Caterham Valley, U.K. to Shanghai, China with Shanghai Municipal postage due usage 30 January 1896, a small cover addressed to Miss Olive
Caterham Valley, U.K. to Shanghai, China with Shanghai Municipal postage due usage 30 January 1896, a small cover addressed to Miss Olive Ramsay, c/o Local Post, 86 Bubbling Well Road, Shanghai, franked with a block of five Great Britain %d vermilion stamps (totaling 2%d), tied by CATERHAM VALLEY/JA 30/96 duplex cancels with barred numeral F83. Although the 2%d franking correctly satisfied the UPU letter rate to China, the item was not prepaid for local delivery within Shanghai, which fell under the jurisdiction of the Shanghai Municipal Local Post (due to marking as "c/o Local Post"). As a result, a boxed "TO PAY." handstamp was applied, and a "POSTAGE DUE 1 Cent" stamp of the Shanghai Municipality Local Post was affixed and cancelled by "SHANGHAI LOCAL POST/MR4/96" in grey-blue. Reverse bears Hong Kong transit (FE 29/96) and matching Shanghai arrival. A manuscript note on the flap humorously reads: "I had only Ad stamps!!" Postal Significance" Rare and correct usage of Shanghai Local Post postage due stamp on incoming foreign mail, properly tied and justified. Demonstrates the dual postal system in Shanghai before the 1897 launch of the Imperial Chinese Post, where local delivery required separate payment. A charming and well-documented example of partial prepayment, taxed 1 Cent locally.英國 Caterham Valley 寄中國上海,貼用上海工部書信館欠責郵票 1896年1月30日,小型信封寄予上海 Bubbling Well Road 86號 Olive Ramsay 小姐,信封明確註明“c/o Local Post”,蓋銷英國便士橙紅郵票五枚(共2%便士),由CATERHAM VALLEY / JA30/96 雙圈日戳與F83橫條抹銷。雖已貼足萬國郵聯至中國信函資費(2%便士),但未預付上海市區內遞送費用(由上海工部書信館負責)。故抵滬後加蓋灰色方框"TO PAY."欠資戳,並貼用 上海工部書信館 POSTAGE DUE 壹分欠資票,蓋銷 SHANGHAI LOCAL POST/MR4/96藍灰色日戰。封背可見中轉香港/FE29/96戳及上海到達戰,封口處手寫:「I had only d stamps!!」頗具趣味。 少見之上海工部書信館欠資票正確用於外寄來函並有實際資費依據,展現1897年前上海「雙重郵政體系」:國際郵件與本地投遞需分別付費。具文獻性與展示價值的部分資費繳納實例,稀有完整保留
