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MAURITIUS STAMP TO BUY IN ROMÂNIA |
Romania: Mauritius stamp put up for 2M euro sale in Braila
One of 12 Mauritius stamps, the rarest in the world, that collectors believe to be the most valuable, is owned by a Romanian collector in the southeastern city of Braila, who has decided to put it up for sale for a staggering 2 million Euros.
The famous stamp is owned by Ion Ivan, 61, who is the chairman of the Danube Philatelic Association; he told Agerpres that 'after having considered the matter for 32 years', he decided to put up for sale the Mauritius stamp, much coveted by the big stamp collectors from all over the world.
'I have been studying this matter since 1977, since I have this stamp. I have made a box at the bank and I have deposited it there. I am a collector - I buy, I do not sell - that is why it was hard for me to make this decision', Ivan said.
Click the stamp for a bigger image
He inherited a passion for stamps from his father, Vasile, who died at the age of 109; it is also from his father that Ivan inherited the Mauritius stamp, that was issued on the Mauritius Island in 1847, during Queen Victoria's reign.
Ion Ivan is the owner of an impressive collection including hundreds of works of art, important coins, medals and maps, millions of post stamps and older-than-a-century post cards.
The Mauritius stamp became famous due to an error made by engraver Joseph Barnard, who when engraving the tablets in 1847, put the words ‘Post Office' instead of ‘Post Paid' on the stamp. ("These stories are purely fictional; philatelic scholars have confirmed that the "Post Office" inscription was intentional" - Wikipedia).
As Mauritius was a British colony at that time, the stamps carrying Queen Victoria's image reached many destinations in the world and made the island famous.Source of text: AGERPRES
Source for the image: Wikipedia
| Published:
10/17/09. Revised:
10/17/09. Copyright © 2009 by Victor Manta, Switzerland. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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