THE UNIQUE COMBINATION COVER TO A UNIQUE DESTINATION

2d dark blue, position 6, margins clear to touching at the bottom and larger on other two sides, franked in combination with Britannia 1858-62 (9d) dull magenta, both neatly cancelled by PAID in circle on 1859 folded cover (part of backflap removed) from Port Louis via “pr Steamer to Aden & Via Southampton” to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

An important Mauritius postal history rarity, only seven Sherwin covers known and this one undoubtedly unique in every respect

Rate: 11d overseas letter rate. Routed through London to Liverpool and then by the Allan line “Bohemian” to Portland and on to Halifax

Provenance: Dale-Lichtenstein, October 1968 (Lot 88)

Hiroyuki Kanai, November 1993 (Lot 205)

Vikram Chand

Expertise: Cert. Peter Holcombe (1993) and David Brandon (2007)