GERMAN POST OFFICES ABROAD
CHINA
My STAMPS
1900
The first German postal agency in China was opened in Shanghai on 16th Aug 1886 following the arrival of the Reichspost Steamship 'Oder' on the same day. Postal connections from Germany to China were performed once every 4 weeks from Bremerhaven to Shanghai via Antwerp, Port Said, Suez, Aden, Columbo, Singapore and Hong Kong using the East Asia Main Line ('Ostasiatische Hauptlinie'). From 1893 Genoa and Naples were added to the route and its frequency was increased to once every two weeks in 1899. The East Asia Main Line was further expanded in 1899 with the inclusion of Hong Kong, Hiogo and Nagasaki when the East Asia Branch Line ('Ostasiatische Zweiglinie') service was terminated. Yokohama was also added at this time.
MICHEL 7 'I' and 'II'
"CHINA" and "5pf" OVERPRINT
Issued 7 July 1900 and valid until 31 Mar 1902. New Provisional Issue for Futschau (Foochow) with black hand cancel "5Pf". Type 'I' has a 45˚ "China" overprint. Type 'II' has a 56˚ diagonal "China" overprint.
MICHEL 8 to 14
"China" HANDSTAMP OVERPRINT
Issued 24th Nov 1900 to Jan 1901. Regular issue for Tietsin. Black sloping hand diagonal "China" overprint (45˚).
BOXER REBELLION in PETSCHILI
(North China)
FIELD POST
The PV and PVI issues were not overprinted and are only recognisable by the cancellation. Both PV were used by Field Post Offices and post offices in the war teritories: they must be cancelled from 1-9-1900 to 31-8-1901 (end of the Field Post), however there are later cancellations up until 31-12-1902 that were requested by collectors. PVI was used by Field Post Office No.2 as well as the Imperial Post Office in (Peking), now Beijing with cancellation dates mainly from April to November 1901.
These stamps must have field cancels from 1st Sep 1900 to 31st Aug 1901 to be valid Boxer Rebellion Issue
Field Post Stations:Field Post Expedition Tientsin, 1st Sep 1900 to 31st Aug 1901.
Nr. 1: (later Kaumi), 23rd Nov 1900 to 4th Jul 1901.
Nr. 2: Peking, 9th Nov 1900 to 31st Aug 1901.
Nr. 3: Yangtsun, 2nd Sep 1900 to 30th Apr 1901.
Nr. 4: Tongku, 2nd Sep 1900 to 31st Aug 1901.
Nr. 5: Tientsin, 2nd Sep 1900 to 18th Oct 1900.
Nr. 6: Tschingtschou, 18th Apr 1901 to 4th May 1901, Fouping, 5th May 1901 to 16th Apr 1901 and Langsouanking, 17th May 1901 to 25t May 1901.
Nr. 7: Paotingfu, 20th Nov 1900 to 25th Jul 1901.
Nr. 8: Shanghaikuan, 27th Nov 1900 to 31st Aug 1901.
Nr. 9: Peithaho, 22nd May 1901 to 31st Aug 1901.
Nr. 10: Kaiping, 21st May 1901 to 31st Aug 1901 and Taku Sudfort 9th Nov 1900 to 1st Jan 1901.
MICHEL PVaa to Michel PVag
"regular 1889 issue"
(Without Overprint)
Issued 1 Sep 1900 until 1902. German Empire stamps, so-called "crown/eagle". These stamps should not be considered as emergency stamps (such as PVa, PVb etc below), as these stamps were already officially available at German post offices in China and were also available to individuals and businesses and were valid up until 31 Mar 1902.
MICHEL PVz to PVm
"PROVISIONAL ISSUE GERMANIA "
(REICHSPOST without Overprint)
Issued 1 Sep 1900 until 1902. Germania and representative illustrations inscribed "REICHSPOST".The Shanghai Post Office in 1900 ordered a supply of unoverprinted REICHPOST stamps from Germany and re-directed some of them to the Feldpost Post Office in TIENTSIN as well as the various Feldpost stations. Some of those that arrived in TIENTSIN were overprinted "China" using a handstamp (see Michel 8 through 14 above). Unoverprinted REICHSPOST stamps were available at all of the Feldpost Stations and as such can be found with any of the various postal cancels available at that time.
