1844 (29 Aug) Chusan, China to Ceylon via Hong Kong • This is
believed to be the earliest civil mail from Chusan Island, China
for
1844 (29 Aug) Chusan, China to Ceylon via Hong Kong • This is
believed to be the earliest civil mail from Chusan Island, China
for overseas mail through Hong Kong post office system. • This mail
is also the earliest in use of red colour large crown PAID AT
HONG-KONG (first type) together with a very fine type-7 dispatch
backstamp HONG-KONG double arc c.d.s. in black dated (SE 23 /
1844). • This was probably the earliest inter-port rate used in
China to Hong Kong. This Chusan mail carried an inter-port rate of
“4” manuscript rate, which stands for 4d charged from Chusan to
Hong Kong. Chusan was officially returned from British
administration to China in 1842 but some British connection has
been maintained since then. Another early Chusan mail sent overseas
is referred to Spink Sale January 2022, lot 105 which was dated 25
Dec 1844, four month later than this letter. But that entire letter
had only the dispatch backstamp type-7 HK double arc c.d.s. without
the use of the rare large crown PAID AT HONG-KONG.
1844年8月29日中國舟山經香港寄出錫蘭 • 此件被認為是舟山最早經由香港民用郵政系統寄往海外之郵件 •
本件同時為最早使用紅色大型皇冠圖「PAID AT HONG-KONG」首型戳（配合極清晰之7型黑色雙弧線香港中轉戳「HONG-KONG
/ SE 23 / 1844」）之實例 •
此郵資可能為中國境內寄往香港最早採用之埠際郵費。該舟山郵件手寫註明「4」字郵資，代表舟山至香港段收取4便士資費。舟山雖於1842年自英國管治正式歸還中國，然此後仍維持若干英國聯繫
另一件較早舟山海外郵件可參見Spink
2022年1月拍賣第105號拍品（1844年12月25日寄出，較本件遲四個月），然該件僅帶7型香港雙弧線中轉戳，未加蓋此珍罕之大型皇冠「PAID
AT HONG-KONG」戳記。
