CUSTOMS COVERS

The opening of the Customs Postal Service to the public in the early 1878 had brought to the issuing of stamps later that same year. The Customs Postal Service continued to function and expanded until the replacement by the Imperial Postal Service in early 1897. Other postal service like the Shanghai Local Post system, the Min Chu postal system existed during that same period, but it was the Customs Postal Service that uniform the postal rate, expanded the service to most treaty port towns and also dispatch mail to foreign postal service for mails out of the country.
The following are some examples of the Customs Post usage.

COMBINATION COVER

Cover from Tientsin to Germany.

Agreements with foreign Post Offices had not been in place until 1902 and later. When mails to out going countries were dispatched, both Chinese and Foreign P.O. stamps was franked to make up the inland and out going rates. Regularly 9 candarins was required and the Customs P.O. will supply the foreign P.O. stamp. In this case the German stamp was put on before the letter is send to the Customs Post Office, and thus an internal postage rate of 3 candarins was adequate.

INLAND COVER

Cover send from Peking to Chefoo.

For letters send within the treaty ports, 3 candarins was charged for every one half ounce. The 3 candarins stamp was canceled by a Peking Seal cancellation. Two Peking Customs date stamps, two Tientsin Customs date stamps (one in black & one in blue) for transit and the Chefoo Customs date stamp was applied as receiving on the back of the cover.

NEWSPAPER WRAPPER

Newspaper wrapper from
Shanghai to Tientsin

Newspaper rate of 2 candarins was charged for each newspaper.
The 2 candarins stamp was canceled by a blue Shanghai Seal cancellation.

CUSTOMS RECEIVING

Newspaper wrapper
from the Shanghai Local Post

A Customs date stamp of AUG 29, 1893 was used as a receiving cancellation.

CUSTOMS RECEIVING

A Shanghai Local Post cover to the
Customs Post Office

This cover was send to J. Mencarini of the Customs Post office. The Shanghai Local Post stamp was canceled by a large "Belt Buckle" postmark. Shanghai Local Post date stamp and Customs Shanghai date stamp on the back of cover.

CASH COVER

Cover from Tientsin to Buttstadt, Germany.

Cash was paid on the Customs Office and thus no stamp was franked. The cover was than canceled by a blue Tientsin Customs date stamp (insert) to denote that postage was paid. A French stamp was add at the Customs P.O. for the out going trip. Shanghai Customs date stamp transit and Buttstadt arrival mark on the back of cover.

CUSTOMS MAIL MATTER


	Cover send from ICHANG to CANADA Customs Mail Matter send from Ichang with a Customs Mail Matter oval and small Customs date-stamp of Ichang MAR 12, 95 index 'C'. Send through the local post office, with a 'Hankow Local Post' of MR 15, 95 in blue which is unfortunately under the 'San Francisco Paid All' cancel. Also with a light purple 'Shanghai Local Post' transit cancel, all to the back of the cover. The 5 cents US postage stamp on the front was damaged when the letter is opened. But a clear 'USPS Shanghai' of MAR 23, 95 canceled the stamp. 'Barrie, Ont.' Apr. 18 receiving and redirected to 'Burlington, Ont.'. A nice CMM + LP + USPS combinations cover.