Lot 238

1900 Canton (14 May) to Tientsin. Red band cover, applied with "Inside Canton Old City" handfilled d.s. in red and Canton tombstone cancel on reverse. F.w. Coiling Dragon 1c + 2c + 4c x2 + 5c, in total of double weight registered rate, tied by Canton bisected bilingual cds. and circled RR mark. Arrived Tientsin (23 May). In 1899, Imperial Post set up branch post offices which used non-standard postmark. Lovely.

1900.5.14 廣州寄天津。紅條封，背鈐“廣州老城內郵政局”紅色手填日戳及廣州碑形戳。貼蟠龍1分 + 2分 + 4分x2 + 5分，合雙倍重量外埠掛號郵資，銷廣州半切漢英日戳。5.23抵天津。.9經上海。4.14抵天津。大清郵政於1899年增設分局及內地分局，並使用不規範日戳。掛號更是出色。