THE UNIQUE ‘MAURITUS’ ERROR ON COVER

2d blue, HORIZONTAL PAIR, positions 9-10, both from the RETOUCHED PLATE, position 9 showing the UNIQUE ‘MAURITUS’ for MAURITIUS error, clear even margins all round, light PAID in circle cancels on folded 1859 cover to Portrieux, France, showing frontside with ms “Via Suez & Marseille” and red PAYS ETR. cds transit alongside, names of addressee and sender excised, plus hs “8” rate marking, with backside displaying ‘MAURITIUS/GPO/No.9.1859’ cds and several St.Brieux and Portrieux French arrival and transit mkgs, some small cover faults away from stamps.

A significant Mauritius rarity discovered by Philip Kinns of Stanley Gibbons and listed by SG as number 39ac, illustrated by Kanai in his “Classic Mauritius” book page 93 (SG £130’000+)

Provenance: Hiroyuki Kanai, November 1993 (Lot 197)

Edward M. Gilbert, June 2006 (Lot 879)

Expertise: Cert. BPA (1994)