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Auction: 11026 - The Chartwell Collection - British Empire
Lot: 31

Mauritius 1847 (21 September) "POST OFFICE" Issue The Most Famous Stamps In The World 2d. deep blue on soft greyish wove paper showing the Queen´s portrait on a ground of diagonal and perpendicular lines and with the initials "J B" of the engraver, J.O. Barnard, showing at base of the Queen´s neck, wonderful deep rich colour adding to the beauty of this iconic stamp, neatly cancelled at lower left corner with a small part of the "mauritius post office" double-ring datestamp resulting in this example being the lightest cancelled of the few known used examples of this world renowned rarity. S.G. 2, £750,000 Estimate £ 400,000-500,000 condition: When offered in the Maurice Burrus auction in 1963 the stamp was described as having a small portion of the value tablet covering the right side of the "O" and the "P" carefully restored, and the extreme lower right corner with a tiny cut. Since that time a small part of the lower right portion of the corner ornament has also been sympathetically restored resulting in the stamp having a more balanced and pleasing appearance. There are two small splits at the top of the stamp which are barely apparent and are mentioned only for the sake of accuracy provenance: 1869: Found by Madame Borchard 1869: Martineau, a Bordeaux collector, obtained the stamp by exchange 1872: Madame Desbois purchased the stamp 1872 (16 September): J.B. Moens bought the stamp for Fr. 100 1872 (20 September): Baron Arthur de Rothschild bought the stamp for Fr. 600 1893 (March): Philipp la Renontiere Ferrary bought Baron Arthur de Rothschild´s collection for £5,600 1923 (21 April): Ferrary Sale 16, July 1923, Lot 341. Fr. 49,350 (£720). Purchased by Maurice Burrus 1963 (1 October): Maurice Burrus Mauritius Sale, Lot 3, £3,300 1972 (June): Displayed at Belgica ´72 in Brussels by Stanley Gibbons Ltd.

Sold for
£900,000