【China Custom Mail】
The last item (figure 4) was sent from Tientsin to Shanghai via the Customs Post. The sender mailed it from Tientsin on August 18, 1886 after the “Oder” had docked on the 16th. He marked it for German Mail. It was a double rate letter asshown by the two 20 pfenning German stamps. They are clearly cancelled on August 28th. The double rate of 18 Candereenspaid the Customs postage from Tientsin to Shanghai. It took 5 days to get from Tientsin to Shanghai. CustomsCancels from Tientsin and Shanghai tie the block of 6 three candereen stamps. A Tientsin seal cancels the 6 stamps. Sinceno German stamps were available outside of Shanghai, the sender could not affix German stamps on the cover. The Germanstamps were put on by arrangement between the Customs Post and the German Post. This cover was acquired by a Germancollector more than 50 years ago. It has been sold privately through most of its life.
【海關郵政】
本件從天津走海關郵政到上海的，發信人在1886年8月18日從天津寄出，這是“奧德爾”號停靠上海兩天之後了，他注明了“經德國郵政”，從貼上的兩枚20芬尼德國郵票，可見這是個超重郵件，蓋銷了清晰的8月28日日戳。封背也貼上了3分銀大龍郵票六方連，支付18分銀的雙倍郵資，以中文“天津”戳記蓋銷，並有天津關和上海關英文日戳蓋在郵票和信封相連處，天津至上海費時5天。由於當時在上海以外買不到德國郵票，這些德國郵票不可能是發信人貼上的，而是根據與德國郵政協定、由海關郵局貼上的。本封在50多年前由一位德國收藏者購入，此前也多是私下易手，故不見經傳。