Lot# 7002

20 Oct 1903, a registered postcard was sent from Hankow, China, via its Germany PO to Turkey. The postcard, uprated with a German overprint CHINA orange-yellow 25 pfennig stamp and a green 5 pfennig stamp, cancelled with a "HANKAU DEUTSCHE POST" postmark. The postcard also had a Hankau (China) Deutsche Post registered label, Russian train cancellations No.266 (from Port Arthur to Harbin) and No.262 (from Port Arthur to Harbin), Russian transit marks, and Constantinople (Turkey) postmark. The merit of the card is to the travel through the Northwest Siberian Railway and passed through the Russian Train PO -- Middle East Railway, which was officially opened on 14 July 1903. According to the Postal Telegraphic Note No. 88, starting from 1 Oct, the land route of the Siberian Railway was officially available for travels between Europe and the Far East. The first type of Train PO cancellation was a single circular shape, with the train number, date, and cross-shaped date. A very rare TPO usage and early example of Middle East Railway for train mail delivery, and possibly the first registered postcard through Hankau Germany Post Office.