A "FERRARY" EARLIEST IMPRESSION 1D. POST PAID UNUSED 1852-54 Post Paid 1d. vermilion, position 11, unused without gum, good margins all around, bright color on yellowish paper, a very fine example of this difficult-to-find rarity; only one unused example was gathered in famous collections such as those formed by Burrus or Kanai, a key item for the advanced collector of Mauritius and a highly desirable world rarity (SG £70'000) Provenance: Ferrary Expertise: Signed Bloch (Image)

1852-54 Post Paid 1d. orange-vermilion, position 5, clear to very large margins, crisp impression on thick yellowish paper, cancelled at Souillac by numeral '3' hs, leaving the profile of the Queen quite clear, a very fine example of this rarity Expertise: Certs. Calves (1980), BPB (2002), Brandon (2006) (Image)

THE UNIQUE 'PENOE' EARLIEST IMPRESSION COVER 1848-49 Post Paid 2d. blue, position 7, exhibiting the famous 'PENOE' variety, intense deep shade, large to predominantly very large margins, tied by bars cancel on 3 July 1849 folded cover to Bordeaux, leaving the profile quite clear, endorsed 'p. Pondicherry', showing Mauritius crown cds and '6' décimes manuscript rate alongside, reverse with arrival cds on 6 October (SG £45,000 for the stamp used) This stamp is characteristic of the "dry" or " sticky" impression which results in missing the completion of lines especially on the portrait cheek Illustrated in colour on page 66 of Hiroyuki Kanai's 'Classic Mauritius' handbook This is the only recorded 'PENOE' Earliest Impression cover, a major Mauritius rarity and the most important item of this territory featuring a variety Provenance: Alfred Caspary (1958), Lars Amundsen (1967), Hiroyuki Kanai (1993) and Vikram Chand Expertise: Certs. Miro (1958), RPSL (1959), Brandon (2006) (Image)

1853-55 Post Paid 1d vermilion, position 3, clear to ample margins, cancelled by unusually clear strike of numeral '14' hs from Plaine Magnan, tiny tear in upper right margin barely affecting the design, very fine appearance and rare (Image)

1853-55 1d. orange-vermilion, position 9, three very large margins, ample at left, all being even, remarkably vivid colour, lightly cancelled by framed hs leaving the design quite clear, with accompanying B.P.A. certificate stating a repair which according to us it is nothing more than a filled thin spot at bottom, small surface scuff on face resulting in a minute pinhole, not detracting from the extremely fine appearance Expertise: Signed Calves, certs. P.F. (1970), BPA (1992) (Image)

1853-55 1d. vermilion, vertical pair, positions 4/7, excellent margins being balanced and fresh impression, each design quite centrally cancelled by elusive numeral '3' hs from Souillac, stated in the certificate as free of any imperfection and described in the Hind sale as superb, small faults were mentioned in the description presented in the Kanai sale but trivial imperfections at worst, a very rare multiple in a very attractive and outstanding state of preservation Provenance: Hind, de Silva, Stevens, Amundsen, Kanai, Chand Expertise: Cert. BPB (2002) (Image)

1853-55 Post Paid 1d vermilion, position 3, ample to huge margins, tied by concentric rings hs on local printed wedding invitation dated 2.8.1856, showing 'MAURITIUS/GPO' crowned ds and elusive 'PENNY POST' framed hs on front (Kanai IIH-2), edge splitting at top and base, an exceedingly rare local usage in this early period, highly desirable Provenance: Vikram Chand Expertise: Signed Calves, certs. B.P.A. (1983) and Brandon (2007) (Image)

1853-55 1d. orange-vermilion, position 10, graced by excellent margins which are even and very large, very fresh, lightly cancelled by numeral '3' hs from Souillac, slight vertical crease, of outstandingly fine appearance for this rare stamp Expertise: Cert. Brandon (1993) (Image)

1853-55 1d. orange-vermilion, position 10, margins varying from clear to huge, cancelled by elusive '2' numeral hs from Flacq, minor corner wrinkle -which can not be considered a crease- in upper right margin, very fine appearance and rare Expertise: Cert. Friedl (1952) and Brandon (1995) (Image)

1853-55 Post Paid 1d. orange-vermilion pair, positions 8-9, cut to shape or slightly into in places, tied by numeral '3' within concentric rings on piece showing matching bevelled 'SOUILLAC/AU25.1855' ds, a very scarce multiple on piece Expertise: Signed Calves, cert. A. Diena (1972) and Brandon (2007) (Image)

1853-55 Post Paid 1d red, position 3, very good margins for the most part, cancelled by target cancel and tied to large piece by neat framed 'PENNYPOST' hs (Kanai IIH-2), alongside showing part of large framed 'INLAND.' and crown 'MAURITIUS/AU1 1854/MAURITIUS' ds, featuring the 1d local rate for delivery within the town limits, in this case Port Louis, very fine, the usage of local letters locally addressed are very rare, this being one of only three examples recorded with 'PENNYPOST' postmark Provenance: Burrus, Vikram Chand Expertise: Cert. Brandon (2007) (Image)

1849-54 Post Paid 2d blue, position 3, good to mostly large margins, partly cancelled by '2' target hs of Flacq, slight thin barely detracting from this very appealing example of this rare stamp (SG £9'000) Expertise: Cert. Brandon (1999) (Image)

1849-54 Post Paid 2d blue, position 4, close to mainly large margins, showing complete '2' target cancel of Flacq, tiny surface scuff in margin at top and minor stain at bottom, rare (SG £9'000) Expertise: Cert. Brandon (1998) (Image)

1849-54 Post Paid 2d. blue, position 3, very large uniform margins, good impression, used with circular barred hs, crisp and uniform impression, couple of thin spots as usually encountered, a magnificent example (SG £9'000) Provenance: Maurice Burrus (1963) (Image)

1849-54 Post Paid 2d. blue, position 11, very good margins, cancelled by circular mute type, on folded cover to Plaine Magnan, shoring framed 'INLAND' hs and 'MAURITIUS/AU18.1859/GPO' crowned circle alongside, a very fine example of this 2d impression on cover, of which, according to Kanai, seven are recorded Expertise: Signed Calves, cert. Brandon (2007) (Image)

1849-54 Post Paid 2d. blue, position 7, exhibiting the famous 'PENOE' for 'PENCE' error, close to mainly wide even margins, attractive sharp impression, lightly cancelled by '1' target cancel in blue, minor oxidation, very rare (SG £ 17'000) Provenance: Vikram Chand Expertise: Cert. BPA (1979) (Image)

THE 2D. EARLY IMPRESSIONS 'POST PAID' MULTIPLE RECORDED ON COVER ONE OF TWO 2D. COVERS KNOWN BEARING THE 'PENOE' VARIETY IN A MULTIPLE 1849-54 Post Paid 2d blue, pair from positions 7-8, exhibiting the 'PENOE' variety at left, sheet margin at left, close at bottom left as a result of an uneven alignment of the cliché, good margins in other respects, tied by '3' bar cancels cover front to Port Louis carried at double rate, alongside showing framed neat 'SOUILLC./JU29.1853.' ds, boxed 'INLAND.' hs and 'MAURITIUS/GPO' crown ds, an extraordinary item featuring the only 2d multiple recorded on cover in the early 'Post Paid' impressions, as well as one of two covers recorded exhibiting a multiple (a pair in both cases) with the famous 'PENOE' variety Provenance: Dale-Lichtenstein (1969, sold for US$3'400), Schindler (1996, sold for CHF29'000), Vikram Chand Expertise: Signed Calves, cert. Brandon (2007) (Image)

1854-57 Post Paid 1d vermilion, position 9, unused without gum, good margins, minor rubbing and small thin, otherwise fine and rare Provenance: Dale-Lichtenstein, Hiroyuki Kanai Expertise: Signed Calves (Image)

1854-57 1d. vermilion, position 3, balanced ample margins, bright color, centrally cancelled by numeral '3' hs from Souillac, tiny slight thin at top, very fine Provenance: Rudge Expertise: Cert. RPS (1986) (Image)

1854-57 1d. vermilion, position 6, complete to large margins, used with target hs, very fine Expertise: Cert. RPS (1950) (Image)

1854-57 Post Paid 1d. bright vermilion, position 7, complete to very large margins, used with numeral '7' hs from Petite Rivière, very fine and extremely rare cancel Provenance: Rudge Expertise: Cert. RPS (1988) (Image)

1854-57 1d. vermilion, position 12, exhibiting a spectacular pre-printing paper fold, clear to large margins showing the design complete in a very much oversized example, cancelled by target hs also struck on the white area caused by the variety, a unique item of immense eye appeal Provenance: Hiroyuki Kanai Expertise: Cert. BPB (2002) (Image)

1854-57 1d. vermilion, position 12, predominantly huge margins, vivid colour, quite centrally cancelled by target hs, a very fine example of this scarce stamp Provenance: Cert. BPA (1961) (Image)

1854-57 Post Paid 1d. bright vermilion, position 12, just touched in small place at lower right, otherwise good margins, tied to a large piece of letter addressed locally to Mahébourg, tied by '1' numeral hs with matching octagonal 'MAHÉBOURG/MY1 1857' adjacent, framed 'INLAND' at left, stamp lifted for examination and replaced Note: The 1d rate was applied for local delivery within the village limits of Mahébourg. The application of the 'MAURITIUS/GPO' crown circle of Port Louis on the same day at lower right leads us to believe that the letter was erroneously put into a mailbag addressed to Port Louis. This is the only example recorded. Provenance: Schindler, Vikram Chand Expertise: Cert. BPA (1995) (Image)

1854-57 Post Paid 1d. vermilion, horizontal pair, positions 10-11, large margins on two sides, just touched on the other two, each stamp neatly cancelled by numeral '12' within circles from Grand Savanne, paying the single internal rate on mourning envelope (upper back flap lacking) to Port Louis showing octagonal 'Grand Sav / FE23 1857' ds, receiving crown cds alongside, some tone spots affecting the envelope, one of only two covers recorded originating from this locality Provenance: A. J. Stevens, Schindler, Vikram Chand Expertise: Signed A. Diena, cert. BPA (1995) (Image)