Mauritius is famous for two of the rarest stamps in the World, ਀        琀栀攀 ㄀㠀㐀㜀 ☀焀甀漀琀㬀倀漀猀琀 伀昀昀椀挀攀☀焀甀漀琀㬀 倀攀渀渀礀 伀爀愀渀最攀 愀渀搀 吀眀漀瀀攀渀挀攀 䈀氀甀攀⸀ 䤀渀 ㄀㠀㐀㜀 䴀愀甀爀椀琀椀甀猀 眀愀猀 琀栀攀 昀椀爀猀琀 䈀爀椀琀椀猀栀 挀漀氀漀渀礀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀  fifth country in the world to issue postage stamps.

The definitive issues from 1860 onwards, notably the Queen's head and ਀          䄀爀洀猀 琀礀瀀攀猀Ⰰ 愀爀攀 昀甀氀氀 漀昀 椀渀琀攀爀攀猀琀 昀漀爀 琀栀攀 瀀栀椀氀愀琀攀氀椀猀琀 愀渀搀 瀀漀猀琀愀氀 栀椀猀琀漀爀椀愀渀  alike. Also of great interest is the pre-adhesive postal history, of ਀          戀漀琀栀 䘀爀攀渀挀栀 ⠀戀攀昀漀爀攀 ㄀㠀㄀　⤀ 愀渀搀 䈀爀椀琀椀猀栀 ⠀愀昀琀攀爀 ㄀㠀㄀　⤀ 瀀攀爀椀漀搀猀⸀ 㰀⼀瀀㸀 ਀       1846 ਀        伀爀搀椀渀愀渀挀攀 一漀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀㄀㌀㰀⼀愀㸀㰀⼀琀搀㸀 ਀    㰀琀爀㸀  ਀   㰀琀搀 眀椀搀琀栀㴀∀㄀㌀㄀∀ 愀氀椀最渀㴀∀挀攀渀琀攀爀∀㸀㰀愀 栀爀攀昀㴀∀䈀愀爀渀愀爀搀⸀栀琀洀∀㸀㰀椀洀最 猀爀挀㴀∀䤀洀愀最攀猀⼀䈀愀爀渀愀爀搀伀氀搀匀洀愀氀氀㄀　　⸀樀瀀最∀ 眀椀搀琀栀㴀∀㄀㈀　∀ 栀攀椀最栀琀㴀∀㄀㠀㌀∀ 戀漀爀搀攀爀㴀∀　∀ 愀氀琀㴀∀䨀漀猀攀瀀栀 伀猀洀漀渀搀 䈀愀爀渀愀爀搀∀㸀㰀⼀愀㸀㰀戀爀㸀 ਀      㰀琀搀 眀椀搀琀栀㴀∀㐀　㈀∀㸀  ਀ऀ㰀瀀㸀䤀渀 ㄀㠀㐀㜀Ⰰ 猀攀瘀攀渀 礀攀愀爀猀 愀昀琀攀爀 琀栀攀 昀椀爀猀琀 猀琀愀洀瀀 眀愀猀 椀猀猀甀攀搀 戀礀 䜀爀攀愀琀 䈀爀椀琀愀椀渀Ⰰ  Lady Gomn, the Governor's wife had the first Mauritian postage stamps ਀          瀀爀椀渀琀攀搀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 攀渀琀爀甀猀琀攀搀 㰀愀 栀爀攀昀㴀∀䈀愀爀渀愀爀搀⸀栀琀洀∀㸀䨀漀猀攀瀀栀 伀猀洀漀渀搀 䈀愀爀渀愀爀搀㰀⼀愀㸀Ⰰ  a local miniature painter and engraver, with the engraving of two stamps, ਀          漀渀攀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀 瘀愀氀甀攀 漀昀 漀渀攀 瀀攀渀渀礀 愀渀搀 愀渀漀琀栀攀爀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀 瘀愀氀甀攀 漀昀 琀眀漀 瀀攀渀挀攀⸀ 

According a myth that went unquestioned until 1974 (see details), ਀          眀栀攀渀 眀漀爀欀椀渀最 愀琀 琀栀攀 攀渀最爀愀瘀椀渀最 漀昀 琀栀攀 猀琀愀洀瀀猀 栀攀 猀甀搀搀攀渀氀礀 爀攀愀氀椀稀攀搀 琀栀愀琀  he had forgotten what was to be printed on them, so he went to the post ਀          漀昀昀椀挀攀 琀漀 最攀琀 椀渀昀漀爀洀愀琀椀漀渀⸀ 䄀猀 栀攀 挀愀洀攀 挀氀漀猀攀爀 琀漀 琀栀攀 戀甀椀氀搀椀渀最 栀攀 猀愀眀  the inscription "Post Office", which seemed to ring a bell for him. ਀          匀漀 栀攀 爀攀琀甀爀渀攀搀 琀漀 眀漀爀欀 愀渀搀 攀渀最爀愀瘀攀搀 琀栀漀猀攀 琀眀漀 眀漀爀搀猀Ⰰ 琀栀甀猀 挀爀攀愀琀椀渀最 椀渀瘀漀氀甀渀琀愀爀椀氀礀  the most famous stamps of Philatelic History, the "Post Office"-stamps. ਀        㰀⼀瀀㸀

When he realized that the correct wording should have been "Post Paid" ਀          椀琀 眀愀猀 琀漀漀 氀愀琀攀⸀ 䄀氀爀攀愀搀礀 ㈀㐀　 瀀椀攀挀攀猀 漀昀 戀漀琀栀 猀琀愀洀瀀猀 眀攀爀攀 瀀爀椀渀琀攀搀 愀渀搀  sold. Lady Gomm, wife of Governor Gomm used the first issue of the "Post ਀          伀昀昀椀挀攀∀ 猀琀愀洀瀀猀 琀漀 昀爀愀渀欀 栀攀爀 椀渀瘀椀琀愀琀椀漀渀猀 昀漀爀 琀栀攀 昀愀渀挀礀 搀爀攀猀猀 戀愀氀氀 漀昀  September 30, 1847.

Joseph Osmond ਀          䈀愀爀渀愀爀搀㰀⼀愀㸀 㰀⼀瀀㸀 ਀ऀ㰀瀀㸀㰀愀 栀爀攀昀㴀∀⼀一愀琀甀爀攀⼀䜀攀漀最爀愀瀀栀礀⼀倀氀愀挀攀猀⼀䜀爀愀渀搀倀漀爀琀⸀栀琀洀∀㸀䜀爀愀渀搀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀倀漀爀琀㰀⼀愀㸀㰀⼀瀀㸀 ਀    㰀⼀琀爀㸀 ਀      㰀琀搀 眀椀搀琀栀㴀∀㄀㌀㄀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀㰀⼀琀搀㸀 ਀   㰀琀搀 眀椀搀琀栀㴀∀㐀　㈀∀ 愀氀椀最渀㴀∀爀椀最栀琀∀㸀㰀愀 栀爀攀昀㴀∀⌀吀漀瀀∀㸀㰀椀洀最 猀爀挀㴀∀⼀䤀洀愀最攀猀⼀爀攀搀ⴀ愀爀爀漀眀爀甀瀀⸀最椀昀∀ 眀椀搀琀栀㴀∀㘀∀ 栀攀椀最栀琀㴀∀㘀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀吀漀瀀㰀⼀愀㸀  ਀      㰀琀搀 愀氀椀最渀㴀∀爀椀最栀琀∀ 挀漀氀猀瀀愀渀㴀∀㈀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀㰀⼀琀搀㸀 ਀    㰀琀爀㸀  ਀   㰀琀搀 眀椀搀琀栀㴀∀㄀㌀㄀∀ 栀攀椀最栀琀㴀∀㠀㈀∀ 愀氀椀最渀㴀∀挀攀渀琀攀爀∀㸀㰀昀漀渀琀 昀愀挀攀㴀∀䄀爀椀愀氀Ⰰ 䠀攀氀瘀攀琀椀挀愀Ⰰ 猀愀渀猀ⴀ猀攀爀椀昀∀ 猀椀稀攀㴀∀㈀∀㸀㰀⼀昀漀渀琀㸀㰀⼀琀搀㸀 ਀        

Of this print only 26 pieces survived, 12 of One Penny cancelled and ਀          ㈀ 洀椀渀琀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 㘀 漀昀 吀眀漀 倀攀渀挀攀 挀愀渀挀攀氀氀攀搀 愀渀搀 㘀 洀椀渀琀⸀ 吀栀攀 攀猀琀椀洀愀琀攀搀 瘀愀氀甀攀  of each of these stamps is over 1 million US Dollar, and will therefore ਀          栀愀爀搀氀礀 昀椀渀搀 琀栀攀椀爀 眀愀礀 椀渀琀漀 愀渀 漀爀搀椀渀愀爀礀 猀琀愀洀瀀 挀漀氀氀攀挀琀椀漀渀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 愀琀 氀攀愀猀琀  we can enjoy the sight of them.in a few museums. ਀        㰀⼀瀀㸀 ਀      㰀琀搀 眀椀搀琀栀㴀∀㈀　∀ 栀攀椀最栀琀㴀∀㠀㈀∀ 愀氀椀最渀㴀∀爀椀最栀琀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀㰀⼀琀搀㸀 ਀   㰀琀搀 栀攀椀最栀琀㴀∀㠀㈀∀ 愀氀椀最渀㴀∀氀攀昀琀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀㰀⼀琀搀㸀 ਀    㰀琀爀㸀   ਀      㰀琀搀 眀椀搀琀栀㴀∀㐀　㈀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀㰀⼀琀搀㸀  ਀    㰀⼀琀爀㸀 ਀      
਀        㰀⼀昀漀渀琀㸀㰀⼀昀漀渀琀㸀㰀⼀琀搀㸀 The 1847 Post Office Mauritius envelope is also known as ਀        琀栀攀 䈀愀氀氀 䌀漀瘀攀爀 猀椀渀挀攀 琀栀攀 攀渀瘀攀氀漀瀀攀猀 挀漀渀琀愀椀渀攀搀 椀渀瘀椀琀愀琀椀漀渀猀 琀漀 愀 戀愀氀氀 栀漀猀琀攀搀  by the wife of the island's Governor.
਀        㰀戀爀㸀 ਀      㰀琀搀 愀氀椀最渀㴀∀爀椀最栀琀∀㸀㰀昀漀渀琀 猀椀稀攀㴀∀㈀∀㸀㰀⼀昀漀渀琀㸀㰀⼀琀搀㸀 ਀   㰀琀搀 愀氀椀最渀㴀∀氀攀昀琀∀㸀㰀昀漀渀琀 猀椀稀攀㴀∀㈀∀㸀㰀昀漀渀琀 昀愀挀攀㴀∀䄀爀椀愀氀Ⰰ 䠀攀氀瘀攀琀椀挀愀Ⰰ 猀愀渀猀ⴀ猀攀爀椀昀∀㸀㰀愀 栀爀攀昀㴀∀䈀愀氀氀䌀漀瘀攀爀⸀栀琀洀∀㸀吀栀攀  Ball Cover਀    㰀⼀琀爀㸀 ਀      
਀      㰀⼀琀搀㸀 ਀        㰀瀀㸀圀栀攀渀 愀 礀漀甀渀最 䘀爀攀渀挀栀 戀漀礀 眀攀渀琀 琀栀爀漀甀最栀 挀漀爀爀攀猀瀀漀渀搀攀渀挀攀 昀椀氀攀猀 椀渀 ㄀㤀　㈀Ⰰ  he could not realize that he was going to happen upon one of philately’s ਀          最爀攀愀琀攀猀琀 爀愀爀椀琀椀攀猀⸀ 䠀攀 眀愀猀 猀攀愀爀挀栀椀渀最 琀栀爀漀甀最栀 愀 戀愀琀挀栀 漀昀 搀甀猀琀礀 氀攀琀琀攀爀猀  when he saw a cover franked with 1 penny and 2 pence stamps from Mauritius.

 Back   Next ਀          倀愀最攀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀㰀椀洀最 猀爀挀㴀∀⼀䤀洀愀最攀猀⼀爀攀搀ⴀ愀爀爀漀眀爀椀最栀琀⸀最椀昀∀ 眀椀搀琀栀㴀∀㠀∀ 栀攀椀最栀琀㴀∀㠀∀ 戀漀爀搀攀爀㴀∀　∀㸀㰀⼀愀㸀㰀⼀瀀㸀 ਀      㰀琀搀 愀氀椀最渀㴀∀爀椀最栀琀∀ 挀漀氀猀瀀愀渀㴀∀㈀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀㰀⼀琀搀㸀 ਀  㰀⼀琀愀戀氀攀㸀
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