阮秀佑

After checking M. Mizuhara's famous book " The Magnificent Collection of Chinese Stamps" (华邮集锦） ...
假师爷 发表于 2014-12-15 16:50

With all the respect, I am a bit skeptical about the Chinese Custom postal markings on the postcard based on the following observations:

1) The respective Tientsin and Shangahi cancellation markings indicate it took 14 days for this post card to travel from Tientsin to Shanghai. It seems to me it is a long extended period of time even in winter season when the port in Northern China was sealed.

2) The transition time between Shanghai Custom and IJPA Shanghai office was a bit too long as well. It should take 1- 2 days, not 10 days (from Dec. 29 to Jan 8).

3) Furthermore, the Japanese YAKOHAMA transit cancellation shows a year 1888 date, not year 1885. A concern also exists for unusually-heavier ink over the only digit (“5”) of the year slug of the IJPA Shanghai cancellation.

4) No other transit or arrival postal marking supports the fact that this postcard arrived in the States in1885.