Sale 71 Asian Stamps & Postal History

China, 1897 (5 Feb.) registered envelope to Peking (26.4) via London (8.2), New York (22.2), St. Paul (25.2), Winnipeg (26.2), Vancouver (2.3), and Shanghai (20.4) bearing France Peace and Commerce 10c. and 40c., cancelled by c.d.s., with appropriate transits including San Francisco registered label, and "Customs/Shanghai" double-ring d.s. of "Apr 20 97" in brown and "I.G. of Customs/Peking" arrival double-ring d.s. of "Apl 26 97" in blue, the envelope marked "Inconnue à Peking" in crayon and returned to the French P.O. in Shanghai for eventual return to sender in Paris, with "Shanghai" dollar dater (21.6) in brown with French P.O. "Retour/à l'Envoyeur/5104" instructional h.s. and "Shang-hai/Chine" c.d.s. (23.7), "Modane à Paris" French entry c.d.s. (30.8) in red and Paris arrival c.d.s. (1.9). A remarkable example of returned mail, as well as routing from Europe to China by Atlantic Ocean, North American overland and Pacific Ocean mail.
Estimate 3,000 - 4,000