China, 1900 (1 Mar.) I.C.P. 1c. stationery card to Richmond, Virginia (7.4) via Shanghai Imperial (3.3) and Japanese (7.3) Post Offices and San Francisco (1.4) bearing I.C.P. 1c., cancelled by "Kiasing" bilingual c.d.s. and additionally tied by "San Francisco, Ca./Paid All" and "Richmond, Va. Sta./Rec'd." c.d.s., in combination with France "Chine" 10c. cancelled by "Shang-hai/Chine" c.d.s. (6.3), then passed to the Japanese Post Office in Shanghai for transmission overseas, hence sent untaxed with only 2 cents Chinese postage which would have been the rate through the Japanese Post Office, which apparently accepted the card as such from the French Post Office without penalty, this believed to be the earliest date known for the Kiasing bilingual c.d.s., light tones. A remarkable usage.
Estimate 20,000 - 25,000
GENE LIU 刘济军
P.O.BOX 388, HIGLEY, ARIZONA 85236, USA
电邮email:geneliu@cox.net