Lot# 9079

franked with a horizontal pair of “Sui (III)” postage meter labels, each of 20 fen, tied by Canton cds, paying the correct foreign airmail rate of 40 fen. Of particular interest is the tete-beche configuration of the meter labels, with the two impressions printed inverted relative to each other, forming a striking positional variety. This represents a highly unusual production error in the printing process, most likely caused by irregular paper feed or mechanical malfunction, and is rarely encountered on postally used material. According to records, only three such tête-bêche meter label covers are known, all produced by the “Sui (III)” machine and printed on paper bearing the “中華郵政” background imprint. The present example, clearly struck and correctly rated, vividly illustrates this exceptional printing anomaly and is of considerable importance for the study of postage meter operations and postal practice during the Silver Yuan period, with strong postal history and exhibition significance.