Lot# 9097

franked with two stamps comprising a Hwa Nan print Dr. SYS 1 fen basic stamp diagonally bisected and used as ½ fen, together with a Shanghai Dah Tung 3rd print Dr. SYS $2,000,000 overprinted “2 fen” basic stamp, making up the correct 2½ fen postage, tied by Putien cds and arriving the following day. The 2½ fen rate conforms to the printed matter tariff effective from Aug 1, 1949. The key feature of this cover lies in the bisected 1 fen stamp used as ½ fen, a provisional local measure adopted due to a shortage of half-fen stamps, reflecting actual postal practice at the time. Such bisected usages were in effect for only a very short period, recorded between Aug 9 and Aug 11, 1949, with only four Putien bisected covers recorded. Illustrated in Patrick Choy, China Silver Yuan Stamps (3rd Edition), page 171, Figure 4-26, providing authoritative literature reference. It represents an important item for the study of post-war postal rate adjustments, stamp shortages, and provisional bisected usages in Fukien.