Lot 989

1908 Kiachta (19 Aug) to Shanghai. Registered red band cover, f.w. Coiling Dragon 2c in block of 8 on reverse, tied by scarce Hellrigl type 1 "Mongolia / Kiachta" lunar year cds, matching with also rare vertical Kiachta registered mark on front. Transit Harbin (17 Aug). Arrived Shanghai (23 Aug). This cover was opened out for display. It is the earliest cover from Kiachta Chinese PO recorded by Hellrigl. Sending from Mongolia to Shanghai via Siberia (instead of Urga-Kalgan-Peking) is also peculiar. Illustration fig. 66, p. 120 in "The Postal History of Mongolia 1841-1941" by W C Hellrigl.

1908.8.19 恰克圖寄上海。掛號紅條封，背貼蟠龍2分八方連，銷少見之Hellrigl 1型“蒙古 / 恰克圖”腰框干支日戳，正面另鈐同樣珍貴之“由蒙古恰克圖挂號′直戳。8.17經哈爾濱。8.23抵上海。此封被剖開以作展示。此為Hellrigl記錄中恰克圖中國郵局寄出之最早郵例，由蒙古經西伯利亞寄中國（而非經庫倫-張家口-北京郵路）同樣奇特。Hellrigl著《The Postal History of Mongolia 1841-1941》第120頁圖66原件。