5c Olive Yellow (67b). Lovely color in the true Olive Yellow shade, used with 10c Dark Green (68a) and 30c Orange (71), tied by red grid cancels on folded letter to Shanghai, China, sender's directive "Via Marseilles", red "New York Nov. 16, 1861 Paid" backstamp, two-line "INSUFFICIENTLY/PREPAID" handstamp indicating underpayment for Marseilles route, magenta manuscript "40" credit, red London Paid transit datestamp (Nov. 25), red crayon "1" British Colonial credit, Hong Kong (Jan. 24) backstamp, red manuscript "No. 9" marking (possibly later filing notation), horizontal file fold away from stamps, tiny tears at top right of 5c not mentioned on most recent certificate

VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE USE OF THE 5-CENT OLIVE YELLOW, SCOTT 67b, ON A COVER TO CHINA. OUR RECORDS AND THE RECORDS OF THE PHILATELIC FOUNDATION CONTAIN ONLY TWO COVERS WITH THE OLIVE YELLOW SHADE.

The 5c Olive Yellow is extremely rare on cover -- only one other is contained in Power Search or the records of The Philatelic Foundation (used to Hong Kong). This was directed by the sender to go via Marseilles, but was routed via Southampton because the British post office treated it as insufficiently prepaid for the faster route.

Ex Downing, Paliafito and "Sevenoaks". With 1990 and 2001 P.F. certificates

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