QUASI OFFICIAL MERCHANTS POST: 1871 Cover from Tientsin to Germany, taken to Peking for dispatch by Merchants post as the Russian P.O. was not operating from Tienstin at that time, sent via Kyakhta and Moscow before arriving in Rossleben, originally franked on the reverse with four pen cancelled stamps paying the 30k Merchants rate and 14k from Russia to Germany, before the stamps were removed in transit between Russia and the German border, noted by German inspector who applied „FRANCO“ cds with ms „f 2“ on front, with ms „China“ and arrival cds over traces of stamps on reverse, very fine, also including 1858 perf. 12 1/2 30k with ms „27 July / 1867 / Pekin“ cancel. The earliest known mail from the Russian Post in China and one of the two known cover from the Merchants Post Note: Described and illustrated in BJRP 94/95 (2006) p.47