1853 (Oct 28) wrapper with oval green "ZANZIBAR" datestamp of the French Consulate in Zanzibar on backflap (which opens to display perfectly), carried privately with docket markings for Mayotte (Oct 14) and Comores, via Zanzibar, received 7 months later in Marseille and then Nantes, rated 10 décimes and with "PAQUEBOTS / DE LA / MÉDITTERRANEE" ds, some minor soiling, very rare mail via Zanzibar during this period, and the earliest known cover with the rare French Consulate ds with only four recorded by DuBro (this example being unrecorded), which was even missing from the DuBro collection, a highly important item of Zanzibar postal history; cert. Drouot (2008). (Image)