Today in Postal History

Finland to China
February 28, 1935

This registered airmail cover was a first day cover for the three stamps used to frank it.
The stamps are the complete commemorative set issued to honor the
Centenary of the publication of the "Kalevala" which is the Finnish national epic.
The 1¼ markka brown lake shows bards reciting the "Kalevala;"
the 2 markka black portrays the Goddess Louhi as an eagle seizing the Magic Mill;
and the 2½ markka blue portrays Kuilervo (Scott 207-209).

The cover was sent from Kokkola, also known as Gamlakarleby,
a town of 36,000 on the Gulf of Bothnia between Sweden and Finland
about 400 km north northwest of Helsinki.
There are two Kokkola CDS.

The destination was Shanghai, China, where the cover's
arrival on April 5 was noted with a receiving backstamp.
 The cover has a multilingual airmail etiquette and a serial-numbered registry label.
The back appears to have the remains of a receipt
which was torn off after the letter was signed for and delivered.

There are a couple of blue pencilled markings on the front
for which I have no explanation other than to say
such markings are often found on covers of this sort.

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