Lot# 7040

18 Mar 1902, a C.I.P. 1st series stationery card sent from Tsinanfu to Bernburg, Germany, uprated with one 1-cent and one 2-cent coiling stamps, cancelled by two distinct, all-Chinese special single-ring circular postmarks from Tsinanfu Post Office ("廿八, 二 / 十二"), which refers to the 12th day of the 2nd month in the 28th year of the Kwangsu Emperor period, i.e. 21 Mar 1902, then Chefoo bilingual bisected c.d.s., and Shanghai transit c.d.s, and also English circular postmark of "SHANGHAI LOCAL POST / 7 AVRIL 02", Germany arrival c.d.s. The use of this special Tsinanfu branch office single-ring postmark is extremely rare, and even more remarkable for the international mail. 

In February of that year, it was in late winter, and the ice and snow in the Shandong coastal area was still melting. Instead of taking the route through Anhui Province and Kiangsu-Chekiang to Shanghai, this postal card was directed to Chefoo and then sent by sea route to Shanghai, resulting in a longer delivery time for the postal card.