Lot# 9049

this collection of eight covers provides a comprehensive illustration of the postal rate structure and routing systems of international airmail during China’s 7th Postal Tariff Period, implemented from 1 May 1953, a significant stage in the postwar reorganization and standardization of the PRC postal system. During this period, international postage rates were generally reduced: the basic surface rate was set at 2,200 yuan per 20g, and separate air surcharges were applied for Asia, Eastern Europe, and Western Europe. Among these, mail sent via the Moscow/Prague route enjoyed substantially lower rates than mail routed through Hong Kong. The group includes covers to USA and Australia franked at 11,200 yuan and 12,000 yuan respectively, reflecting the “Other Countries” standard rate and occasional overpayment; covers to Czechoslovakia and East Germany correctly paid 7,600 yuan, representing the standard Eastern Europe rate via Prague; and four covers to England and Switzerland demonstrating the contrast between the Prague and Hong Kong routes, one of which, a 40g airmail to England was correctly franked at 25,100 yuan, serving as an excellent example of heavy airmail correspondence. Altogether, this group highlights the multi-route system and tiered postal rate structure of the 7th Postal Tariff Period and marks an important transitional phase as China’s international postal network evolved from the Soviet-aligned Prague route toward the Hong Kong relay system, offering significant research and exhibition value.