The 2023 Summer Auction - Sale 340
24 – 28 June 2023
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- The Artful House Collection of The Tsingtau Postal History & The Macro History of Modern China (268) Apply The Artful House Collection of The Tsingtau Postal History & The Macro History of Modern China filter
- The General Sale (22) Apply The General Sale filter
per private vessel "John Horton" and rated "8", bearing Liverpool shipletter cachet and London arrival cds. The letter is mostly about HMS Volage and HMS Hyacinth engaged Chinese warships on 12 Nov 1839 in Bocca Tigris. Letter from Hong Kong Island before the outbreak of the 1st Opium War is quite scarce.
rated "3/6", bearing framed rectangular Bombay Shipletter transit and oval "INDIA" cachet on front. On the flap with London transit and Scotland arrival. The letter is mostly about the opening of a PO in Hong Kong, how to send mail via military postal system as well as the logistic for the warfare in future etc.
per HMS Agincourt and rated "8", bearing rectangular Calcutta transit, "SHIPLETTER" cachet, Liverpool and London transit. Containing two letters dated 1 Nov and 2-10 Dec. The letter is mostly about the negotiation between Chinese and British government from the perspective of the captain of a British warship patrolling the Chinese water.
both mails were sent via India. Both mails were sent around the period of the Treaty of Whampoa.
sent "via Marseilles" and rated "2/3", bearing faint rectangular Indian transit and London (Nov 22) arrival. An early commerical cover from Shanghai before establishment of concession
sent "per Overland mail via Marseilles" and rated "1/10", bearing Hong Kong (Mar 27) transit and England (May 22) arrival. Example from Shanghai concession dated after the Land Regulations of 1845.
sent "via Marseilles" and rated "10" and "1/-", bearing Crowned "PAID AT HONG KONG" handstamp, Hong Kong (Aug 5), Marseilles (Sep 30) transit and Paris (Sep 30) arrival. An early letter from Shanghai to France after the Treaty of Whampoo in 1844.
sent "Via Marseilles" and rated "90" and "1/-", bearing framed "PAID" cachet, Hong Kong (Aug 5) and Marseilles (Oct 1) transit. Early recorded mail from Shanghai French Concession.
per "per str Manila" and rated "4", bearing Hong Kong Index C and Paid origin cds (Apr 20). Augustine Heard & Co. was a major American trading firm in mid-19th century China.
sent "via Marseilles", f.w. QV 1p, 2p and 6p, tied by barred 634 obliterator and Ramsgate origin cds. This letter was carried in navy mailbag and further transported to Fatshan Creek from Hong Kong. HMS Niger involved in the Battle of Fatshan Creek in June 1856. It stayed in Canton River system.
with countersign of commander, f.w. QV 1p, tied by barred obliterator upon arrival, along with Hong Kong (Jan 23) transit and London PAID arrival (26 Mar). It’s the earliest recorded packet from Canton after the Anglo-French Joint Force capturing Canton on 30 Dec 1857. Excellent concessionary rate example.
sent "via Marseilles", rated "4" but crossed out. F.w. QV 1p and 4p x 2, tied by barred 1 obliterator, along with Aberdeen origin cds. On reverse with Calcutta arrival (Apr 18) but redirected to Canton via Hong Kong (Jun 2). Since the capture of Canton, reinforcement was sent from India while the Anglo-French Joint Force was approaching Northern China .