov. 1904 commercial usage of HK QV 1c P. Stat. PC to GB with KEVII 2c+1c all tied by v. fine small "FOOCHOW/A" cds's, and an unusual off-cover range of c.1901-10 HK adhesives (14 QV + 10 KEVII - incl. some Pairs) all cancelled by the local Steamer purple boxed "Cancelled" mark with some also having "FOOCHOW" or "FOOCHOWFOO" cds's. (3 cards + 24 stamps) Cross Reference : MARITIME MAIL, CHINA, HONG KONG, POSTAL STATIONERY (Image)

VERY RARE "FOOCHOW ARSENAL" PURPLE C.D.S. CANCEL ON CHINA/HONG KONG COMBINATION COVER TO FRANCE; Exceptional 29 July 1901 env. (opened out for display & with slight dusting; tiny flap fault in one corner well away from stamps and marks) from Foochow [Naval] Arsenal to "Aubin, Aveyron, [France]" with China 10c Green 'Coiling Dragon' on reverse tied by a very fine very rare large purple bilingual "FOOCHOW ARSENAL" cds (29 July) with a second superb strike alongside. With Hong Kong 5c Blue Vertical Pair on the address side tied by a very fine large boxed Foochow "I.P.O." tie-print and by mainly fine 2-ring "VICTORIA/HONG KONG" cds's along with a nearby "PAGODA ANCH" cds (also 29 July). There is also a partial Caen arrival cds on reverse. Only a handful of this spectacular Foochow Arsenal P.O. cancellation have been recorded, and this use as sole cancellation on the Chinese adhesive is remarkable. [A similar cover of January 1902 to France, but with the Arsenal cds not cancelling the stamp realised HK$90,000 - £7,527 at the time - in an October 2015 auction.] Highly Important Exhibition Item. [Ex Russell Muir Collection.] Cross Reference : COMBINATION COVERS, CHINA, FRANCE, NAVAL MAIL (Image)

KEVII 4c RED P. STAT. ENV. TO G.B. + OFFICIAL HK "SERVICE/DES/POSTES" ENV. TO SANTUAO & THEN PARIS; 12 Apr. 1906 usage of the KEVII 4c Red KEVII Postal Stationery env. to GB with v. fine small "FOOCHOW/C" cds; plus 7 Nov. 1923 stampless "GPO/HK" imprint env. (faults at top & some edge-wear) to Santuao with fine HK "SERVICE/DES/POSTES" in circle on the front and backstamps of Foochow, Santuao & Amoy - redirected to Paris. (2 covers) Cross Reference : POSTAL STATIONERY, OFFICIAL MAIL, HONG KONG, AMOY (Image)

1863-1910 SELECTION OF ADHESIVES with various cancellations inc. 1863-71 2c & 8c with Webb type A "F1" in black and 2c (2), 4c (2) 8c (2) and 1882 5c (2), 10c mauve (2) & 10c green all with Webb type A "F1" in black,type B c.d.s. (14) inc.1891 with Chinese characters 50c on 48c. type C c.d.s. (6), type H (3) & I (3). Also Chefoo type A (12, inc. 1912-21 2c & 4c blocks of four and type C (4). Mostly superior selected strikes. (54) Cross Reference : CHEFOO (Image)

1863-1922 SELECTION OF ADHESIVES (23) and a piece, inc. 1863-71 2c & 24c joined and cancelled with a single "F1" numeral in blue. 1882-96 2c (2), 5c blue & 10c purple on red, 1900 5c yellow all with part "FOOCHOWFOO" Webb type B c.d.s. A 10 Mar. 1871 piece (Ex R Kirk) bearing GB 3d & 1/- with a blue "FOOCHOWFOO" type B c.d.s. Other c.d.s. inc. types C, E, and I on low face value adhesives. Good readable strikes. (Image)

THE "F1" CANCELATION ON SURCHARGED ADHESIVES:1876-77 16c on 18c lilac with a good part strike of the blue "F1" cancellation. 1880 10c on 12c horizontal pair (straight edge at right) with a complete strike of the "F1" numeral in black. Scarce. SG Z325 & Z330. £585. (3) (Image)

c1880-1912 INTERESTING GROUP OF ADHESIVES with Foochow cancellations inc. "F1" numeral (5, inc. 1863-71 12c and 1880 10c on 24c), c.d.s. with Webb types "B" (23, inc. 1891 50c on 48c & 20c on 30c x 2), "C" (3), "E" (25, inc. a 1904 card from GB with "FOOCHOW" c.d.s. applied on arrival), "H" (14, inc. local card with "FOOCHOW" c.d.s. applied on arrival). and type "I" (8). Mostly fine selected strikes. (78 + two cards) (Image)

THE RARE WEBB TYPE "G" C.D.S.:1904 20c slate & chestnut with a part strike of the scarce double ring "(F)OOCHOW/(B.P.O.)" c.d.s. Webb type G rated as the rarest c.d.s. of this Treaty Port. (Image)