Blue Mauritius: The Hunt for the World's Most Valuable Stamps

Description

Follow the adventures of the world's most sought-after postage stamps - from a tropical Indian Ocean island to the husband atmosphere of the modern auction room - in a dramatic and gripping tale of the first stamp hunters. In September 1847 coloured squares of paper were stuck to envelopes and used to send out admission cards to a fancy-dress ball on the tropical island of Mauritius. No-one at the party could have guessed that these 'stamps' would one day be worth more than a million dollars. Even now, 'Post Office Mauritius' stamps remain synonymous with fame, wealth and mystery. Helen Morgan tells the fascinating story of the most coveted scraps of paper in existence, from Mauritius' Port Louis to Bordeaux, India and Great Britain, Switzerland and Japan, into the fantasies and imagination of stamp collectors everywhere. 'Who among us, upon reading of this adventure, can resist another quick once-over through those musty family letters in the attic? - Simon Garfield, Wall Street Journal 'Not just an entertaining and meticulously researched history of Mauritius and its stamps, but also an absorbing look at the early development of one of the world's most widespread hobbies.' - Sunday Business Post

Helen Morgan trained as an art historian and archivist. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her Mauritian husband. This is her first book.

Will strike a chord with anyone who has ever felt the thrill of buying a little glassine packet of stamps, tipping them out, finding the longed-for Missing One and making the proud, complete set... the stories of these stamps are often extraordinary. -- Ann Wroe * Daily Telegraph * Fascinating... not just an entertaining and meticulously researched history of Mauritius and its stamps, but also an absorbing look at the early development of one of the world's most widespread hobbies. -- Kieron Wood * Sunday Business Post *