2 April 1896, a Ceylon 5 cents QV postal stationery envelope, uprated with 2c green and 6c orange adhesives, all cancelled by barred
2 April 1896, a Ceylon 5 cents QV postal stationery envelope, uprated with 2c green and 6c orange adhesives, all cancelled by barred obliterators with COLOMBO/AP 2/96 c.d.s. Addressed to C.S. Tanank Esq., Imperial Maritime Customs, Shanghai, an officer in the Qing-era Inspectorate General under Sir Robert Hart. Reverse bears full transit and arrival markings:MARINE SORTER/INDEX B/SINGAPORE TO HONG KONG c.d.s. (sea-mail sorting mark)CUSTOMS SHANGHAI / APR 22 96 arrival c.d.s.-I.G. OF CUSTOMS/PEKING / APL 28 96 in blue.A rare commercial postal link from Ceylon to Qing China, showing official mail processed through marine sorter RMS route, with dual customs backstamps-Shanghai and Peking. Scarce and historically significant usage of Ceylon stationery on China-bound official mail.錫蘭5分郵政信封寄清代中國海關-1896年經海上分揀船寄上海。2.4.1896 難得一見之郵品,使用錫蘭維多利亞女王像5分郵政信封,加貼2分綠色及6分橙色郵票補足郵資,全部蓋銷COLOMBO/AP2/96 圓戳與條紋抹銷戳。信件寄往中國上海海關,C. S. Tanank 閣下,其時為清朝海關總稅務司署官員,屬赫德爵士主理之海關體系。背面銷有完整過站與到達郵戳:- 新加坡至香港/MARINE SORTER INDEX B 海運郵袋分揀戳- 上海海關/ CUSTOMS SHANGHAI / APR 2296 到達戳- 總稅務司署/I.G. OF CUSTOMS/PEKING/APL 2896 藍色戳記此件為錫蘭至清代中國海關官信郵件之罕見例證,展現經 RMS 海運郵袋分揀路線及同時蓋有上海與北京兩地海關戳記之官方郵件,具歷史與郵政研究價值。
