Lot# 9076

posted from Harbin to Tokyo on November 10, 1950, franked with three Northeast China Liberated Area Stamps, totaling 65,000 yuan, tied by “Harbin 50.11.10” cds. The postage was correctly paid according to the new tariff: 25,000 yuan for the first 20g of international surface postage and 40,000 yuan for the airmail surcharge to Asian destinations, making a total of 65,000 yuan. This period, known as the 3rd postal period for the Northeast currency (Nov 10, 1950 - Mar 31, 1951), introduced a major postal rate adjustment in which the airmail surcharge to Asia was reduced from 65,000 to 40,000 yuan per 10g, a 38.5% decrease. This cover represents a rare first-day example showing the implementation of the new rate. Harbin served as the principal hub of the Northeast postal system, and first-day airmail usages from this region are particularly scarce. The cover vividly illustrates the continued operation of international postal routes during the early years of the People’s Republic of China, despite ongoing monetary transition and postal rate reforms. It also reflects the gradual restoration of postwar Sino-Japanese postal communication. A well-preserved and accurately rated postal history item, this cover is an important example for the study of the Northeast postal currency system and the evolution of early PRC airmail tariffs, with significant research and exhibition value.