Lot# 9068

the cover was sent from Tientsin to London, franked with nine “R” series definitives totaling 9,800 yuan and one C32 20 fen commemorative, making a total postage of 11,800 yuan (RMB). The 20 fen stamp equaled 2,000 yuan in old currency, reflecting the mixed use of old and new denominations following the 1955 currency reform. Tied by a clear “Tientsin 55.12.13” cds, the cover was carried via the Soviet Union and Prague to London. It was posted during the 8th postal rate period (1 Jan 1955 - 31 Aug 1956), after the adjustment of airmail surcharges under the Renminbi system. At that time, the surface letter rate for the first 20 grams was 2,200 yuan, with an airmail surcharge of 4,800 yuan per 10 grams. For a letter weighing about 20 grams, the correct total postage was 11,800 yuan (2,200 + 9,600), showing accurate calculation and full payment. The coexistence of old- and new-currency issues vividly illustrates the transitional practice in early 1955, when earlier stamps remained valid and were converted at the new currency value after the monetary reform. As one of North China’s major postal hubs, Tientsin efficiently implemented the updated postal and currency standards for international dispatch. A textbook example of a correctly paid airmail cover to Western Europe during the 8th postal rate period, routed via the Soviet Union and Prague. Its mixed old/new currency franking and crisp postal markings make it an important and scarce item of postal history, highly significant for studying the PRC’s 1950s postal rate reforms and international airmail operations.