bearing seven Yunnan “half value” Silver Yuan stamps, tied by Kunming cds and arriving Chungking on Jun 3, 1949. The obverse shows a Supreme Court receipt chop indicating prepayment of Gold Yuan 4,000,000 with a value declaration fee of $1.92. The postage is composed of two parts: 34 fen for the domestic airmail double registration rate (applicable Apr 29 to Jul 31, 1949), and the value declaration fee. The total Gold Yuan amount of 4,200,000 (including 5% insurance fee) converts at the contemporary Yunnan rate of approximately GY 140,000 to 1 Silver Yuan fen, equating to 30 fen; combined with the 34 fen registration and airmail fee, the total of 64 fen is correctly prepaid. In addition, based on the local Yunnan conversion ratio of half-value stamps to Silver Yuan at approximately 3:1, the stated $1.92 corresponds to 64 fen, further confirming the accuracy of the rate calculation. Chungking arrival and registration markings are present, with a clear postal route. This cover is of particular importance for its use of Yunnan-specific “half value” Silver Yuan stamps to pay a value-declared fee in conjunction with a judicial receipt system, clearly illustrating the complex currency conversion practices during the transitional period when Gold Yuan and Silver Yuan circulated concurrently. Such locally issued half-value stamp usages on value-declared covers are very rare, with only one recorded example, and are of significant postal history and exhibition value for the study of post-war southwestern postal systems, currency conversion mechanisms, and insured mail operations.

including one Shanghai Union Press Gold Yuan Surcharge on Chung Ming print revenue stamp, $100 on $50 blue, type A (Chan G94a), tied by Shanghai c.d.s. of despatch. The franking originally conformed to the domestic surface Gold Yuan rate of April 26; however, on April 29 the Shanghai Post Office began strict enforcement of Silver Yuan postage, with the domestic letter rate set at 4 fen. At the prevailing exchange rate of 11,625 Gold Yuan to 1 Silver Yuan fen, the correct postage amounted to $46,500 Gold Yuan, rendering the original franking insufficient, and a “T” postage due handstamp was applied. Upon arrival at Hankow on May 1, 1949, the cover was surcharged with Gold Yuan postage due stamps totalling $90,000, comprising $45,000 for the deficiency and a further $45,000 as penalty, tied by “Hankow Postage Due 38.5.1” cds confirming payment. This cover exhibits three exceptional features: it is an example used on the first day of Silver Yuan postage in Shanghai; it shows a rare commercial usage of the Shanghai Union Press overprint (Chung Ming print, type A) and it is the only recorded instance of Hankow Gold Yuan stamps used as postage due. The cover vividly illustrates the abrupt transition from Gold Yuan to Silver Yuan postal rates, the resulting rate discrepancies, and the handling of postage due mail, making it of significant postal history and exhibition importance.

franked with two stamps comprising a 4 fen Dr. SYS basic stamp and a Shanghai Dah Tung 3rd print Dr. SYS $2,000,000 overprinted “2 fen” basic stamp, the latter diagonally bisected and used as 1 fen, making up the correct 5 fen postage, tied by Kintsing cds and arriving Foochow on Aug 9, 1949. The 5 fen rate conforms to the domestic letter rate effective from Aug 1, 1949 (revised from 4 fen). The key feature of this cover lies in the bisected 2 fen overprint used as 1 fen, reflecting a provisional local measure adopted due to a shortage of 1 fen stamps. Such bisected usages were strictly limited in time and confined to small local post offices, and genuinely used covers are exceedingly rare. Illustrated in Patrick Choy, China Silver Yuan Stamps (3rd Edition), page 168, Figure 4-23, providing authoritative literature reference. It represents an important item for the study of post-war postal rate adjustment, stamp shortages, and provisional bisected usages in Fukien.

This type of aerogramme was issued by the Directorate General of Posts on Aug 1, 1948, bearing at upper left an imprinted indicium showing only an “aircraft” motif without denomination, constituting a prepaid postal stationery item. The officially prescribed period of validity expired on Jul 31, 1949; however, this example was still accepted and used in August, representing a clear out-of-period usage. By this time, the domestic aerogramme rate had been revised to Silver Yuan 15 fen, yet this item was transmitted using the earlier stationery format, illustrating the transitional postal conditions during the initial implementation of the Silver Yuan rate system. These aerogrammes spanned three currency regimes - National Currency, Gold Yuan, and Silver Yuan - highlighting their transitional nature. Illustrated in Patrick Choy, China Silver Yuan Stamps (3rd Edition), page 32, Figure 1-13. Out-of-period usages are rare, and with authoritative literature reference, this item holds significant postal history and exhibition value for the study of post-war Chinese airmail services, postal stationery regulations, and currency transition."

bearing fourteen Dr. SYS Gold Yuan stamps, paying a total postage of 7,000,000 Gold Yuan, tied by Shehong cds. According to the contemporary local conversion rate, 3,500,000 Gold Yuan equaled 1 cent Silver Yuan, thus 7,000,000 Gold Yuan equates to 2 cents Silver Yuan, correctly paying the printed matter rate. This item is notable for demonstrating the practical application of converting Gold Yuan postage into Silver Yuan equivalents under local exchange conditions, clearly reflecting the transitional postal rate calculations and regional disparities during the post-war currency reform period. The multiple high-value Gold Yuan stamps, neatly affixed and clearly cancelled, illustrate actual postal operations of the time. Such genuinely used printed matter wrappers showing Gold Yuan to Silver Yuan conversion are scarce, and hold significant postal history and exhibition value for the study of post-war rate changes, currency conversion relationships, and regional postal practices.