Teochew Letters 潮州僑批
Complete Letter Set 僑批三件套 - 僑批、回批、票根
Every remittance made by an emigrant through a letter/remittance agency is tracked by a trail of paper. This begins when the sender is issued a serial-numbered receipt by the letter/remittance agency overseas that accepts his remittance and letter. The same serial number is attached to the letter and a blank return letter, which is filled in by the family to confirm receipt of the fund. The cycle is completed when the sender is finally given the return letter.A complete set of letter, receipt and return letter has rarely been acquired by collectors since this requires not only for the family to retain the letter, but also the sender to keep and bring home the receipt and return letter when he eventually decides to return.
批局寄批一般收到寄批者的銀信後,會給寄批者開一收據(俗稱"票根")。同時批局付有一件跟票根、批信列同一字型大小的空白回批,讓收批人回復,證明銀信已被家人收妥。收齊列同字型大小的票根、回批跟批信必需寄批人回家鄉時把收據(票根)和故鄉返寄的回批一併帶回,才有可能。因此三件列同字型大小的批信、回批、票根較為稀少。
This receipt was issued by a letter/remittance agency in Siam on 17 June 1932. Receipts were usually given to the sender, but this was sent to his family in place of a letter. The probable explanation for this unusual circumstance is that the original letter was lost in transit and the letter/remittance agency used the receipt as a substitute proof of remittance. 圖為泰國成順利舜記批局票根。此票開出時間是"民國二十一年六月十七日",即1932年6月17日。票根本來是作為收據給寄客的,但此票根卻是作為批信直接寄到僑戶手中,最大可能是這位寄客的正批在中途遺失,批局只能將用於存據的票根以批信形式寄送。
This receipt issued by a letter/remittance agency in Singapore has the serial number "明 No.4876", which is also used to mark the letter and the return letter. The letter/remittance sender would retain this receipt, and use it later to collect from the letter/remittance agency the return letter from his family. 此為新加坡光裕興批局收寄批信的給單,與回批同列"明"字4876號。"給單"是批局開給寄批人的收據,它的編號也是跟批信和回批相同的。給單留給華僑,回批要跟批信寄回家鄉後,由僑戶再寄回海外的華僑。
In the case of serial number "明 No.4876", the return letter was sent by a woman surnamed Tan, who was the grandmother of the original sender. The serial number is indicated on the reverse side of the return letter's cover. 此為陳女士寄給孫兒的回批。回批背面批號與給單同列"明"字4876號。