加贴大龙邮票的进口封片

Incoming Mail from Overseas to China bearing Large Dragons Stamps

海关邮政时期，中国尚未加入万国邮盟（U．P．U．），由外洋寄往中国的信函从进口岸（通常为上海）至抵达收信人处，其邮程须加付中国境内邮资。笔者记录了22件1878至1885年加贴大龙邮票支付国内邮资的进口封片。但在三种情况下，进口邮件上可不贴邮票来支付国内邮资：收信者于海关邮务处已有“预付邮资”，按月收取邮资。寄往华北信件通常于上海关加销“TOPAY”补费戳，显示投递邮局交信前须加收国内邮资。唯一例外的为一件1882年英国曼城寄牛庄封，封面销上海海关补费戳，抵牛庄后亦加贴大龙邮票。公事邮件：官方信函或海关人员私人信件。本应免费，但在1879年至1882年间均贴大龙邮票，直至1882年12月22日海关总税务司赫德于北京发出税署通札邮字第四号指示，自1883年1月1日起，公事邮件均不再加贴邮票，而以“公事邮件戳”销封代替。本文所提及的22件贴大龙邮票进口封片中，有19至20封可视为邮政公事，其中15封均寄给韩威礼（Hancock）所服务的海关各处。

We have recorded twenty-two incoming covers from overseas countries franked with Large Dragons stamps to pay the domestic postage. These were mailed between 1878 and 1885. Since China was not a member of the Universal Postal Union （U.P.U.）, mail sent from overseas to cities in China beyond the initial port of entry, usually Shanghai, was normally subject to Chinese domestic postage for onwards carriage to its final destination. There were certain exceptions.