Lot# 9009

bearing one example each of the Hunan district Unit issues, comprising 6 fen airmail, 16 fen express registered, and 4 fen domestic surface basic postage, paying a total of 26 fen, tied by Changsha cds “49.5.14” and arriving Shanghai on May 21. This represents the first day of usage of the Hunan airmail and express Unit stamps, with only one such commercial cover recorded, of extreme rarity. The franking correctly pays the combined domestic airmail, registered and express rate of 26 fen in effect from Apr 29 to Jul 31,1949. Issued under wartime conditions when the Directorate General of Posts permitted individual postal districts to produce stamps valid only within their own regions, Hunan being one such district. This cover combines local district Unit issues with multiple postal services on first day commercial usage, and reflects the continued operation of postal communications during the Chinese Civil War period. A highly important and representative rarity of the early Silver Yuan postal system, of outstanding exhibition and research value.