1778 (30.4) Native unmarked private envelope and enclosed letter from Port Louis to L'Orient (France), headed "Port Louis Isle de France", annotation "par Les au Le Sitsjaur" and wax seal with coat of arms on reverse, fine and rare early cover Note: The first official postal system on the island was established on 21st of December 1772. Provenance: Vikram Chand (Image)

1789 (2.6) Folded entire from Port Louis to Bordeaux (France), bearing black straight-line 'ISLE DE FRANCE' hs, with small horseshoe 'COL BORDEAUX' alongside in black and "20" solst maritime charge mark on reverse, fine and extremely rare, one of only nine examples recorded to date, this being the latest of them all Provenance: Vikram Chand (Image)

1809 & 1810 Two entires both carried privately from Isle de France (Mauritius) to St. Malo and St. Servan, France with straight-line 'LA ROCHELLE' and 'BAYONNE', mounted and written up on exhibition album page, scarce (Image)

1811 (20.1) Folded entire from Île Bourbon (Reunion) via Port Louis, Mauritius to the Island of Mull (Scotland), bearing fine strike of the black oval 'PORT LOUIS/POST PAID' despatch hs on front and an array of transit markings, fine and scarce Provenance: Vikram Chand (Image)

1815 (27.3) Folded entire from Port Louis, Mauritius to Dublin, Ireland and then redirected to Rome, Italy, bearing fine strike of the black oval 'PORT LOUIS/POST PAID' despatch hs on front and an array of transit markings, fine and scarce Provenance: Vikram Chand (Image)

1816 (22.4) Folded lettersheet to Bordeaux, France, bearing fine strike of the very rare straight-line 'le Henry Cap.ne L. Rey' hs in black on reverse, with 2-line 'COLONIES PAR/BORDEAUX' on front, very fine and extremely rare, apparently the only example recorded to date Provenance: Vikram Chand (Image)

1816 (9.9) Folded entire from Port Louis to London, England, bearing fine strike of the 2-line 'PORT LOUIS/UNPAID' despatch hs on front (Type I) and oval black 'India/DEC.09/1816/Packet-letter' transit ds alongside, annotation "forwarded Cape Andersen", arrival bs, cover creases, fine and scarce Rated: 3s6d "3/6" rate marking the single rate for a letter, under the act of George III 1815-55 Provenance: Vikram Chand (Image)

1816 (8.7) Folded entire from Port Louis to Melle, France, bearing fine strike of the black oval 'PORT LOUIS/POST PAID' despatch hs on front and 2-lined 'COLONIES PAR/BORDEAUX' transit alongside, fine and scarce Provenance: Vikram Chand (Image)

1817 (20.1) Folded entire from South Port to Melle, France, bearing fine strike of the black oval 'PORT LOUIS/POST PAID' despatch hs on front and 2-lined 'COLONIES/PAR Le HARVE' transit alongside, fine and scarce Provenance: Vikram Chand (Image)

1820 (1.2) Folded part entire from Port Louis to London, England, bearing superb strike of the 2-line 'PORT LOUIS/UNPAID' despatch hs on front (Type II) and boxed black 'INDIA LETTER/DEAL' alongside, cover creases, fine and scarce Rated: 2s4d "2/4" double rate which was the correct rate under the Act of 1812, for letters up to 1oz Provenance: Vikram Chand (Image)

1822 (1.6) Folded entire from Port Louis to Bewdley, England, bearing 2-line 'PORT LOUIS/UNPAID' despatch hs on front (Type III) and boxed red 'INDIA LETTER/PORTSMOUTH' alongside, cover creases, with attractive black wax seal on reverse, fine and scarce Rated: 3s8d "3/8" rate 2which was the correct rate under the Act of 1812 Provenance: Vikram Chand (Image)

1826 (23.12) Folded printed circular entire from Port Louis to Nantes, France, bearing fine strike of the 2-line 'MAURITIUS/POST OFFICE' despatch hs on front (Type I) and 2-line 'COLONIES/PAR BORDEAUX' transit ds alongside, annotation "10" decimes charge mark, arrival bs, fine and scarce Provenance: Vikram Chand (Image)

1828 (15.3) Folded printed circular entire from Port Louis to London, bearing fine strike of the 2-line 'MAURITIUS/POST OFFICE' despatch hs on front (Type II) and large circular 'INDIA SOLDIER & C/1/LONDON' transit ds alongside, arrival bs, fine and scarce Provenance: Vikram Chand (Image)

1832 (13.2) Folded entire from Antanarivo, Madagascar via Port Louis, Mauritius to London, England, bearing fine strike of the black fancy oval 'MAURITIUS/POST OFFICE' despatch hs on front and boxed 'INDIA LETTER/DEAL' transit alongside, rated "1/-", fine and scarce Provenance: Vikram Chand (Image)

1834 (13.3) Folded entire from Mahebourg, Mauritius to Staffordshire, England, bearing fine strike of the small neat black oval 'COL/POST OFFICE/MAURITIUS' despatch hs on front and an array of transit markings including boxed 'INDIA LETTER/FALMOUTH' and London transit, fine and scarce Provenance: Vikram Chand (Image)

1839 (14.3) Folded entire from Port Louis to Bordeaux, France, bearing black double circle 'L'AGENT/FRANCAIS/MAURICE' forwarding agents despatch hs on front and reverse, with "2" decimes charge mark alongside, cover creases, fine and extremely rare, apparently this is the only recorded example to date Provenance: Vikram Chand (Image)

1841 (3.1) Folded letter sheet from Port Louis via 'P. Valen' to Batavia, bearing bevelled blue boxed 'ZEERIEF/ONGEFRANKEERD/P.S.B', with 'MAURITIUS/POST OFFICE' cds and 'SINGAPORE/SHIP LETTER' boxed ds both applied on reverse, fine and a scarce destination (Image)

1843 (25.1) Entire from Port Louis to Bordeaux, France, bearing large black 'MAURITIUS/INWD-SHIP-POSTAGE-PD/INLAND/STEAMER' ds on reverse, with boxed 'BOMBAY/SHIP LETTER' on front, attractive and scarce (Image)

1845 (1.12) Entire incoming from Surrey, England via "Per Briton or first Stmr. Ship/Paid Letter" to Port Louis, showing boxed 'LATE RECEIVED' ds in red, London despatch ds in red alongside, arrival bs, very fine and extremely rare usage, unrecorded by Ibbotson and Kanai, apparently unique (Image)

1845 (10.7) Entire from Port Louis to Bordeaux, France, bearing 'MAURITIUS/POST OFFICE' cds, red boxed 'COLONIES & C.ART 12' and erroneously struck with circular 'SOLDIER & SEAMENS LETTER/4/BY SHIP' alongside, fine and scarce Rate: With annotations '20' decime charge mark (due on arrival in France) and deleted '8' decime mark, and struck with the red boxed 'COLONIES & C.ART 12' accountancy hs (under the first period of 1st June 1843 to 31st December 1845 of the Anglo-French Postal Convention, referring to a division of the way bill which stated the postal rate to be charged '1/4d' per ounce or 30 grams) (Image)

1848 (10.4) Entire letter from Souillac to Port Louis, showing boxed 'SOUILLAC/AP.10.1848' ds and boxed 'INLAND' hs alongside, mounted and written up on exhibition album page, scarce Rate: Annotation manuscript '2d / 3d' indicating '2d' for the inland postage rate which under the 1846 Postal Ordinance is the correct rate between Post Towns or Villages for letters unto 1/2 ounce, the '3d' presumably indicating the rate of 2d + (1d), the 1d being the additional town rate within Post Louis as the cover was presumably uncollected by the recipient and hence was re-delivered in town. The '2d' should have been crossed (Image)

1849 (20.10) Entire from Port Louis to Bordeaux, France, bearing large black 'PACKET' ds with 'MAURITIUS/GPO' alongside, 'COLOMBO/NO.10.1849/STEAM LETTER' cds, fine (Image)

1850 (27.12) Small neat stampless entire from "Bon Air Pamplemousses" to Rennes, France, showing straight-line black hs 'Ship Letter' with circular 'PAID' alongside, with 2-line 'QUEENSTOWN/SHIP LETTER' and Queenstown cds both in blue, plus other markings on front and reverse, attractive (Image)

1850 (8.3) Soldiers rate cover from Port Louis to Suffolk, England, bearing black 'MAURITIUS/POST OFFICE' cds alongside scarce 'SOLDIERS & SEAMENS LETTER/4/BY SHIP', fine and scarce Rate: 2d for the ship Captains gratuity and 1d for the British Inland Soldiers letter rate, and an additional 1d fine (Image)

1850 (17.5) "Pipon Bell" entire letter from London, England via steamer "Per Harry" to Mauritius, showing fine framed 'Late Received' and 'SHIP' hs in black with 'MAURITIUS/GPO/MY.17.1850' crowned circle alongside, mounted and written up on exhibition album page, scarce (Image)