China. (Russian Post Office in China). 1910. Envelope written from 'Hopital Saint Michel/ Peking' addressed to France bearing Russian China SG 1, 1k orange and SG 3, 3k carmine (strip of three) tied by Peking/ be date stamp 9Tchil Fig 470) with Lyon arrival on reverse. Very fine.

China. (Russian Post Office in China). 1907. Picture post card of 'Frohes Fest and Drosit Neujahr, Chefoo' (Happy Holidays) addressed to Germany bearing Russian China SG 9, 4k red tied by Russian Post Office 'Chifu' double ring (Tchil Fig 506). Difficult cancel from the Russian Post Office in Chefoo.
Vertical crease in card away from stamp.

China. (Russian Post Office in China). 1911. Picture post card of 'Chinese Coal Fields' written from the 'Hospital Saint Michel/ Peking' with hand-stamp on face, addressed to France bearing Russian China SG 26, 4k rose-red tied by Peking/ be date stamp (Tchil 470). Very fine.

French Colonies. (India). 1906. French Settlement in India postal stationery envelope 15c blue cancelled by Chandernagor/ Inde double ring '18th Mai 06' addressed to Paris with arrival '3/5' on reverse. Very fine.

The French Establishment in India 1664 during the reign of Louis X1V the Compagnie des Indes Oriental was formed for the purpose of obtaining holdings on the Subcontinent of India. Between 1666 and 1721 French settlements were established at Surat, Arcot, Mahe, Karikal, Pondichery, Masulipatam, Chandernagor, Balasor, Yananon and Calicut.

Chandernagor was established as a French Colony in 1673 and became a permanent French settlement in 1688, two thousand brick houses were erected and a large volume of maritime trade began. For a while this small settlement only 4 Square miles became the main center of European trade in Bengal. Chandernagor was ruled by the French unlike the rest of India which for 200 years had been a British colony.

China. (French Expeditionary Force). 1886. Envelope written from the French Expeditionary Force in Obock endorsed 'Obock 8th Juillet 1886' addressed to France bearing 'Peace & Commerce' Yvert 90, 15c blue tied by 'Cor. D. Arm Lig. N Paq. Fr. No 4' double ring dated '2nd Juil 86' (Salles 1952) with second strike adjacent and Manche receiver on reverse '
Scarce origin from Obock written by the French Expeditionary Force on route to China via Suez, Aden, Djibouti and Obock, Letter mentions departing from Zeylar (Ethiopia).

China. (German China - Boxer Campaign). 1901. Stamp-less picture post card of 'Brucke von Peking' cancelled by 'K.D. Feld-Poststatiion/ No 2' date stamp '26/7' with framed 'S.B./ Ostas. Exped/ 11 Bat 2 Inf.-Recmts' on face and Colmar arrival '10/9'. Very fine.

China. (German China). 1908. Stamp-less envelope headed 'Kommando S.M.S., Vorwarts/ B. No (209) in violet, addressed to Tsingtau cancelled by Itschang/ Deutsche Post (Chine) date stamp '14th Feb 08' with circular 'Kaiserliches Kommando / Briefstemplel/ S.M.S. Vorwaerts' on reverse and Tsingtau/ Kiautschou receiver '25/2'.
Very fine item of military mail from the German Gunboat "S.M.S. Vorwaerts" based in Tsingtau and patrolling the Yangtze river.
Scarce Itschang cancel.

China. (French Indo-China - Algeria). 1904. Unstamped Picture post card of 'Le Rond Point du Pont d' Oran' addressed to Saigon bearing France 'Type Blanc' Yvert 110, 5c green tied by Sidi-Bel-Abbes double ring '29th Dec 04' with 'T' hand-stamp and bearing French General Colonies postage due Yvert 28, 5c blue (pair) applied and tied by Saigon Central/ Cochinchine receiver '2nd Feb 05'. Lovely item of postage due mail from North Africa into French Indo-China.

China. (French China). 1907. Picture post card of 'Yoke Buffalos, Hong Kong', addressed to France bearing French China SG 32, 5c green tied by 'Modana a Paris' date stamp ambulant '5th May 07. Very fine.

China. (Picture Post Card). Circa 1910. Picture post card of 'La Procession du Genie, Hanoi' addressed to France with circular 'Hopital de Haiphong, Tonkin/ Le Medicin Chef' in blue on face.

very fine card showing the Procession of Genie (Inventors/ Genius).

China. (French Indo-China). 1905. Picture post card of 'La Gare, Haiphong' addressed to France bearing Indo-China SG 33, 5c green tied by Phu-Lang-Thuong a Hanoi ambulant date stamp routed via Hanoi. Scarce.

Hong Kong.(French Occupation of China). 1916. Stamp-less Picture post card of 'Alexandra Buildings, Hong Kong' written from Hanoi addressed to '16th Regiment Infantry, 1st Company, Arsenal d' Est, Tonkin, China' cancelled by Hanoi/ Tonkin date stamp '2/3', routed via the French Post Office Shanghai '17/3' and Tien-Tsin-Chine Poste Francaise arrival 'March 20 16' on face. Lovely item.

China. (French China). 1914. Picture post card of 'Chartered Bank and Palace Hotel, Shanghai' addressed to France bearing French China SG 84, 2c on 5c green tied by Shang-Hai/ Chine date stamp '3rd Avril 14'. Very fine item.
Lovely card published by "Kuhn & Komor, Art Palace Hotel Building, Shanghai.'

China. (French China). 1915. Envelope addressed to France bearing French China SG 77, 4c on 10c red tied by Chefou-Chine Poste Francaise double ring '17th Aout 15.' Very fine.

China. (French Troops in China). 1905. Envelope headed 'Corps Expeditionnaire du Chine' addressed to France bearing French China 'Type Blanc' SG 37, 5 c green (strip of three) tied by 'Tientsin Poste Francaise' date stamp '19th Juil 05' with hand-stamp 'Corres d' Armees' and circular '16th Regt. D' Infantery de Marine' with (anchor in center), hand-stamped with bold 'Voie Siberie' on face and Pay-de-Dome arrival on reverse '20th Aout'. Very fine item with wonderful four page text mentioning the various Foreign Troops fighting in the Boxer Campaign including Dutch (most unusual), Belgian and Austrians.

China. (French Occupation of China). 1911. Envelope endorsed 'Corps d' Occupation de Chine' addressed to France bearing French Chine SG 77, 4c on 10c carmine tied by 'Tien-Tsin-Chine Poste Francaise double ring '9th Oct 11' with oval '16th Regt. d' Infia. Colola/ Detet de Tien-Tsin/ Le Vaguemestre' on face and Finistere arrival on reverse '23/10'. Scarce military cachet from Tien-Tsin illustrated in Desrousseaux.

China. (French China). 1906. Envelope made from 'Balsa wood' addressed to France bearing French China SG 38, 10c carmine tied by Chefou-Chine Poste Francaise double ring '16th June 06' with French Post Office Shanghai transit '19th July' on reverse and Loire arrival '25th Aout'. Superb.
Not many Balsa Paper envelopes from Hong Kong or China have survived due to the delicate nature of the paper.

Great Britain. (United States). 1853. Pre-stamp envelope addressed to New York from 'Sylvester Samuel, American Clock Importer/ Watch Manufacturer, Liverpool' cancelled by Liverpool double arc in green 'No 11 1853'' hand-struck '38/ Cents' accountancy applied and charged with '48' hand-stamp on face applied on arrival in New York. Very attractive item of Trans-Atlantic mail.

Great Britain. (Jubilee - Certificate of Posting). 1900. 'Certificate of Posting of a Registered Postal Packet' addressed to Florence, Italy bearing 'Jubilee' SG 207a, 5d blue and lilac tied by Ide/ Exeter rubber date stamp in violet '1st Dec 00'. Lovely item from this small Devon village.

Ireland. (France). 1789. Pre-stamp folded letter written from 'Tullamore' town land dated 'Aug 20 1789' addressed to 'Mi - Lord le Comte de Kerry a l' Hotel M. de Caze, Rue de Champs Elysees, Paris' cancelled by hand-struck 'Listowel' with circular 'AU/ 28/ 89' on reverse with Dublin 'Post Paid' and endorsed 'P.P. 10d/ Irish 2d/ British 6 - 10' in red ink m/s and rated '20' on arrival.


Nice item (with two page text) to Lord Kerry (Marquess of Lansdowne) in Paris during the year of the start of the French Revolution. Lord Lansdowne was committed to the constitutional reform in France and spent the outset of the Revolution in Paris.

Great Britain. (France - Scotland). 1846. Envelope written from Edinburgh addressed to Bordeaux bearing Great Britain SG 8, 1d brown (imperf four margins) tied by '131' obliteration with circular 'Sep 8' in red on reverse, routed via London with French entry cachet in red and Paris transit in blue '12th Sept', charged '25' in m/s on face with Bordeaux arrival '13th Sept'.
Scarce early stamped mail from Scotland to France bearing the one penny brown imperf.

Great Britain. (France). 1880. Envelope written from 'Puy-L' Eveque, Lot, France' on 'The Alabama Great Southern Railway Company' letter head addressed to 'The Secretary, Alabama Great Southern Railway Company, London' cancelled by Puy-L'Eveque/ Lot double ring '26th Mai 80' and bearing Great Britain SG 48, 1/2d rose (un-cancelled) with triangular 'T' hand-stamp and hand-struck '1d' on face with 'FB' receiver 'May 28' and endorsed '2d To Pay' in m/s on reverse . Interesting item.

Laos. (French Indo-China). 1900. Mourning envelope addressed to Paris, France bearing French Indo-China SG 11, 15c blue tied by Ban - Nam - Bac/ Laos double ring '14th Mars 00', routed via Dien - Bien - Phu '7th Avril' and Van - Bu/ Tonkin '12th Avril' and Hanoi/ Tonkin '20th Avril' on reverse.

Very little mail is known from this small Northern village according to Desrousseaux opened in 1895 and closed in 1900 as the mail was transferred to the larger village of Muong - Ngoi (population 700). Mail for France was sent north east via Dien-Bien-Phu which in 1896 had been part of Northern Laos and Van-Bu near Sonla.
Wonderful item of Laos mail.

United States, (Netherlands East Indies). 1904. United States postal stationery card 'two cents' grey cancelled by San Francisco date stamp 'Dec 27 04' addressed to Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, endorsed 'via Japan & Singapore' with Tokyo transit '17/1' with Singapore and 'N.I. Postagent Singapore' on face and squared circle 'N.I. Postagent Penang' on reverse '7/2' with Medan squared circle arrival '10th Feb 05' on face. Lovely looking item. Very fine.

Netherlands East Indies. (Advertising Meter Mail). 1938. Envelope headed 'N.V. De Bataafsche Petroleum MIJ/ Pladjoe (Sumatra)' addressed to Soerabaia cancelled 'Ned Inde/ 10 Ct/ B.P.M. Pladjoe' with Pladjoe date stamp '17.6.38' advertising meter mail cachet in red with arrival on reverse '20th June'.

Scarce Oil and Gas meter cancel. from Pladjoe.

Netherlands East Indies. (Advertising Meter Mail). 1933. Envelope written from Batavia addressed to Jogjakarta cancelled 'Ned Indie/ 02 Ct/ Genuine Eau de Cologne' with Batavia '25.4.33' meter date stamp.

Scarce advertising meter cachet for Eau de Cologne (Perfume) paying the unopened Printed Matter rate.

Netherlands East Indies. (Meter Mail). 1933. Meter mail envelope from Bandoeng addressed to Blitar cancelled 'Ned Indie/ 02 Ct/ Swan' with Bandoeng date stamp '31.7.33' meter cachet in red.

Scarce 'SWAN MATCHES' advertising meter cancel paying the unopened Printed Matter rate.

Gibraltar. (Great Britain), 1953. Registered Air Mail envelope addressed to England bearing SG 125, 3d pale blue and SG 126, 6d carmine and violet tied by 'Registered/ Gibraltar/ 3' date stamp with matching registration label and bearing Great Britain postage dues SG D34, 2/6d purple/ yellow, SG D36, 1d blue and SG D39, 1s ochre (3) tied by Birmingham receiver with 'Customs and Currency/ Examination' label with 'British Custom Charge' label and framed accountancy 'D. 3/- / P.T. 2/1' in carmine on reverse. Nice combination and high value postage due charge 5/7.

Proud notes the Registered Gibraltar /3 as being ordered 7.3.50 and received 19.4.50 and held in reserve and not put into counter service until 4.9.64.

Gibraltar. (Great Britain). 1953. Registered Air Mail envelope addressed to England bearing SG 125, 3d pale blue and SG 126, 6d carmine and violet tied by 'Registered Gibraltar/ 3' date stamp with matching registered label and bearing Great Britain postage due SG D29, 2d agate, SG D32, 5d brown and SG D39, 1s ochre (5) tied by Birmingham receiver with 'Customs and Currency/ Examination' label and 'British Customs/ Charge' label and framed accountancy 'D. 3/- / P.T. 2/1' in red on reverse. Nice combination and high franking postage dues charged '5/7'.

Proud notes the Registered/ 3 date stamp as ordered 7.3.50, received 19.4.50 but not used on counter until 4.9.64.

South Africa. (Great Britain). 1950. Air Mail envelope addressed to London bearing SG 117a, 3d blue and SG 119, 6d green and orange tied by Johannesburg double ring, underpaid with framed 'Over 1/2 OZ/ BO 1/2 ONS' and circular 'T/ X' with '1.6d' in m/s bearing Great Britain postage dues SG D30, 3d violet and SG D33, 1s blue applied and tied by London receiver with hand-struck 'S. D./ 1/ 6/ W.C.' applied on face. Lovely item of postage due mail.

United States. (Postal Stationery). Circa 1890. United States postal stationery envelopes 'Grant' 4c brown, 'Washington' 4c green, 'Washington' 4c brown and 'Washington' 10c brown all fine unused (4 items).

Persia. (Netherlands East Indies - India). 1891. Netherlands East Indies postal stationery card 7 1/2c bistre cancelled by Sourabaya date stamp '30th Nov 91' addressed to Tauris, Persia, routed via Singapore 'Dec 7th' with Madras and Bombay ''Dec 19', circular 'Sea Post Office and small Aden thimble 'Dec 24' all on face with framed instructional 'Missent In/ Indian Mail' with Boucher and Tauris receiver on reverse and face '7th May'. Superb incoming item of Missent mail with great transits from the Netherlands Indies.
Exhibition item.

Great Britain. (Senegal - India). 1893. Great Britain postal stationery 'half penny' brown wrapper with oval firms chop 'Auguste Cros & Co/ Liverpool' in blue on reverse, cancelled by Liverpool double ring 'June 23 95' addressed to Dakar, Senegal with franked instructional 'Missent In/ Indian Mail' on face. Very fine.

Persia. (Russian Post Office in Tabriz). 1916. Registered envelope written from Tauris (Persia) addressed to Switzerland bearing Russia Yvert 62, 2k green (2), 'Romanov' Yvert 77, 1k brown-orange (pair) and Yvert 80, 7k brown (pair) tied by Tavriz Ross. Konsulatvo double ring ring '21st Sept' (Tchil Fig 303) with Tabriz registration label and Russian censor tape tied by framed censor cachet in violet with Censor 'No 487' on reverse and Lausanne arrival on reverse '10th Nov 16'. A very beautiful item of registered mail from the Russian Post in Tabriz. Exhibition item.

Persia. (India). 1943. Registered Air Mail envelope addressed to India bearing Persia 50d blue, 1r carmine, 3r turquoise (pair) and 20r brown and blue (pair) tied by Teheran date stamp 'July 43' with framed hand-struck 'R/ Teheran' and Persian censor tape tied by circular 'Anglo-Soviet-Persian' censor on reverse and Russian Section censor on face, routed via Bagdad '16th Sept' with Bombay 'Opened by Censor' label tied by boxed 'Crown/ Passed/ DHC/ 21' with framed censor 'Received Damaged/ Censor/ STN (T) Bombay' struck twice in violet ink.

This rare Indian censor is not recorded by Morenweiser. See British Asia, India page 29.

French Colonies. (Tahiti - Oceania). 1930. Registered envelope addressed to Switzerland bearing Oceania Yvert 31, 40c black and green, Yvert 35, 1f rose and black (3) and Yvert 49, 10c carmine on azure tied by Afareaitu/ Ile Moorea date stamp '11th July' with matching registration label and Zurich receiver '15/8'. Lovely item of registered mail from Ile Moorea.

French Colonies. (Tahiti - Oceania). 1943. Air Mail envelope addressed to 'B.P. 86, Noumea, New Caledonia' bearing French Oceania Yvert 166, 5f yellow tied by Papeete date stamp '23rd Aout 43' with circular 'Controle Postal/ Etablisements Francais/ De L'Oceanie' on face and 'Controle Postal Militaire' censor label with oval 'Ouvert/ Par/ L' Autorite Militaire' cachet on reverse, routed via Sydney with 'Opened by Censor/ 2' label tied by framed '2/ Passed by Censor/ 1187' cachet in violet and hand-stamped '5' on reverse (Supervisors checking) and New Caledonia censor 'Censure/ Nouvelles Caledonie/ 9' applied on arrival with m/s Returned without editing address) with Papeete receiver '19th Nov 43' on face. Very fine.

Fine item from one French Pacific Island Oceania via Australia to New Caledonia.

The book store and library of 'R. Klima' is still an important feature of Papeete town.

Ex Tony Eastgate.

French Colonies. (New Caledonia). 1940. Air Mail envelope addressed to Australia bearing New Caledonia Yvert 184, 1f red/ carmine (pair) and Air Mail Yvert 35, 4f50 + 4f grey tied by Noumea/ Nelle Caledonie double ring '18th Juil 40' with '1st Courrier Pan - American Airways/ Noumea - Nlle Caledonia' airways cachet in violet on face and 'Poste Aerienne/ 1 ere Traversee/ Par Pan American Clipper/ Nouvelle-Caledonie et Nouvelle-Zelande', with Sydney, Australia 'Opened by Censor' label (red on white) tied by 'Passed By Censor/ S. 86' hand-stamp in violet.

Very attractive cover with scarce Air Mail stamp on cover.

French Colonies. (Djibouti). 1899. Registered envelope addressed to France bearing Yvert 22, 0.40 on 4c brown and blue tied by Cote Francaise des Somalis/ Djibouti' double ring in blue '1st Aout 99' with boxed hand-struck 'R' in blue, sent by French paquebot with octagonal 'La Reunion a Marseille L.U. No 10' date stamp '2nd Aout' on face with Vendee arrival on reverse '14th Aout'. Very fine.

French Levant. (United States). 1921. Picture post card of 'Greek church in Constantinople' addressed to France bearing French 'Sower' Yvert 138, 10c red tied by 'Tresor et Postes/ 502' date stamp with military cachet 'Societe Des Foyers de L' Union Franco - Americaine/ Direction Des Foyers de Constantinople' double ring cachet in violet.

A rare item from the Treaty between the Allies French and United States during the Turkish War of Independence.

French Colonies. (Algeria - French Camerouns - Postage Due). 1943. Air Mail envelope addressed to the 'French Mission, Douala, Camerouns' bearing Algeria Yvert 124, 5f indigo tied by Rovigo/ Alger date stamp '14/6', routed via Brazzaville/ Moyen Congo '3rd July' with circular 'Controle Postal/ Commission A/ Afrique Equatoriale Francaise' censor in violet on face, underpaid with 'T' hand-stamp and m/s '13fr' and bearing French Cameroun postage dues Yvert 13, 3f brown and blue (reverse), Yvert 21, 1f violet and Yvert 23, 3f blue (3) tied by Douala/ Cameroun date stamp '8th Juil 43' with adjacent 'Controle Postal/ Commission A/ Territoire du Cameroun' censor cachet on face.
Lovely item of mail into the French Cameroun from Algeria with tax stamps. Very rare Cameroun postage dues on cover.

Italian Occupation of Tripolitania. (French Tunis). 1912. Envelope written from the '35th Infantry, 1st Company, Misrata, Libya' addressed to Tunisia, North Africa bearing Italy Yvert 77, 10c rose (pair) tied by 'Poste Militaire/ Bu Sceifa' date stamp '9th Oct 1912' (Tchil Fig 157), underpaid bearing Tunisia postage due Yvert 29, 10c brown applied and tied by Tunis date stamp '22nd Oct 12' on face.
The Italians did not occupy the town of Misrata until June 1912. Sidi Bu Sceifa is an oasis and camp for the Italian Troops. Scarce item.

United States. (Forwarding Agents). 1836. Pre stamp envelope written from New York dated '30th March 1836' addressed to Steyr, Austria with oval 'Forwarded Through/ Hudson's/ News Room/ Foreign Ship/ Letter Office/ New York' in black on reverse, endorsed 'per Prairie' via Le Havre' with Bureau Maritime (Havre) circular '27th Avril' and framed 'Pays D' Outremer/Par Le Havre' French entry cachet with hand-struck 'C.T.F.' in red (Colonies Transit Francais), rated '136/ 14' and endorsed '50' in m/s with endorsement 'Received 8th July. Lovey item of Trans-Atlantic mail.

Italy. 1768. Pre stamp envelope written from 'Novellava' dated '18th Feb 1768' addressed to Belluno cancelled by Postadi Reggio (with bird motive in center), routed via Venezia, rated '5' in m/s and hand-struck '5' in carmine on face. Very scarce.

China. (Military Air Service). 1940. Air Mail envelope from China to Japan bearing Japan SG 327, 30s turquoise tied by vernacular date stamp '19th Nov 1940' with boxed censor cachet in orange. Lovely item of military mail sent by "Di Nippon Airways" with three page letter.

Ex Ted Proud.

China. (United States Post Offices in China). 1918. Registered envelope addressed to the Netherlands bearing United States SG 407, 2c carmine (2) and SG 442, 11c myrtle green tied by oval 'U.S. Postal Agency/ Shanghai China/ RD' with framed 'Registered/ No' on face in violet and circular 'Shanghai, China (U.S. Postal Agency) Registered' date stamp 'Jan 30 1918' in violet with 'Opened by Censor' label, routed via Hong Kong with framed 'PBC' in violet on face (Passed By Censor), forwarded via the United States with New York '27/2' and British ''Opened by Censor/454' label with Amsterdam arrival '10th May 18' on reverse.

Scarce item of Registered mail from the United States Post Office in Shanghai.

China. (Hong Kong). 1901. Registered envelope addressed to Germany bearing Chinese Imperial Post SG 113, 10c green (2) tied by Hankow date stamp '20th Avril' with hand-struck 'R', routed via the Imperial and British Post Office Shanghai bearing Hong Kong SG 48, 20c on 30c yellow-green tied by Shanghai cds 'April 26' with Berlin arrival '30th May 01' on reverse. Very neat little combination "Lady's" envelope.

China. (French China). 1901. Picture post card of 'Chinese Military Band' addressed to Austria bearing Chinese Imperial Post SG 111, 4c chestnut tied by Tangku date stamp '9th April', routed via the Imperial and French Post Offices Shanghai bearing French China SG 2, 5c yellow-green (pair) tied by Shang-Hai-Chine double ring '17/4' with Wien receiver '21st May' and forwarded to Unterbach with arrival on face.
Very attractive combination.

China. (Yunnan - Fou). 1904. Imperial Chinese Post postal stationery card 1c rose (with hand-drawn illustration on reverse) bearing Yunnansen SG 5, 10c rose tied by Mongtze B/ Chine double ring '8th Aout 04' addressed to France.
The French established the railway into Yunnan. The city of Yunnan was closed to foreigners and the postmark 'Mongtze B' was used between 1902-04 as the cancel for Yunnan.

Ex Desrousseaux.

Portuguese Colonies. (Angola). 1944. Envelope addressed to Hamburg bearing Angola SG 396, 1a75 blue tied by Angola date stamp '28th Sept 44,' routed via South Africa with bilingual 'Opened by Censor' label tied by censor cachet, Lisbon transit '14th Jun 45' and framed instructional applied 'Devolvido ao Rementente/ Servico Interrompido' on face and returned to Angola 'Feb 28 46.'

Portugal and its Colonies being neutral throughout the war were free to communicate with Germany subject to Allied censorship. But by late 1944 Western Europe was a war zone and no mail routes were available (Marseille was liberated 28th August 1944). Consequently any mail arriving in Lisbon was therefore returned.

Ex Richard Harlow.