Lot# 9042

airmail cover sent from Manchonghu, Kwangtung to San Francisco, franked with R series issues x 17, totaling 13,000 yuan (RMB), tied by Manchonghu cds, with Manlokshi and Canton transit on reverse. The mail was routed through Hong Kong and carried by Pan American Airways (PAA) on its FAM 14 trans-Pacific route to San Francisco. The recipient noted arrival on 27 April (Lunar calendar: 14th day of the 3rd month), showing a total transit time of only eight days - an impressive example of early PRC airmail efficiency. Posted during the Sixth Postal Tariff Period under the RMB postal system (1 November 1950 - 30 April 1953), this cover correctly paid 2,500 yuan for the first 20 grams of international surface postage plus 10,500 yuan airmail surcharge to “Other Countries,” totaling 13,000 yuan. This was the standard international airmail rate established after the unification of China’s currency, and all mail destined for non-Asian countries was charged at this “Other Countries” rate, with most items routed via Hong Kong for onward dispatch. Originating from the third-class postal agency at Manchonghu and forwarded via Manlokshi to Canton, this cover illustrates the coordinated operation of the grassroots postal network within the unified RMB postal system. With accurate franking, complete routing, and full postal markings, it represents a rare and significant example of early PRC airmail to the United States, of great importance for postal history research and exhibition.