Lot# 9074

due to a slight appreciation of the Northeast currency, the international surface letter rate for the first 20g was reduced from 29,000 yuan to 25,000 yuan, and the airmail surcharge to Asian destinations per 10g was lowered from 71,000 yuan to 65,000 yuan. The cover is franked with three Northeast China Liberated Area stamps, totaling 90,000 yuan, tied by “Harbin 50.9.17” cds and with a red boxed “Par Avion / 航空” marking on reverse. Posted during the early period of the People’s Republic of China, when the national currency system was still being unified and postal rates were being restructured, this cover demonstrates the continued use of “Liberated Area” issues in the Northeast as valid postal currency. The postage is fully paid and accurately calculated, reflecting the new government’s ability to maintain smooth international airmail communication with Asia before full monetary unification. As one of the earliest recorded commercial airmail covers sent from China to Japan in the early PRC period, it represents a rare and historically important example of resumed Sino-Japanese postal relations after World War II. Well preserved and correctly rated, it is a valuable artifact for the study of early PRC international postal operations and the Northeast currency postal system.