Sale #44 - China and Other Asian Countries

China, 1896 (28 Dec.) registered envelope from Ludwig Hedin in Stockholm to Sven Hedin at the Imperial Russian Mission in Peking (25.2) bearing Sweden Ring type 1kr. with Post Horn at back, cancelled by "Stockholm" dotted rim d.s., showing two strikes of the "To Pay" framed h.s. in red adjacent, with "Customs/Shanghai" double-ring transit d.s. (8.2) in brown and "I.G. of Customs/Peking" double-ring arrival d.s. (25.2) in blue on reverse, very fine and rare single franking of the Ring type 1kr. and an outstanding usage of the "To Pay" handstamp applied on mail to Northern China and sent on the Winter overland route.
Estimate HK$ 80,000 - 100,000
The Swedish Postal Museum has a similar cover with this single franking, but without the "To Pay" handstamp. See also Sinkiang lot 838 for another cover from this correspondence with a single franking of the 1 krona.