5c Chocolate (223). Rich color, used with China, 1894, Wuhu, 1c Brown (3), the local tied by purple "Wuhu Local Post, 5- Feb. 95" circular datestamp, both stamps tied by "U.S. Postal Agency, Shanghai, Feb. ? 3:30PM 95" duplex, on cover with printed address to Kansas City Mo., second strike of Wuhu Local Post circular datestamp on back, San Francisco (Mar. 15) and receiving (Mar. 19) backstamps, intact wax seal on back leaves slight soiling, 5c small tear and some gum staining

VERY FINE. A RARE COMBINATION COVER WITH THE WUHU TREATY PORT STAMP AND THE 5-CENT 1890 ISSUE, SENT THRU THE U.S. POSTAL AGENCY IN SHANGHAI.

Wuhu became a treaty port in 1876. The history of the Wuhu Treaty Port stamps, described in the Pratt book, is an interesting one. Wuhu did not have a Municipal Council of its own, so Arthur Knight Gregson appointed himself postmaster at Wuhu. Lacking official recognition, his post originally fell into the category of a private post. To rectify this situation he organized a meeting of the expat community in Wuhu on June 23, 1894, which agreed to organize a postal service with him as its postmaster. The Shanghai Municipal Council accepted this appointment on July 23, 1894, and his stamps became valid for postage. In 1897 the Imperial China Post was established, ushering in a new era of postal communication in China.

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