This registered cover was sent from Raffles
Hotel in Singapore.
It bears two Raffles Hotel CDS for 11:15 am and a Raffles Hotel
straightline handstamp over the preprinted Singapore registry label.
Obviously, Raffles Hotel took good care of its guests.
By 12:30 pm the letter was in the Singapore mail system as shown by the
backstamp.
The letter went directly to London where it was received
by the Registry division of London E.C. on February 2.
Its next stop was in the New York City Registry Division on February 18.
It was given a new number in the United States registry
serialization as well as the backstamp.
(Sixteen days for Transatlantic passage seems a bit much for that era.)
It was then forwarded to its destination in Detroit where it arrived on
February 20.
The cover was franked with two George V 10c purple
on yellow paper from the 1912 issue (SG 202).
The paper color is weak but that is typical of yellow papers used at
that time.
The sender was associated with or visiting the Central Engine Works in
Singapore.
I would expect the use of the hotel suggests he was a visiting salesman
or technician.
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