Mauritius First Issues

 The Post Office Stamp

In September 1847 the first stamps of Mauritius were issued bearing the inscription "POST OFFICE” in the left tablet instead of the inscription "POST PAID", widely believed to have been an error by the engraver Joseph Osmond Barnard. 

However, Lady Gomm, wife of the Governor of Mauritius was thrilled at the Idea of using the first postage stamps for the franking of envelopes containing invitations to the great Fancy Dress Ball she was preparing at Government House. There would not have been enough time to re-engrave the plate so the stamps had to be issued in spite of the error. 

There is much speculation today about whether this inscription was really an error. However, there is sufficient evidence to show that the stamps were almost immediately replaced after the single printing in September 1847 by stamps with the inscription "POST PAID". 

The first "POST OFFICE" example was not discovered until 1864. Genuine set below

Forgeries

Although only some 25 genuine examples exist, forgeries of all types appear in online auctions. Many collectors who inherit or buy "old collections" are quick to think they have just won a large lottery. The fact is that only a few of these stamps are decent forgeries and none would be considered as "dangerous". There are no known Sperati of these stamps.

Here is a sample of some the forgeries from fair to outright primitive and crude.

A pair of engraved Oneglia

These are the best hand made as opposed to photo reproductions.

The eyes are particularly different

The loops in the hair are quite typical in these forgeries

These are  non existent reprints apparently made in 1912

A 1980's Peter Winter and one of his fake covers

These show up regularly

The facial features are off and they all have a dot in the N of ONE

Probably photolitho reproductions with fake cancels

Crude Torres forgeries

The following are all reproductions. In some cases probably made by dealers for advertising and generally modern.

"Fournier" forgeries
Fournier sold many varieties of forgeries of all the issued types.

He was obviously not the creator but acted as a reseller.

Below a sample of his offers.

The bottom ones have a dark cancel to hide the "facsimile" overprint

Now some very crude attempts

This rather poor sample 2P has some resemblance to the preceding one, many letters are similar

The last one is apparently from a German stamp dealer - Walter Behrens in Braunschweig  early 1930's

Thin letters and an odd tail on the G

An early forgery from an unknown source

Some Bogus examples sometimes sold as color tests or proofs. In the case of the last set as non existent "reprints"

Post Paid Issue

Engraver and printer: Joseph Osmond Barnard at Port Louis, Mauritius.

Engraved on two copper plates (previously used to print advertisements of the Grand Hotel d’Europe, Port Louis) one for each value so that each contained four horizontal rows of three stamps. The twelve stamps on each plate were engraved individually so that each has differences in its engraving. 

This enables every stamp to be identified as originating from one of the twelve positions on its plate.

Some of the types of paper used in earlier issues did not readily take the printing or cancellation inks. This gives rise to “sticky” prints or damage to the surface of the stamp where the cancellation ink flicked off carrying surface fibers of the stamp with it.

Five states of impression of each value are recognized.

Below, early, intermediate and latest impressions

Plate Reconstructions of early impressions

Forgeries

Sperati proof

There is a diagonal slash of color that extends from the left edge of "O" to the lower portion of the upright of the "P" of "POST" at left side

This forgery is not a problem as only 2 finished stamps have been confirmed

Oneglia/Panelli engraved forgeries

This is apparently an 1880 engraved Senf forgery

Pair of well executed forgeries - source unknown

Above full forgeries

Forgery to mimic Position 7 with PENOE instead of PENCE

Eyes are too prominent and the hair shading is wrong

The 2 following sets are very crude & primitive. The first one originates from a german dealer

These were listed as "reprints"

Note the inverted S on the right stamp

Lapirot Issue

Denomination: Two Pence.

Engraver and Printer : Jules Lapirot at Port Louis, Mauritius.

Engraved on a copper plate with three horizontal rows of four stamps. The twelve stamps on the plate were engraved individually so that each has differences in its engraving. This enables every stamp is be identified as originating from one of the twelve positions on the plate.

By October 1859 the plate had been sufficiently worn for it to be re-engraved by a person or persons unknown, to produce a “Retouched" plate.

Date of Original Issue: March 1859.

Date of Re-Engraving: Before 9th November 1859.

Three states of impression are recognized plus the addition of the "Retouched" impression.

Below Positions 6 & 11

Forgeries

Bottom 2 are Spiro and Torres with some similarities

Forgery similar to the one above

Dardenne Issue

Denomination: One Penny and Two Pence.

Engraver: Louis Adolphe Dardenne at Port Louis, Mauritius.

Printing Format: Lithographic stone of unknown size, and therefore the number of stamps printed on a sheet is unknown. It is thought that the printing stone consisted of two transfers of the intermediate stone, and that each printing may have consisted of 60 or 72 stamps.

Date of Issue: December 1859 (30,000 One Penny and 40,000 Two Pence stamps were in stock on 12 December 1859).

White or yellowish laid paper. A watermark is known, but of unknown design; part of itis found only rarely on individual stamps

Genuine set below

Forgeries

I have not seen any forgeries that would cause concern. They are all lacking particularly in the facial features.

These first 2 are the better ones classified as Spiro forgeries. The 3rd one is a Torres

Next a block of probably more modern origin

A group of crude primitive attempts

Sherwin Issue

Denominations; Two Pence (a One Penny was prepared but never postally used as the 2p was basically a temporary provisional).

Engraver and printer : It is uncertain who actually engraved the copper plates but the available evidence suggests that it was commenced by Robert Sherwin and completed by another at Port Louis, Mauritius. 

Robert Sherwin was the keeper of the Prison at Port Louis, and also a master at the Royal College.

It is not known who printed the stamps.

The “Post Paid" plates became too worn for further use and were re-engraved for the “Sherwin” issue. It was done so effectively that no feature of the "Post Paid" engraving was afterwards discernible on the plates. 

The individual engraving almost exactly coincides with the position previously occupied by the “Post Paid ”. Both the “Sherwin'1 plates survive, although scored to prevent their further use, in the Archives of the Royal Philatelic Society, London. 

Differences in the engraving enable every stamp to be identified as originating from one of the twelve positions on the plate.

Issued; October 1859.

Granular thin or thinnish paper (extremely delicate).

Only one state of impression is recognized.

Genuine stamps below

A reconstruction of the original plate

Forgeries

These 2 are reasonable imitations and may be more "modern"

Another "Modern" strip?

A lot of modern Bogus stamps come up as "color trials"

Illustrations from an 1864 Moens catalog

Fournier French sheet of rare facsimile Mauritius stamps.

I have seen an English & German version. Also sheets with cancels and the Fac-simile crossed out

They were produced in large quantities as the individual stamps are very plentiful. The original source is unknown.