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an old postcard with a picture of a man and a woman on ita close up of a piece of paper with handwriting on it
Stanley’s Auction

304 - Japan – Shanghai – Belgium, 1897. Japanese postal stationery…
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Estimate €80 - €150
Sale commission
Description
Japan – Shanghai – Belgium, 1897. Japanese postal stationery card bearing a 2-sen olive-green stamp (Empire of Japan, Meiji period), overprinted with a 1-sen green stamp, written in Shanghai on 15 April 1897 and carried via the transpacific route: Shanghai and Yokohama (20 APR 97) cancellations, a San Francisco transit postmark (11 MAY 1897), and a Wychmael (Limburg) arrival postmark — a well-documented route from China to Belgium via Japan and the United States. Handwritten “Belgique” routing note. The message in Dutch, headed “Geloofd zij J.C.!” (Praised be Jesus Christ) and “J.M.J.”, is signed J. Wallet — the same missionary sender as the 1896 Hong Kong postal stationery card in this sale, addressed to the same recipients: Mr L. Schutjes-Bijvoet and his wife, Hechtel (Wychmael), Belgium. The writer announces the dispatch of the promised cards, his departure “next Tuesday”, and jokes that Shanghai greets them “with hands and feet”. A charming item of missionary correspondence, combining Japanese postal stationery used from China, a transpacific route and a Belgian destination — from a small family archive spanning Hong Kong, Shanghai and Java, several items from which are offered in this sale. Keywords: philately, marcophily, postal stationery, uprated, Nippon, Meiji, treaty port, transpacific mail, via America, San Francisco transit, missionary correspondence, incoming mail to Belgium, Far East. The descriptions are based on our interpretation of the postmarks and handwritten inscriptions, which are sometimes difficult to decipher; they are provided in good faith and without guarantee.
See original version (French)
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About the sale Asian Art
Auction location
Auction time 07/16/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits:
SANCHEZ Hugo
See original version (French)
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