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Auction: 15USA - The William H. Gross Collection
Lot: 99

S.G. #4, 1848 2p Indigo Blue on bluish paper, Earliest Impression, position 11, a superb example with large to very large margins all around, strikingly intense color in the distinctive Indigo shade which is only found on the earliest printings, excellent detailed impression, tied by light strike of grid cancel to neat 1849 folded cover from Flacq to Port Louis, two line ""FLACQ/JUY 10 1849"" boxed handstamp at top left, as well as a boxed ""ISLAND."" boxed handstamp at top center, ""Mauritius Post Office/ ? jy 1849"" c.d.s. on reverse, extremely fine.[cr][lf][cr][lf]A spectacular cover bearing the immensely rare Indigo Blue shade of the Two Pence ""Post Paid"" Earliest Impression. To our knowledge, this one of only two covers known franked with the Indigo Blue shade. This being, by far, the finer of the two. The other was in the Dale-Lichtenstein sale dated October 21, 1968, which realized a then impressive $18,000.00. However, the stamp on that cover was uncancelled and was only tied by a manuscript ""X"" transit marking. In addition to this cover bearing the distinctive Indigo Blue shade, it is also one of the finest quality Two Pence Earliest Impression covers extant and has graced the collections of many of the most prominent collectors ever to have assembled important collections of classic Mauritius - Caspary, Dr. Chan, Gray, Stevens, Kanai and ""K.L."" Collection.[cr][lf][cr][lf]A magnificent classic cover in optimal condition and of the utmost rarity - essential to the specialist in classic Mauritius. Accompanied by a 1958 BPA Estimate US$ 64,000-80,000

Sold for
$91,700