Lot# 9056

registered airmail sample cover sent from Tientsin to London, endorsed “Sample of No Value” and “via U.S.S.R. & Prague”, franked with five R series issues, totaling ¥141,100 (RMB), canceled by “Tientsin 54.11.16” cds and bearing a red registration label “No.1579”. The cover was routed via the Soviet Union and Prague to Western Europe and finally delivered to London. The exhibit note records that the franking includes a Tiananmen 5th Print ¥100,000 stamp, a denomination rarely seen on genuinely used covers. This cover was posted during the 7th Postal Tariff Period (1 May 1953 - 31 December 1954). During this period, the postal rates for printed matter, samples, and parcels were reduced: the first 50 g rate was lowered from ¥1,000 to ¥900, each additional 50 g from ¥500 to ¥400, and the registration fee from ¥4,200 to ¥3,600. The mail route to Western Europe followed the “via Prague” corridor, with an airmail surcharge calculated at ¥5,400 per 10g under the East European rate scale. As this sample weighed 250 g, the correct total postage consisted of ¥2,500 for the sample rate, ¥135,000 for the airmail surcharge, and ¥3,600 for registration, giving a precisely paid total of ¥141,100. This cover represents a standard example of a heavy registered airmail sample correctly franked during the 7th Postal Tariff Period, accurately rated and showing the full operation of the “via Prague” routing system. The presence of the high-denomination Tiananmen 5th Print ¥10,000 stamp makes this an outstanding and rare postal usage, combining both postal and philatelic significance. It vividly reflects the early PRC’s advancement in international postal operations and the efficiency of its airmail service for heavy commercial correspondence. A highly important and exhibition-worthy postal history item, it stands as an exemplary study piece for the Renminbi postal system and the practical use of high-value stamps on mail.