Lot 317

1912 Wuchang (7 Apr) to Peking. Red band cover, f.w. Coiling Dragon 3c on reverse, tied by Wuchang bilingual cds dated "Minguo 1st year". Transit Hankow (7 Apr). Arrived Peking (11 Apr). Stephen Yen stated that Chinese characters "Min Guo" were inserted into cds used in Hupeh perhaps to emphasize that this "1st Year" is different from Hsuan Tung 1st Year of 1909 or to demonstrate their pro-Republican stance.

1912.4.7 武昌寄北京。紅條封，背貼蟠龍3分，銷武昌府“民國元年”腰框英漢日戳。同日經漢口。4.11抵北京。嚴平西指湖北郵局使用帶有“民國′二字的日戳，目的可能有二，一為與1909年宣統元年有所區別，二是強調擁護共和的立場。