Rejoined composite proof of the 2d in deep indigo blue and 1d in red-orange on light card drawn from the original plate prior to printing the 1912 London reprints. The status of this item has always been a mystery, thought by many that it could have been the original proof by Barnard prior to the 1847 original printing, as a result of new tests performed, we can now confirm its status as described. The proof is accompanied by a small card bearing a sample swatch of both inks which, surprisingly, is not rejoined, and may give us a better clue as to how the original stamps in 1847 were printed. This very unique pair of items is a fascinating part of the printing story and a key addition for the most important Mauritius Post Office collection. Exhibited in the Court of Honor at many international exhibitions 1998-2014 Ex Dale-Lichtenstein and Kanai