1859 Dardenne 2d blue, the major retouch variety, position 68 on the stone, four margins and tied by light barred oval (leaving variety showing clearly) to folded letter from Port Louis to France by Packet via Ceylon, with red oval PACKET LETTER MAURITIUS for SP 29 1860 on face, INDES OR. French entry cds, MARS A BORDEAUX TPO 30 NOV 60 and Bordeaux 1 DEC 60 arrival, very fine. Unique on cover and a major rarity of this issue Provenance: Dale-Lichtenstein 1968 (« a beautiful stamp and cover »), Kanai 1993