Sale 71 Asian Stamps & Postal History

China, Customs Mail Matter/Hankow : 1883 (17 Dec.) envelope to New York (2.2.84) via Yokohama, showing "Hankow Customs/Mail Matter" small unframed oval h.s. with seriffed letters (type II) in red, matching "Customs/Hankow" double-ring origin d.s. of "Dec 17 83" and "Customs/Shanghai" (20.12) double-ring transit d.s. of "Dec 20 83" in blue, both on reverse, and bearing on front Large Dragons 1ca., 3ca. and 5ca., cancelled by Shanghai seal and Japan Koban 5s., cancelled by "crossroads" cork type, with matching "I.J.P.A./Shanghai" c.d.s. (2.1.84) adjacent, the Large Dragon 5ca. has been removed before arrival in Japan and the "Yokohama" transit c.d.s. struck over the area where the stamp was originally applied, the stamps have faults and the envelope opened out for display. A rare and exceptional combination of the Customs Mail Matter handstamp and Large Dragons.
Estimate 150,000 - 200,000

Provenance: Richard Canman, Stanley Gibbons (London), 19.10.1972, lot 316
Paul K.S. Chang, Zurich Asia (Hong Kong), 10.5.2001, lot 18.

References: Paul Ke-Shing Chang, History of Postal Cancellation of China, Part I (1989), p. 163.
James B. Whang, A Comprehensive Illustration on Covers of the Large Dragons (Taipei, 1997), pp. 377-378.
Customs Daters (1875-1913), Philatelic Writers' Club (Taiwan, 2008), p. 65.
Jeffrey S. Schneider, "A Survey of Customs Mail Matter Handstamps Used During the Large Dragon Period, 1883-1887", Asian Philatelist, Vol. 2 (R.P.S.L.: Suzhou, 2011), p. 34.

ONE OF ONLY FOUR LARGE DRAGON COVERS RECORDED WITH CUSTOMS MAIL MATTER HANDSTAMPS.

The rate to the U.S. through the Japanese Post Office was reduced to 6 candarins in November 1882, so it is not clear why 9 candarins of Chinese postage was originally affixed.