Sale 78 China and other Asian Countries

China, 1897 (25 Sept.) "Légation de la République Française en Chine" registered corner card cover front to Fourmies, France bearing small figures surcharge on Dowager 1st printing 8c. on 6ca., 10c. on 9ca., large figures 2.5mm. setting on Dowager 2nd printing 30c. on 24ca. with variety of Chinese "Three" of surcharge (type A), and large figures surcharge 1.5mm. setting on Dowager 3rd printing 2c. on 2ca. (trimmed perfs. at foot), cancelled by "Peking" dollar dater (inverted "S" in "Sep") in blue, in combination with France "Chine" 25c. and 50c., cancelled by "Shang-hai/Chine" c.d.s. (6.10), showing "R" unframed h.s. in blue and framed h.s. in black, very fine and colourful franking from the Berteaux correspondence, especially so with the 30c. on 24ca. with variety of Chinese "Three" (type A). Chan 42, 44, 64a, 76.
Estimate HK$ 20,000 - 25,000

Provenance: Sir Percival David, Robson Lowe (London), 16.12.1964, lot 1410.

References: Tony To-Wah Kwan, ed., Covers and Cards of Empress Dowager Jubilee and its Surcharged Issues. Volume Two: Surcharged Issues Covers and Cards-1897 (Hong Kong, 2011), p. 892. Illustrated.

Mail from Peking franked with the New Currency surcharges during the 1897 period is scarce. Interestingly, there is a note on reverse stating that the stamps were on sale in Tientsin and not in Peking.