【China Penny Black】
1840 (Feb 26) entire letter by John Silverlock from Macao to his father in Chichester; sent “via Marseilles”. On the address panel f.w. Black Penny, tied by Maltese cross. On the flap with London arrival c.d.s (10 JU 1840) The letter is mostly about the escalating tension between the Chinese government and the British merchants, “Business has been and is now to a considerable extent carried on through the Americans. Goods cannot be transhipped…neither will they admit a ship unless declaration be made that she has had nothing to do with the English, i.e. that the goods on board are not British owned.”It also mentioned in the letter that the Qing government wanted to expel the British merchants from Macao but the Portuguese Governor of Macao “will protect us (them)against any violence from the Chinese and had communicated his intention to the Mandarins. This shows them that any effort to expel us (them) will be in vain.”
【來自中國的黑便士封】
1840年2月26日郵簡，由John Silverlock自澳門寄奇切斯特的父親。正面寫有黑色 via Marseilles 字樣。地址面單貼黑便士，銷馬爾他十字戳。背面蓋有倫敦到達戳（10 JU 1840）。此信大多講述中英間日趨緊張的貿易關係:“很大一部份的生意從最近起都要透過美國人進行。貨品不能被轉運…除非立下聲明，船隻與英國無關，否則他們不會讓船隻靠岸，換言之，船上不能搭載英國人的貨品。”另外亦提到清政府欲將英商逐離澳門，但葡國的澳門總督“將會保護我們（英商）免於任何中方的武力手段，而且已與中方官員溝通以表明意圖。此舉將會向他們明確表示任何驅逐我們（英商）的努力都會白費。”
