HK041-Main

639

638 1941 (21 Nov.) An air mail cover from USA to US Embassy at Chungking, bearing US air mail 6c, tied by ‘LYNN/MASS’ cancel. On front with ‘CANTON/20.8.42’ roller cancel, handstamped ‘Closed/Operation Ceased’ (關閉歇業) and ‘Returned to Sender’ (退回原寄局) both in Chinese black frame chops, The Closed/Operation Ceased’ (關閉歇業) chop might be a marking from Chinese underground post office in Japanese occupation area. Chinese Post Office operated secret office to facilitate exchange between unoccupied area and occupied area. alongside bilingual ‘CHUNGKING/1.7.45’ cds, and another kind of bilingual ‘CHUNGKING’ cds, date not clear. This cover almost took almost a whole year to reach it’s destination during the Chinese and Japanese war. Photo HK$ 10,000 - 12,000 639 1941 (7 Dec.) Pearl Harbor day Cover, Dec. 7, 1941 Cover US to Peking, bearing USA 2c and 3c, tied by ‘BROOKLYN’ cds, returned to sender. Photo HK$ 1,000 - 1,400

638

Ex. 641

640

640 1942 (2 Mar.) Shanghai Local Cover sent to Jardin Engineering Corp. during House Arrest Period last about 6 months with “Realizing Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere Shanghai” slogan cancel. Photo HK$ 1,000 - 1,200 641 1943-46 Two incoming letters sent by different routes to Fukien before and after surrender of Japanese in WWII. One cover with censor seal label, dated 28.8.43, and char. ‘FUKIEN/26.10.43’ arrival cds, an extended transit time of almost 2 months since pacific route was closed. Plus another cover dated 1946. Photo HK$ 2,400 - 3,200

125