during this postal period, reductions were made to the airmail rates for international correspondence, including letters, postcards, printed matter, and samples. The rate for international aerogrammes was standardised at 4,600 yuan (or 46 fen in new RMB) per item, regardless of destination or route. The first example, posted on 13 December 1955 from Hankow to Leningrad, was correctly franked with three stamps, totaling 4,600 yuan in old RMB, bearing a 24 December 1955 arrival marking, a correct-rate aerogramme in the pre-reform currency. The second, mailed on 4 June 1956 from Chumkong, Kwangtung to Moscow, was correctly franked with four stamps, totaling 46 fen in new RMB, routed via Canton on 6 June and delivered in Moscow on 15 June. Both covers accurately represent the standard aerogramme rate to the Soviet Union during the 8th Postal Tariff Period, demonstrating the smooth postal transition between the old and new RMB systems and reflecting the close Sino-Soviet postal exchanges of the 1950s. These are significant examples for the study of early PRC international aerogramme practices.

two international airmail covers from Northeast China, both rated in Northeast Liberated Area currency, posted during the 1st Postal Rate Period (8 Mar - 19 Aug 1950). They respectively demonstrate correct and slightly overpaid applications of the postal tariff, reflecting the international postal system in operation under the early PRC administration in Northeast China. The first cover, dated 10 June 1950, was sent from Harbin to San Rafael, California, USA, franked with six stamps totaling 148,000 yuan, correctly paying the postage for a 10g airmail letter to “Other Countries”, which comprised 29,000 yuan for the first 20g surface letter rate and 119,000 yuan for the airmail surcharge per 10g. The second cover, dated 12 June 1950, was mailed from Moukden to Boissy-St. Léger, France, franked with three stamps totaling 150,000 yuan, an overpayment of 2,000 yuan above the correct 148,000-yuan rate. The cover was routed via Hong Kong, and it is believed to have been forwarded to Europe by Air France. These two covers vividly illustrate the postal rate practice and international airmail operations under the Northeast regional currency system, marking the transitional stage in which China’s postal administration shifted from local monetary zones to a unified national system. Both are rare and valuable examples of international airmail to Europe and America during the 1st postal rate period, of significant importance for postal history research and exhibition.

due to a slight appreciation of the Northeast currency, the international surface letter rate for the first 20g was reduced from 29,000 yuan to 25,000 yuan, and the airmail surcharge to Asian destinations per 10g was lowered from 71,000 yuan to 65,000 yuan. The cover is franked with three Northeast China Liberated Area stamps, totaling 90,000 yuan, tied by “Harbin 50.9.17” cds and with a red boxed “Par Avion / 航空” marking on reverse. Posted during the early period of the People’s Republic of China, when the national currency system was still being unified and postal rates were being restructured, this cover demonstrates the continued use of “Liberated Area” issues in the Northeast as valid postal currency. The postage is fully paid and accurately calculated, reflecting the new government’s ability to maintain smooth international airmail communication with Asia before full monetary unification. As one of the earliest recorded commercial airmail covers sent from China to Japan in the early PRC period, it represents a rare and historically important example of resumed Sino-Japanese postal relations after World War II. Well preserved and correctly rated, it is a valuable artifact for the study of early PRC international postal operations and the Northeast currency postal system.

posted from Harbin to Tokyo on November 10, 1950, franked with three Northeast China Liberated Area Stamps, totaling 65,000 yuan, tied by “Harbin 50.11.10” cds. The postage was correctly paid according to the new tariff: 25,000 yuan for the first 20g of international surface postage and 40,000 yuan for the airmail surcharge to Asian destinations, making a total of 65,000 yuan. This period, known as the 3rd postal period for the Northeast currency (Nov 10, 1950 - Mar 31, 1951), introduced a major postal rate adjustment in which the airmail surcharge to Asia was reduced from 65,000 to 40,000 yuan per 10g, a 38.5% decrease. This cover represents a rare first-day example showing the implementation of the new rate. Harbin served as the principal hub of the Northeast postal system, and first-day airmail usages from this region are particularly scarce. The cover vividly illustrates the continued operation of international postal routes during the early years of the People’s Republic of China, despite ongoing monetary transition and postal rate reforms. It also reflects the gradual restoration of postwar Sino-Japanese postal communication. A well-preserved and accurately rated postal history item, this cover is an important example for the study of the Northeast postal currency system and the evolution of early PRC airmail tariffs, with significant research and exhibition value.

this cover franked with three Northeast China liberated Area Stamps, totaling 125,000 yuan, tied by “Harbin 50.12.12” cds and with “HAIFA 26.12.50” arrival on reverse. The postage rate was composed of 25,000 yuan for the first 20 g of international surface letter postage and 100,000 yuan airmail surcharge per 10g for “Other Countries,” making the franking fully correct. During this third postal period, the “Other Countries” airmail surcharge was reduced from 105,000 yuan to 100,000 yuan, a decrease of approximately 4.8%, reflecting the adjustment of overseas postal rates made by the newly established postal administration during the transitional phase before full currency unification, ensuring the continuity of international postal operations. The cover was routed via Hong Kong, and was likely carried by British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) or Qantas Empire Airways, reaching Israel through the Middle Eastern route. At the time, Harbin was home to a large community of Russian and Jewish émigrés, some of whom had emigrated to Israel following its establishment in 1948, giving rise to correspondence between Northeast China and Israel. This cover is a rare early PRC airmail item to Israel, correctly franked and fully transmitted, bearing strong postal historical significance. It also reflects the broader social and geopolitical context of postwar communication between overseas communities and the Middle East, making it an important and highly exhibition-worthy artifact in the study of the Northeast currency postal system and early PRC international mail routes.