Lot# 9044

franked with four 4 fen surcharged revenue stamps used as Basic postage, all overprinted “Wanhsien,” tied by Paiyangping “38.6.17” cds, carried via Wanhsien and arriving Chungking on Jul 3, 1949. The franking of 16 fen correctly pays the domestic registered rate (4 fen letter rate plus 12 fen registration fee). The “Wanhsien” overprints represent a typical example of the early Silver Yuan period practice whereby a central post office applied its name to stamps prior to distribution to subordinate offices. Paiyangping, being a sub-office under Wanhsien, used these overprinted stamps for postal operations, clearly illustrating the supply-and-use structure within a single postal district and reflecting the practical functioning of regional postal control measures at the time. According to current records, this is the second earliest recorded cover bearing Szechwan local post office name overprints, of notable chronological importance. Covers clearly demonstrating the relationship between central overprinting and sub-office usage are scarce, making this an important item for the study of early Silver Yuan postal administration and overprint practices, with significant postal history and exhibition value.