COLONIES/&c ART.12 OR "COLONIES/&c ART.13" MARKS ON MAIL TO FRANCE BY NAMED SHIPS VIA GB; 1844-54 E/ELs from Port Louis to Bordeaux/Nantes/Marseille by named ships (Argo, Mercury, Fanny Houghton & 2x Queen of the South) with "MAURITIUS/POST OFFICE" cds's (2) or oval "PACKET LETTER/MAURITIUS" ds (3); all with mainly fine/v. fine red boxed "ART." marks (one 1844 ART.12 - with partial Brighton? Ship Letter; the others "ART.13" - via London or Plymouth). (5 covers) Cross Reference: FRANCE, ACCOUNTANCY MARKS (Image)

COLONIES/&c ART.13 COVER WITH RED MAURITIUS "PAID" IN CIRCLE + "Ship Letter" PLUS "DUBLIN/Ship Letter"; Unusual 26 Jan. 1853 E (some creasing) from Port Louis to Toulouse (redirected to Paris) "Par [ship] Aristide & Marie" with fine "MAURITIUS/GPO" crowned cds on the front with matching overstruck "Ship Letter" and v. fine red encircled "PAID" (showing that the outgoing 4d Ship Letter charge - introduced in 1850 - had been prepaid). It was landed in Ireland and so has an over-inked scarce "DUBLIN/Ship Letter" also on the front. Spectacular and unusual combination of markings.Cross Reference: FRANCE, IRELAND PRE-1922 - POSTAL HISTORY, SHIP LETTERS, ACCOUNTANCY MARKS (Image)

THE PORT LOUIS LOZENGE-FRAMED "GB/40c" ACCOUNTANCY MARK - COVERS + PIECE TO FRANCE; Mar.1866/Jan. 1869 pair of small unpaid envs. (1869 reduced at left) to Paris each with v. fine Port Louis lozenge-framed "GB/40c" Accountancy Marking; plus Mar. 1869 underpaid part E to France with Mauritius 2d+4d franking beside a very fine scarce red oval Port Louis "INSUFFICIENTLY/PREPAID" mark and so having the same v. fine "GB/40c" alongside. Rare Maritius Accountancy marking usages. (3 items)Cross Reference: ACCOUNTANCY MARKS, FRANCE (Image)

PORT LOUIS DIAMOND-FRAMED "GB/1F224/10C" OR "GB/1F624/10C" ACCOUNTANCY MARKS ON COVERS TO FRANCE; 6 Aug. 1861 unpaid E (faults; stamps tragically removed from lower left) from Port Louis ("MAURITIUS" backstamp) to Bordeaux with a very fine very rare Port Louis diamond-framed "GB/1F224/10C" Accountancy Mark on the front; plus similar 6 June 1863 unpaid EL from "Port Louis" to Bordeaux "Via Aden, Suez & Marseille" with "MAURITIUS/C" backstamp and a mainly very fine matching diamond-framed Port Louis "GB/1F624/10C" Accountancy Mark on the front. Van der Linden only records one example of this 22c mark (which he says was struck by mistake!), and he rates the 62c mark almost as highly. Rare pair. (2 covers)Cross Reference: ACCOUNTANCY MARKS, FRANCE (Image)

PORT LOUIS DIAMOND-FRAMED "GB/1F624/10C" + RARE "GB/1F66C" ACCOUNTANCY MARKS ON COVERS TO FRANCE; 9 July 1862 unpaid EL from "Port Louis" to Bordeaux by "Packet via Suez & Marseille" with "MAURITIUS/A" blue backstamp and a mainly very fine diamond-framed Port Louis "GB/1F624/10C" Accountancy Mark on the front; plus 6 Nov. 1866 unpaid env. (tears on reverse) to Paris "Via Galle-Suez a Marseille" with blue "MAURITIUS/A" cds on reverse, and with very fine rare Port Louis diamond-framed "GB/1F66c" Accountancy Mark (Van der Linden 1608; rarity 7 - "Cette marque est rare"!) nicely placed on the front. Fine pair of rare Mauritius Accountancy Markings. (2 covers)Cross Reference: ACCOUNTANCY MARKS, FRANCE (Image)