1900 (29 Nov) inbound cover (2c franking defective) from Springfield, Mass to a Private Linehan, a U.S. Marine in Tientsin, redirected to Cavite and then to Isabela, Philippines, with January 1901 arrival markings. Stated to be one of only two examples recorded of inbound Marine mail to China (First Marine Regiment landed at Taku on 17 July, 1900. As the Boxers were routed, most of the Marines were ordered to withdraw to the Philippines) (Image)

Est.US$150

1900 (12 Oct) cover to USA, franked with 2c "Philippines", tied by "MIL.P.STA No.1 PEKIN, CHINA" departure cds, with San Francisco transit and Benicia arrival (Nov 21) pmks on back. This first postmark provided for the Military Station in Peking showed the name "Pekin" and was in use for only about two months from 30 September to 28 November 1900 (Image)

Est.US$150

1900-02 two covers from Nagasaki, one dated 18 Aug 1900, with letter ("when we get out in the field, it will be impossible to get stamps and I will have to have an officer sign the letter and you will have to pay 2 cents"), plus 1900 (7 Jan) legal size "War Department Depot Quartermaster, U.S. Army, Nagasaki, Japan" Official Business cover with Japanese franking addressed to U.S. Consul, John Fowler in Chefoo, China, with Nagasaki departure and violet "Chefoo I.J.P.O. 15 Jan" arrival markings on back, fine (the Quartermaster Depot at Nagasaki was opened in 1900 and remained opened until 1909) (Image)

Est.US$250

1900 (Jan) cover franked with CIP 1c (2) and 2c (3), tied by Tientsin departure pmks and sent to Mrs. Fraser in Victoria, Australia, endorsed "Per Victoria Naval Contingent Tientsin, China", Shanghai (2 Feb) transit, arriving in Hong Kong on Feb 6, where it was assessed 6c Postage Due, covered with the addition of 3x2c rose, violet "T" crossed out once postage due was paid, finally arriving Melbourne on 18.3.01, cover wear partly restored with tape on three sides, showing part of the "Received Torn at G.P.O." marking. Only 10 covers have been recorded from the Victoria contingent, seven of which are from the same "Fraser" correspondence. This cover is the only example of Contingent mail sent via the Imperial Chinese Post Office (Image)

Est.US$2,000

1901 "S.M.S. Aspern", three cards to Austria, Trieste and Bavaria, two with Austrian franking, canceled 16 April and 14 June, 1901, unfranked card used 17 February, with violet "Feldpost S.M.S. Aspern" and "Wien 27.3.01" arrival pmks. Other markings included "K.u.K. Kriegsmarine S.M.S. Aspern" and framed "Paket Boot", fine group of cards from the "Aspern", stationed at Taku (the Austro-Hungarian Expedition Corps was dispatched to China in 1900. This force included the cruisers "SMS Kaiserin und Konigin Maria Theresia", "SMS Kaiserin Elisabeth", "SMS Aspern", and "SMS Zenta") (Image)

Est.US$500

1901 "S.M.S. Kaiserin Elisabeth", two cards, one sent on 27 April, 1901 (while at Weihaiwei), endorsed "Feldpost", with violet "Kriegsmarine SMS Kaiserin Elisabeth" cachet, addressed to Pola, with Pirano transit and arrival pmks, the other handstamped Feldpost, with corresponding K.u.K. Kriegsmarine SMS Kaiserin Elisabeth" (12.7.01) departure pmk, addressed to Vienna, with arrival pmk alongside (Image)

Est.US$500

1901 "S.M.S. Kaiserin und Konigin Maria Theresia", three cards to Trieste, Vienna, Wurzburg, first sent 20 February 1901, with violet Naval cachet, others April 1901 and May 1902, last one with Austrian franking, appropriate departure and arrival markings, fine (Image)

Est.US$500

1901 "S.M.S.Zenta", two stampless cards, addressed 10 March 1901 to Prague and 16 July to Waldegg, showing "S.M.Schiff Zenta Feldpost" handstamps in violet or black, also K.u.K.Kriegsmarine S.M.S. Zenta departure cds, fine (the ship's captain, Eduard von Montalmar and seventy-three men joined the force that stormed the Taku Forts on 17 June, 1901. Montalmar and three sailors were killed during the war with another four sailors later dying of their wounds) (Image)

Est.US$500

1903 (3 Dec) stampless cover with "K.u.K.Gesandtschafts Schutzwache In Peking" two-line handstamp, corresponding "Wachdetachement" departure pmk, endorsed "Porto Freie Dienstsache", addressed to Pola, with 23.12.03 arrival pmk, filing fold, otherwise fine usage from Austrian Legation Guards unit (when the foreign powers were given the right to maintain military units to guard their legations, approximately 200 Austrian marines were assigned to this duty and a military post office was established for their use in 1903 in Peking) (Image)

Est.US$250

1906 (19 Oct) picture postcard franked with two Austrian adhesives, tied by "K.u.K.Gesandtschafts Wachdetachement Peking" departure pmk, registered to Austria, with Registry label (crossed out "S.M.S. Schiff" and handstamped "K.u.K.Gesandtschafts Wach Detachement Peking"), Wien arrival (28.XI) and sent back to China, with "Retour" in blue crayon and "Gestorben Decede" label (addressee died), fine and undoubtedly rare registered usage from the Austrian Legation Guards in China (Image)

Est.US$750

1911 (23 Aug) official cover to Vienna, handstamped "K.u.K. Marine Detachement in Peking", with corresponding departure pmk, with Registry label (overprinted over "S.M.S. Schiff" with "K.u.K. Marine Detachement Peking"), small tear at top, otherwise fine (without arrival pmk) (Image)

Est.US$200

1911 (25 Jan) Hungarian stationery 5f card addressed to Laibach, perfectly struck "K.u.K. Marine Detachement in Peking" departure pmk, fine and most unusual (Image)

Est.US$300

1900 (June 19) cover from Beckenham, England addressed to "Admiral Seymour, Commanding British Fleet Tientsin (in flames 18/6/00 China British Flagship)", filing fold away from the stamps, fine (Sir Edward Hobart Seymour became Commander-in-Chief, China Station on February 18, 1898, his flagship battleship "HMS Centurion") (Image)

Est.US$250

1900 (26 June) cover sent without postage to Shanghai, with Tientsin departure pmk and penciled "No stamps to be procured or money to pay for them with", which apparently sufficed to get the letter to destination, where Postage Due of 4 cents was charged (red crayon) to the recipient. Also "9th day of the bombardment of Tientsin" in pencil and Shanghai 13 July 00 arrival pmk (the International Settlement in Tientsin was attacked by the Boxers on 17th June and relieved by the Allied troops on the 23rd) (Image)

Est.US$500

1900 (Sep) cover franked with a block of 4x3p C.E.F., tied by F.P.O.12 pmks (Hishowa), addressed to Scotland, with Base Post Office 5 Oct.00 transit and Linlithgow (Nov.1) arrival pmks, "Optima Est Veritas" wax seal on back seeped through to front, otherwise fine and scarce usage from F.P.O.12, which was at Hishowa for only a few weeks (recorded as "not seen" in Proud) (Image)

Est.US$500

1900 (25 July) cover franked with Japanese 10sen blue, tied by Tientsin I.J.P.O. departure pmk, addressed to a British officer in Dharmsala, Punjab, with transit markings of the Japanese Post Office in Chefoo, British Post Office in Shanghai, reaching Tuticorin, India on 28 August, 1900. While the first troops from India arrived in Tientsin on July 18th, 1900, the first British FPO did not open until nine days later. In the interim, mail from the British forces was dispatched through existing post offices of the other Allies, primarily the Japanese. A fine British Forces in China forerunner cover (Image)

Est.US$250

1900 (Aug) cover to England endorsed "No Stamps Available from Taku", Hong Kong transit, handstamped "T" and charged "1d" on arrival in London. Also included is a cover endorsed "B.C.F.F. No Stamps Available" addressed to an officer at "I.S.C. Liu Kun Tau", with F.P.O. No.13 (1 Nov 00) arrival pmk, both neatly displayed on exhibit page (Image)

Est.US$250

1900 C.E.F. overprints, set of 10, canceled by F.P.O. No.5 (30 Oct.01) cds on cover addressed to Metz, with Shanghai 30 Oct. 01 departure pmks on back, Metz arrival (3.12.01), fine-v.f. (Cat No. CG C1-10) (Image)

Est.US$250

1900 1a6p sepia, l.h., v.f., prepared but not issued C.E.F. overprint (120 copies sent to China), cat. £450 (Cat No. SG C10c) (Image)

Cat. £450, Est.US$250

1901-04 collection of 33 covers or cards, neatly displayed and written-up on exhibit pages, showing a wide range of markings used by the British during the Boxer War, mostly C.E.F. franking, usages from Base Office (Hong Kong), F.P.O. 6 (Shanhaikwan), F.P.O. 7 (Peking Tartar City), F.P.O. 5 (Shanghai), F.P.O. No.8 (Shanghai Cavalry Camp), F.P.O. No.9 (Yangtsun), F.P.O. No.10 (Hanku), F.P.O.11 (Sinho), F.P.O. No.12 (Matao), the latter card used via the German Post Office in Peking, addressed to Burma, F.P.O.13 (Weihaiwei), F.P.O. No.14 (Shanhaikuan), F.P.O. No.15 and F.P.O. No.16 (both from Chinwangtao), two covers franked with unoverprinted Indian stamps (used in the FPOs before distribution of C.E.F. overprints), registered boxed "F.P.O. No.4" from Tientsin to Calcutta, registered postcard with "R Base Office B" handstamp, sent via Hong Kong to Germany, Naval covers to and from "China Station", the latter with "Commander-in-Chief China Station" datestamp, Traveling Post Offices with "C.E.F. No.1", No.2 and No.3 markings, including a card with Chinese franking, Hong Kong Regiment, mail from British Legation guards, including inbound card to British Legation Peking, with F.P.O. No.1 arrival mark, variety of destinations, many to India, also Germany, United States, Scotland, Italy, etc., mostly fine-v.f. A remarkable collection of China Expeditionary Force mail (Image)

Est.US$5,000

1901 (Peking-Tartar City) cover (opened for display), franked on back with 12x3pi C.E.F. adhesives, tied by F.P.O. No.7 (14 June 1901) cds, registered to Lahore, with crayon "R" supported by the extremely rare framed "F.P.O. No.7" handstamp on front, Base Office 26 June and Lahore (15 July) arrival markings, minor cover mending, stated to be one of only two recorded examples of FPO 7 registry marks on cover (Image)

Est.US$500

1901 (Legation Gate) (23 Mar) legal size "On Her Majesty's Service" (Government of India embossing on backflap) franked with OHMS handstamped 1a Victoria, tied by double ring FPO No.1 pmk, addressed to Calcutta, with Base Office transits and 20 April arrival pmks on back, filing folds away from the stamps, fine and extremely rare usage of the OHMS overprinted adhesive on cover from FPO1 (Legation Gate) (OHMS stamps were not sold in China, but were distributed to Army offices under strict accountability rules, to be used only on official mail) (Image)

Est.US$1,000

1901 (Peking-Temple of Heaven) cover franked with C.E.F. 1a Victoria, canceled by pen and tied by FPO No.2 double-ring pmk, endorsed "China Expeditionary Force Temple of Heaven Peking" and sent to London, Base Office transit and arrival (20 Sep) pmks on back, fine (FPO 2 served as Headquarters of the 1st Infantry Brigade and operated for one year from 1 Sep 1900 to 15 Sep 1901) (Image)

Est.US$500

1901 (18 Jan) 1/2a C.E.F. stationery entire envelope, additionally franked with 1a and 3pi C.E.F. overprinted adhesives, tied by F.P.O. No.1 single ring pmks, sent from Peking (Legation Gate) addressed to Meklenburg, fine (Image)

Est.US$500

1901 (Tongshan) cover franked with 2x1/2a C.E.F. overprinted adhesives tied by FPO No.3 double-ring pmks, addressed to Scotland, Base Office transit and Glasgow (Sep 12) arrival pmks on back, fine. Covers from this station are among the rarest of the British Field Post Offices (FPO 3 officially opened at Tungchow on 30 August 1900 and moved to Tongshan in 1901) (Image)

Est.US$750