Lot# 9065

bearing a single 40 fen postage meter label produced by the “Lan (I)” franking machine, cancelled by Lanchow datestamp. The franking correctly pays the international airmail rate of 40 fen for the period from Apr 29 to Jul 31, 1949. This cover bears a Lanchow postage meter label, representing an early outbound foreign mail usage from the Northwestern Postal District during the initial Silver Yuan rate period, and illustrates the typical routing from inland China via a coastal exchange office (commonly through Hong Kong or other treaty ports) to overseas destinations. At this stage, the postage meter system was still in its early implementation phase, with limited equipment distribution, resulting in distinct regional characteristics in usage. Illustrated in Patrick Choy, China Silver Yuan Stamps (3rd Edition), page 237, Figure 7-8, such foreign-bound airmail covers from Lanchow are scarce, particularly examples bearing postage meter labels and correctly paying the international airmail rate. An important postal history item for the study of early Silver Yuan period international postal rates, inland routing practices, and the practical use of postage meters, of significant exhibition value.