Lot 1338

1903 Mengtsz (27 Mar) to Tsingtau, f.w. Coiling Dragon 4c, tied by Mengtsz bisected bilingual cds. Transit Yunnanfu, Suanwei (13 Apr), Chaotung, Chungking, Shanghai (15 May). Given the mountainous geography of Yunnan, most mails to/from Yunnan were delivered via French Indochina. This example, however, took domestic route. Only a few similar examples were recorded. Probably a trial delivery of the domestic Yangtze River route.

1903.3.27 蒙自寄青島，貼蟠龍4分，銷蒙自半切漢英日戳。經雲南府，4.13經宣威，隨後經昭通、重慶，5.13經上海。由於雲南地勢崎嶇，絕大部分往來雲南郵件都須繞道印支。然而此例北上走國內郵路。類似例子已知僅有數件。可能為測試新開通的北上四川經長江寄遞的郵路。