Golden Oak Online Auctions LLC

Auction 21

Lot 586

Turkey, 1897 (Aug. 28), registered cover sent from Turkey to China, forwarded to US, sent from Tarsus to Rev. Francis W. Davis at the American Mission in Fen-cho-foo, China, and then sent on to Ravenna, OH; measuring approximately 142 x 111 mm, the lightweight cover is franked by a 2pi orange (#98) tied by light bilingual Tarsus dater, with two red "R" and a black rectangular "U.[P.U.]/Turquie/R" registry markings, plus partial Mersine [Mersin] cancel at center (date illegible); the reverse tells the rest of the story: the cover arrived at Port Saïd on Sept. 7, where it entered the British mails, going via the Suez Canal to Hong Kong (Oct. 4) and Shanghai (Oct. 9), there transferred to the Chinese Post, receiving an Oct. 14 Customs Tientsin dater in brown (Chang T. 28-1, four months after his latest recorded usage); finding the Reverend gone, the cover received a larger Customs Tientsin dater on Oct. 18, two brown Tientsin Large Dollar daters (Oct. 19) and a blue Shanghai Large Dollar (Oct. 23), a British Shanghai dater (Oct. 23), thence to Vancouver B.C. (Nov. 19), Winnipeg Canada (Nov. 23), St. Paul MN (Nov. 25), and finally Ravenna OH (Nov. 27); three partial red seals with the first name of the sender, Najib A. Zehil, in relief; slightly reduced at right on opening and with expected travel edge wear, but still a magnificent item with an uncommon origin-destination combination and UPU marking, which passed through nine cities on three continents, and with markings in five languages (including a late Chinese Customs strike), Very Fine.
Estimate $2,500 - 3,500

American Mission covers are much scarcer to those to or from the China Inland Mission. The Rev. Davis was killed at Taiku, in Shansi Province, in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion.

Realized $1,800

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