The Hong Kong 'China' Overprints

A total of 15,073 1c Brown Postal Cards were supplied to the Agencies. However, due to the increase in postal rates to 1 ½ cents, which occurred on 15 February 1918, a large number of these cards were overprinted to create the P44 Postal Card. While Higgins & Gage state that 11,360 of the P41 were overprinted (and it is certain that there were a total of 11,360 of the P44 along with 380 which were to be overprinted Specimen), Perrin reports that majority of the P43 Postal Cards were split and overprinted as well, which would mean that approximately only 9,500 of the P41 Postal Cards were overprinted. This would mean that the total number of P41 Postal Cards was approximately 5,573. The 1 cent rate paid the local postcard rate until February 15, 1918 and only two used copies of the P41 Postal Card are known to exist.

Unused P42 4 cents carmine Postal Card

A total of 14,347 4 cent carmine Postal Cards were supplied to the Agencies. This card paid the 4 cent overseas postcard rate which was in effect from 1917 through 1930, apart from a short period of time during which the rate increased to 6 cents. It is unknown whether the 6 cent overprint was applied to some of the 14,347 cards or whether an additional requisition was made, so the actual quantities of both the P42 and the P45 produced, used or destroyed is unknown. Certainly, unused examples are rarely seen and only a couple of used examples of the P42 exist. (See notes for P45)

Earliest Known Usage
Tientsin to Salonica, March 25, 1918

This Postal Card, dated March 25th 1918, is the earliest known usage of the P42 4 cents carmine. In addition, the destination of Salonica is extremely rare. Cancelled with a scarce Webb Type B Index A Tientsin CDS and with Shanghai, Army Post Office, and Yugoslav transits stamps.

A total of 1140 P43 1 cent plus 1 cent reply paid cards were produced. Almost all of these cards were split and surcharged to produce the P44 1 ½ cent brown Postal Card. Perrin reports that only one copy of this postal card is known unsplit. No used copies of the P43 Postal Card, either split or unsplit, are known to exist

On February 15, 1918, the local postcard rate increased from 1 cent to 1 ½ cents. To meet the requirement for Postal Cards at this rate, existing stocks of the P41 1 cent brown Postal Card, and the separated P43 1 cent plus 1 cent reply paid Postal Cards were overprinted locally. A total of 11,360 cards were produced and it is believed that an additional 380 were sent to London for the U.P.U. as specimens, although it is not known if they were overprinted. Up until now, however, this entire issues has been listed simply as the P44 Postal Card, when, in fact, there should therefore be three distinct identifiable varieties of this Postal Card.

The first, P44a, would be the P41 Postal Card with the 1 ½ cent overprint. An estimated 9,500 of these cards were produced.
The second, P44b, would be the P43 1 cent Postal Card with the 1 ½ cent overprint, identifiable by the perforations at the top and the Reply Paid annotation at lower left. An estimated 930 of these cards were produced.
The third, P44c, would be the Reply Paid portion of the P43 Postal Card with the 1 ½ cent overprint, again identifiable by it's unique markings. An estimated 930 of these cards were produced.

While no unused copies of the P44b or P44c have been recorded to date, a used copy of the P44b has been certified by the B.P.A.

It is believed that the P45 6c on 4c surcharge was issued sometime in 1922 as by February 21, 1922 a rate of 6c was in effect in Foochow. Although Webb reports no known usages of this card, Perrin reports a single example from the Treaty Port of Liu Kung Tau dated December 28, 1922. There is little detail known concerning this postal card but it is assumed that it went out of use along with the 1 ½ cent postal card when the rates changed in 1923.

A total of 10,400 P46 1 ½ cent orange Postal Cards were produced and issued in January of 1919. Only one used example of this Postal Card is known to exist as it is presumed that large stocks of the P44 were still available.