Ava Auctions 16th Auction - Summer 2026 sale

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China Customs Mail

Lot 55

1,500 HKD

Live

Large Dragon thick paper clean perf 3ca tied by Customs Ningpo cds.

厚紙光齒大龍3分銀，銷寧波海關英文日戳。

Lot 57

1,000 HKD

Live

1870. Peking to Calcutta. Cover addressed to “Osc. Trefftz Esqr., care of Messrss Schoene, Kilburn & Col, Calcutta.” Original

1870. Peking to Calcutta. Cover addressed to “Osc. Trefftz Esqr., care of Messrss Schoene, Kilburn & Col, Calcutta.” Original letter within in German datelined “Peking den 20th Februar 1870,” written by C. Bismarck, translator of the Prussian Legation in Peking. Customs Post were first introduced in 1866 to handle legation mail. Early mail before postal markings was introduced by Customs Post is scarce.1870. 北京普鲁士使馆寄往印度加尔各答信件，带德文原信，在冬季水路冰封期间的2月20日寄出，使馆对外通信平时能自理，冬季邮路需依赖官府、催生了海关邮政，海关启用邮政戳记之前的使馆信件，十分珍罕。

Lot 59

8,500 HKD

Live

1889 Canton (11 Jan) to Customs Chaochow. Red band cover, applied with Customs Canton type A cds. On reverse f.w. Hong Kong QV 5c, tied by

1889 Canton (11 Jan) to Customs Chaochow. Red band cover, applied with Customs Canton type A cds. On reverse f.w. Hong Kong QV 5c, tied by B62 obliterator, alongside with Hong Kong (12 Jan) cds. Arrived Swatow. Red band top damaged but the postmark still clear. Illustration fig 3-6, p. 22 in “Customs Dater (1875-1913)”1889.1.11 廣州寄潮州海關。紅條封，鈐廣州海關A型日戳。背貼香港維多利亞女皇像5仙，銷B62殺手戳，旁鈐香港1.12日戳。抵汕頭。紅條上方受損但不影響郵戳。《海關郵戳（1875-1913）》第22頁圖3-6原件。

Lot 63

3,500 HKD

Live

1895 Tientsin (21 Jan) to France, applied with scarce "TIENTSIN CUSTOMS MAIL MATTER" oval marking on front, matching with Customs Tientsin

1895 Tientsin (21 Jan) to France, applied with scarce "TIENTSIN CUSTOMS MAIL MATTER" oval marking on front, matching with Customs Tientsin origin cds on reverse. Transit Customs Shanghai (4 Feb). In combination with Peace and Commerce issue ovpt. Chine 25c, tied by Shanghai French PO (8 Feb) cds.1895.1.21 天津寄法國，正鈐少見之TIENTSIN CUSTOMS / MAIL MATTER”橢圓形公文戳，背鈐天津海關始發日戳。2.4經上海海關。加貼和平及商貿神像加蓋25生丁，銷上海法局2.8日戳。

Lot 86

7,000 HKD

Live

1895 Customs Wuhu (15 Aug) to USA, f.w. Empress Dowager 3ca in vertical pair on reverse, tied by Customs Wuhu cds. Transit Customs Shanghai

1895 Customs Wuhu (15 Aug) to USA, f.w. Empress Dowager 3ca in vertical pair on reverse, tied by Customs Wuhu cds. Transit Customs Shanghai (17 Aug). In combination with Peace and Commerce issue ovpt. Chine 25c, tied by Shanghai French PO (17 Aug) cds. Transit Yokohama (22 Aug), Victoria (3 Sep). Arrived USA (6 Sep).1895.8.15 蕪湖寄美國，背貼慈壽3分銀直雙連，銷蕪湖海關日戳。8.17經上海海關。加貼和平及商貿神像加蓋Chine 25生丁，銷上海法局10.17日戳。8.22經橫濱，9.3經維多利亞。9.6抵加拿大。

Lot 101

70,000 HKD

Live

1897 Jenchuan (14 Dec) to Shanghai. E Meyer cover, f.w. Small Dragon 5ca on reverse, tied by scarce Customs Jenchuan type D2 cds Transit

1897 Jenchuan (14 Dec) to Shanghai. E Meyer cover, f.w. Small Dragon 5ca on reverse, tied by scarce Customs Jenchuan type D2 cds Transit Chefoo with Dollar chop (16/17 Dec). Arrived Shanghai Local Post (19 Dec). Only 3 covers used in Korea are known with single franking of 5ca. Meyer & Co. was established 1866 in Hong Kong by Hamburg merchants Hermann Constantin Eduaro Meyer (1841-1926) and his brother H. D. Johannes Meyer. In 1873 they opened a branch in Tientsin under Meyers business partner, Carl Andreas Wolter (1858-1916). More branchers followed at Hamburg (1877), London (1883), Shanghai, Hankow, Antung, Tsinan and Tsingtao, also in Korea where Wolter became manager in charge: Chemulpo (1884), Pusan (1886) etc. The Chinese name of the company was “Shi Chang Yang Hong”. E. Meyer was honorary Korean Consul in Hamburg, Germany 1886-1906. The Meyer company exists in Hamburg until today. 1897.12.14 仁川寄上海。世昌洋行封，背貼小龍5分銀，銷稀罕少見之仁川海關D2型日戳。12.16/17經煙台，鈐大圓戳。12.19經上海工部信局。朝鮮封單貼小龍5分銀票者僅見三件。世昌洋行創立於1866年，由漢堡商人Eduaro Meyer及其兄弟H. D. Johannes Meyer於香港成立。E. Meyer在1886至1906年間曾任韓國駐德國漢堡榮譽領事。世昌洋行至今仍在漢堡營業。

China Customs Mail

China Customs Mail Cancellations and seals

Lot 106

2,000 HKD

Live

A group of about 30 classic Chinese mint and used stamps, including Large Dragon, Small Dragon used complete sets, Empress Dowager odd

A group of about 30 classic Chinese mint and used stamps, including Large Dragon, Small Dragon used complete sets, Empress Dowager odd values etc. Please view.一組約30枚中國古典郵票，包括大小龍舊全、慈壽散票等，請預覽。

Lot 107

1,000 HKD

Live

A group of 15 Imperial classic mint and used stamps, including Small Dragon, Coiling Dragon, Empress Dowager odd values, Red Revenue surch

A group of 15 Imperial classic mint and used stamps, including Small Dragon, Coiling Dragon, Empress Dowager odd values, Red Revenue surch 1c and Hsuan Tung complete set.一組15枚清朝古典新舊票，包括小龍、蟠龍、慈壽、紅印花加蓋大字1分及宣統新全等。

China Customs Mail Cancellations and seals

China Province Yunnan

China Customs Mail Cancellations and seals

Lot 837

3,000 HKD

Live

1905 a pair of Russian military postcards posted at Chinese Eastern Railway TPO No. 262, applied with unit seal in blue, line 262 T&S

1905 a pair of Russian military postcards posted at Chinese Eastern Railway TPO No. 262, applied with unit seal in blue, line 262 T&S type 2 oval d.s. and arrival cds. T&S stated that cancellations of line 262 are great rarity during the early 1900s and remains scarce until 1920s. With Kenneth G Clark's exhibit page.1905年一對於中東鐵路262線投遞之俄軍明信片，均鈐藍色單位圓戳、262線T&S 2型橢圓日戳及到達戳。T&S指所有出自1900年代的262線存世例子都為一大珍品，而在1920年代前都甚為珍貴。附Kenneth G Clark原展頁。

China Province Yunnan

China French PO

China Province Yunnan

Lot 2158

15,000 HKD

Live

1893 Mengtzu (9 Dec) to England, applied with scarce Customs Mengtzu cds on reverse F.w. France 25c on front, tied by Laokay (10 Dec) cds.

1893 Mengtzu (9 Dec) to England, applied with scarce Customs Mengtzu cds on reverse F.w. France 25c on front, tied by Laokay (10 Dec) cds. Transit Yen Bai (23 Dec), Hanoi (25 Dec), Haiphong (26 Dec), Hong Kong (31 Dec). Arrived England (5 Feb). Customs Post was only available for internal mails so no Chinese franking was required. 1893.12.9 蒙自寄英國，背鈐少見之蒙自海關日戳。正貼法屬印支票25生丁，銷老街12.10日戳。12.23經安沛，12.25經河內，12.26經海防，12.31經香港。2.5抵英國。當時海關郵政僅供內部職員使用，故毋需貼中國票。

China French PO

Lot 2160

280,000 HKD

Live

1898 Szemao (15 Mar) to C.E.Tanant, Customs Wuhu via French Indochina, applied with Customs Szemao origin cds. Transit Customs Mengtzu (25

1898 Szemao (15 Mar) to C.E.Tanant, Customs Wuhu via French Indochina, applied with Customs Szemao origin cds. Transit Customs Mengtzu (25 Mar). In combination with Navigation and Commerce ovpt. Chine 25c, tied by Laokay (31 Mar) cds. Further transit Hanoi (8 Apr), Haiphong (9 Apr), Shanghai (21 Apr) with dollar cds. Arrived Wuhu (23 Apr) with dollar cds in brown. Cover opened out for display. Covers of Customs Szemao are extremely scarce with only 5 examples known. This one dated the second. Ex- Steve Chazen. 1898.3.15 思茅經印支寄蕪湖海關稅務司譚安，鈐思茅海關始發日戳。3.25經蒙自海關。加貼航海及商貿神像加蓋Chine 25生丁，銷3.31老街日戳。4.8經河內，4.9經海防，4.21經上海，鈐大圓戳。4.23抵蕪湖，鈐棕色大圓戳。封剖開以作展示。思茅海關封極為難得，存世僅見五例，此為日期第二早者。蔡盛舊藏。 1. 1897.7.21 思茅關 Customs Szemao → 重慶 Chungking. Rate: 25 ctm. 2. 1898.3.15 思茅關 Customs Szemao → 4.23 蕪湖 Wuhu. Rate: 25 ctm. 3. 1898.9.15 思茅關 Customs Szemao → 倫敦 London. Rate: 25 ctm. Provenance: Steve Chazen (Ava Auctions, 2023.3.11 sales) 4. 1898.12.22 思茅關 Customs Szemao → 2.27 倫敦 Kew Gardens. Rate: 25 ctm. 5. 1899.4.9 思茅關 Customs Szemao → 5.19 北京 Peking. Rate: 75 ctm triple rate.