Lot# 9014

airmail cover sent from the Kiangse Road Sub-Office, Shanghai, to Baltimore, franked with seven East China Liberated Area Stamps, totaling 10,800 yuan (RMB). The cover bears “Shanghai 1950.2.13” cds and “Canton 50.2.18” transit on reverse. It was routed via Canton and then forwarded through Hong Kong, carried by Pan American Airways (PAA) on its transpacific service to the United States. This cover was mailed during the 2nd Postal Tariff Period of the RMB postal system (February 10 to March 4, 1950). At that time, the airmail rate to “Other Countries” (non-Asian destinations) had already been increased from 10,800 yuan in the 1st Postal Tariff Period to 11,800 yuan, composed of 2,300 yuan for the first 20 grams of international surface postage plus an air surcharge of 9,500 yuan per 10 grams. However, this cover was still franked at the old rate of 10,800 yuan (1,800 + 9,000), indicating that although the new rates had already taken effect, the sub-office staff continued to apply the outdated tariff on the fourth day of the new period, likely due to operational oversight. The underpayment went unnoticed during transit through Canton, and the letter was accepted and delivered without penalty. This is a rare example of a major city sub-office mistakenly using the old rate after the implementation of new tariffs, revealing that although the postal system had already achieved nationwide unification and rate adjustment, human oversight at the operational level could still occur. Despite the rating error, the cover was successfully delivered, vividly illustrating the practical gap between policy implementation and local execution in the early years of postal reform in the People’s Republic of China. A highly representative misrated airmail cover from the early RMB postal period, this item holds significant postal history and research value as an authentic reflection of transitional postal administration during the early PRC era.