See two of the world’s rarest stamps: the Mauritian 1847 'Post Office' Penny Red and Twopence Blue, estimated to be worth more than US$1 million apiece.
The museum is the only place in the world where the two stamps are displayed together for public viewing.
The stamps were bought at an auction in Switzerland in 1993 for US2 million by a consortium of Mauritian enterprises headed by the Mauritius Commercial Bank, and returned to Mauritius after almost 150 years.
To preserve the colours, the originals are illuminated only temporarily: for 10 minutes at a time, every hour on the half-hour.
After admiring the stamps take a turn through the museum, which is devoted to the art and history of Mauritius.
On the ground floor you can see one of the country’s most famous works of art: the lifelike statue of Paul and Virginia, created in 1881 by the Mauritian sculptor Prosper d'Épinay.
Location: Caudan Waterfront, Port Louis
Phone: 210 8176
Hours: Monday - Saturday 10am-5pm
Latest update: Blue Penny Museum, Port Louis: 30 December, 2022
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