A rare Boxer Rebellion related card from the return voyage of the German Steamer “Pisa” (August – September, 1902), which brought East Asia Expeditionary troops from China back to Germany.  The ship’s postal clerk did not have any 5 pfennig stamps with which to frank the returning soldiers’ postcards, so he wrote the number ‘5” in the lower left corner of the cards, signifying payment of the mailing fee, and cancelled the cards with the ship’s military seapost postmark “Kaiserliche Deutsche Marine-Schiffspost No. 2.”  The cards were then shipped in batches to Berlin where stamps were added and a postmark applied by the Navy’s postal authority for forwarding to their ultimate destinations.  This is a very scarce usage and is known as the Pisa Provisorium (or Provisional).  Examples typically sell at auction from several hundred Euros. 

 

The card being offered has, unfortunately, had the 5 pf. Germania stamp removed, but the intact portion of the postmark is consistent with the C2 variety of Berlin postmark applied to these cards (see the complete example from a 2013 auction which is shown for reference).  The strike on this card is strong enough to have left an impression in the area of the removed stamp and appears to be from the same batch as the reference card. If so, it would have been forwarded from Berlin on 21/9/02   Inscription on the card, written in pencil, gives sender’s address as the Pisa and his affiliation as the 6^th Company.  The picture side of the card shows a Chinese triumphal gate erected in honor of an important woman. The card has a bit of edge/corner wear and toning, but is otherwise in fine condition. A true postal history rarity. See scans for condition and detail.  Check my other China items this sale!