An 1899 franked 10k cover sent to Germany from the Russian port of Talienvan, China on the contested Lyaotung peninsula sold for $35,796 at David Feldman on December 13.
It was the highlight of the Russian Post Offices in the Chinese Empire section of the Winter Specialised Auction in Geneva.
 The 1899 cover features Russian, Chinese and French datestamps |
Talienvan was the Russian name for a bay on the Lyaotung peninsula in the north east of China that was leased to the Japanese following China's defeat in the first Sino-Japanese war (1894-1895).
After diplomatic talks between the great powers, Japan agreed to secede the territory back to China in return for a large annual sum.
However, following the Japanese withdrawal in 1895, Russia moved quickly into the bay with the intention of gaining control of a port within the region - an act that led directly to the Russo-Japanese war (1904-1905).
The cover is one of only four early examples of covers from Russian controlled Talienvan. Despite tears to the top it is in fine condition.
Another cover in the sale, a stationary card, made $17,898.
It was sent to an address in Pola, a settlement in Western Russia, in 1901 - and features the old-style Talienvan datestamp, which remained in use in Dalny until 1901.
It includes a letter, which begins: "A large town is being built here as the terminal station of the Trans-Siberian Railway: Dalny".
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