Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-10-01

at the top and bottom are the inscriptions.
Postage and One Penny" and at the
left and right Post Office and "Maurl
thus" They are the same size as the or
binary issues of the United States. Had all
of the first consignment been used the
stamps would not command such an enol-
nous premium, but the records of the col
ony show that the majority Were destroy
the present time.
The circumstances attending the de-
struction of these early Mauritius stamps
interesting. In December, 1S41, the
heads of departments, civil servants and
members of the governors staff decided
to give ball in return for a like enter
tainment held by some of the officers OF
her majeStys 18th Regiment. A few days
Signment of stamps were received in the
colony for the postal service. This, Of
course, The first time postage stamps
had ever been used there, and the post
master general, who was chairman of the
ball committee, thought it pertinent to have
the invitations franked with the new
stamps, in order to introduce them to the
inhabitants. This plan was carried out,
but the radical element, which at the time
predominated in the legislative council.
could not resist the temptation of gaining
point on the government house, and ac-
cordingly at the next meeting of council
an order was passed declaring that post
age stamps We're entirely unnecessary for
so small a colony and that the stock on
hand should be Immediately destroyed
Thus the only specimens used were those
which franked the invitations to the ball
Second Pile Not So Good.
In 1SIS, the following year, a second con-
signment of stamps was forwarded to the
Nautilus government, the needs for a per-
manent system having been shown on all
sides; but these were slightly different
from the first issue Until 1873 it was
thought that the two issues were similar
but in that year a prominent London col
lector, in examining the records of the
colony and comparing specimens of the
two consignments, discovered that the for
mer issue bore the inscription Post Office"
while on those of the second il was Post
Paid. Thus they are referred to as the
Post Office" stamps, which distinguishes
them from the second issue. The issue of
1873 consisted Of the same number as that
of the year previous, but all of them were
used, and they are easily obtained COM
pared with those of the 1S47 issue 1t is
generally credited that few II any of the
Post Office" stamps We're used except on
the ball invitations, which numbered about
go
There are numerous other comics of the
Mauritius stamps reposing in the big col
lections of Europe, about twenty In all be-
ing known Perhaps the best assortment
Is in the possession of NJ. Philip Won Fer
rar of Paris, whose collection is undoubt-
world In it are four of these coveted
treasures, two of each denomination The
Avery collection of Birmingham contains
two; pair is held by Bernichon of Paris
the collections of Mors and Mirabeau each
contain two. and another pair is to be
found in the TAPPING collection now in
the British museum in London These
with single specimen in the kirchner
coilecuon and the one recently sold make
sixteen copies. Four more are Thought TO
be In existence. resting probably in other
noted collections in Europe They are
priIeu nisher than the stamps Of any other
country, and have been talked of and writ
ten about in all corners of the globe. In
deed, the advertising they have received
price to the 5000 mark
How Values Creep Up.
The history Of the Mauritius stamps and
their notorious rise in value has long been
an interesting subject to philatelists The
first notable sale was made late in the
seventies, when copy of the one penny.