Lot# 9096

this large commercial cover, weighing approximately 250g, is franked with sixteen stamps, totaling 270,400 yuan (old currency), slightly underpaid by 20,000 yuan compared to the correct rate of 290,400 yuan. The proper postage consisted of 2,500 yuan for the first 20g of international surface letter postage, 18,000 yuan for twelve additional weight steps, 262,500 yuan for 25 airmail increments at 10,500 yuan per 10g, plus 4,200 yuan registration and 3,200 yuan return receipt fee. The underpayment was likely tolerated by the postal authorities due to minor rounding in accounting or because the actual weight was slightly under 250g, both acceptable conditions for real commercial postings of the period. The cover tied by Tientsin 15.11.50 cds and with Canton 18.11.50 transit & New York 24.11.1950 arrival, having been routed south via Canton and flown from Hong Kong on Pan American Airways (PAA) to the United States. A scarce and remarkable heavy double-registered airmail cover of the early People’s Post period, clearly showing the complex postage composition and operational handling of trans-Pacific mail during the early 1950s. It stands as an outstanding example for the study of early PRC international postal operations and an excellent piece for exhibition.