Lot# 9083

posted from Hokang on October 5, 1951, this cover was sent by airmail to Shinjuku, Tokyo, franked with five stamps, including two East China “50y on 10y” overprinted airmail stamps and three R series issues, for a total franking of ¥6,700 (Old RMB), paying the correct rate. The postage rate at that time consisted of ¥2,500 for the first 20g of international surface letter postage and ¥4,200 for the airmail surcharge to Asian destinations, totaling ¥6,700. The cover bears “Hokiang 51.10.5” cds and “Canton 51.10.12” transit on reverse. This cover was mailed during the 1st Postal Period under the Old RMB system (July 1, 1951 - April 30, 1953), which marked the first stable monetary phase after the nationwide unification of postal administration. According to postal regulations, all mail was required to be franked with stamps denominated in Old RMB, yet regional issues from former postal districts were still temporarily permitted for use until existing stock was depleted. The mixed use of East China overprinted stamps and PRC definitives on this cover serves as a representative example of postal transition during the early consolidation of the PRC’s unified postal and currency system. It illustrates how, even after the establishment of a national standard, regional issues remained in circulation as part of the practical realities of postal operation. Airmail correspondence to Japan from this period is particularly scarce, reflecting the postwar normalization of Sino-Japanese postal communication and the re-establishment of regular airmail services during a politically transitional era. With correctly paid postage, clear postal markings, and complete routing, this cover stands as an important postal history artifact that vividly documents the early PRC postal unification and Asian airmail system, of high research and exhibition value.