1898 Peking (8 Oct) to Li Shengduo, Ambassador to Japan. Red band
cover, f.w. litho Dragon 5c + Coiling Dragon 10c, Peking dollar cds
and R
1898 Peking (8 Oct) to Li Shengduo, Ambassador to Japan. Red band
cover, f.w. litho Dragon 5c + Coiling Dragon 10c, Peking dollar cds
and R mark repsectively. Transit Shanghai (17 Oct). In combination
with Japanese Koban 5s (concessionary letter rate) + 10s
(registration fee), tied by IJPO Shanghai cds. Addressee Li
Shengduo was Chinese ambassador to Japan since Hundred Days'
Reform. Chinese manuscript "The First One" indicated it is the
first letter he received since appointment. It is said that the
sender was Li Hung-chang. Cover opened out for display. To complete
with US Post in China, IJPO reduced to postage from 10s to 5s for
letters to Japan and USA. However, since 1 Oct 1897, only mails to
Japan remained concessionary rate.
1898.10.8 北京寄大清駐日本大使李盛鐸。紅條封，貼日本版蟠龍5分 +
蟠龍1角，分別銷北京大圓戳及R章。10.17經上海。加貼日本小判5錢 （特惠郵資）+
10錢（掛號費），銷上海日局日戳。收件人李盛鐸於百日維新後就任駐日大使，封面寫有“第壹號”表明為上任後收到之首封公函。據說寄件人為李鴻章。封剖開以作展示。
為與美國客郵局爭奪市場，日本客郵局將寄美國及日本之郵資從10錢下降至5錢。但在1897年10月1日後，僅寄日本郵件仍享有此特惠郵資。
