QUASI OFFICIAL MERCHANTS POST: 1871 Envelope to Ratibor (Prussia) from the North German Consulate in Tientsin, taken to Peking for conveyance by Russian Merchants’ Post to Russian border at Kyakhta, the fee of 30k paid in cash with ms note on reverse, Russian 1k, 3k and 10k pen cancelled by sender for pre-payment of UPU rate from Russia to Prussia, some peripheral wear, still unique and the earliest known cover bearing Russian stamps in China. Note: Described and illustrated in BJRP 94/95 (2006) p.45-46