Sale #44 - China and Other Asian Countries

China, Small Dragon : 1898 (1 Jan.) printed envelope (opened out for display) from E. Mayer & Co. to the Manager of the Chartered Bank of India, Australia & China in Shanghai (19.1 Local Post arrival) bearing perf. 11½-12 1ca. bright green strip of three, cancelled by "Customs/Jenchuan" c.d.s., with another strike on reverse and two strikes of the "Chefoo" dollar dater applied on different days (14.1 & 17.1), fine and rare Korean usage from this famous correspondence. Chan 20.
Estimate HK$ 200,000 - 250,000
Provenance: Group Captain C.F. Gordon, Robson Lowe (London), 21.4.64, lot 312.
References: Prize Selections from the Rocpex Taipei '81 (1982), p. 102. Illustrated.
Customs Dater (1875-1913). Taipei : Philatelic Writers' Club, 2008, p. 83. Illustrated.
BESIDES THE SCARCE JENCHUAN, KOREA ORIGIN, A VERY IMPORTANT POSTAL HISTORY USAGE, REPRESENTING THE FIRST TIME THAT THE WINTER OVERLAND ROUTE WAS COMBINED WITH THE SEA ROUTE TO SHANGHAI.
The Small Dragons stamps were used in Korea up until early 1898, since the I.C.P. stamps were not delivered to the two Customs Post Offices in Korea until late 1897 or early 1898.
The full winter overland route took too much time and was costly; thus, for the first time with this cover, the mail was carried overland only as far as Chefoo and then carried by sea (evidenced by the two-day transit from Chefoo and Shanghai). One could not sail in the winter from Newchwang, but could from Chefoo.