Lot 3042
3042
cover 1903 (25 Nov.) card (diagonal crease) addressed to Hamburg "via Siberia" with additional C.I.P. 4c. cancelled by Pingshiang tombstone with transit marks including Siangtan dated oval in violet, Shanghai bilingual and Shanghai local post plus French Post Office Shanghai. Also 1903 (19 Nov.) second issue card addressed to England "Via Siberia" bearing additional C.I.P. 2c. tied by Hankow bilingual c.d.s. with "HAN-KWOU CHINE/POSTE FRANCAIS" c.d.s. and French Post Office Shanghai; with Christmas greeting, fine. Very early dates of the short-lived foreign post office mail service via Siberia. (2). Photo
cover 1903 (25 Nov.) card (diagonal crease) addressed to Hamburg "via Siberia" with additional C.I.P. 4c. cancelled by Pingshiang tombstone with transit marks including Siangtan dated oval in violet, Shanghai bilingual and Shanghai local post plus French Post Office Shanghai. Also 1903 (19 Nov.) second issue card addressed to England "Via Siberia" bearing additional C.I.P. 2c. tied by Hankow bilingual c.d.s. with "HAN-KWOU CHINE/POSTE FRANCAIS" c.d.s. and French Post Office Shanghai; with Christmas greeting, fine. Very early dates of the short-lived foreign post office mail service via Siberia. (2). Photo

Details
cover 1903 (25 Nov.) card (diagonal crease) addressed to Hamburg "via Siberia" with additional C.I.P. 4c. cancelled by Pingshiang tombstone with transit marks including Siangtan dated oval in violet, Shanghai bilingual and Shanghai local post plus French Post Office Shanghai. Also 1903 (19 Nov.) second issue card addressed to England "Via Siberia" bearing additional C.I.P. 2c. tied by Hankow bilingual c.d.s. with "HAN-KWOU CHINE/POSTE FRANCAIS" c.d.s. and French Post Office Shanghai; with Christmas greeting, fine. Very early dates of the short-lived foreign post office mail service via Siberia. (2). Photo
Further details
From January 1902 mail from China to Europe overland could only be handled by the Russian Post Office using Russian stamps. Not until late 1903 could mail from British, French and German Post Offices be sent by Trans-Siberian Railway at the international rates. This service was suspended from 15th February 1904 to 17th April 1907