Bordeaux Letter Becomes World's Most Valuable Letter

The 1847 correspondence known as the “Bordeaux Letter” was mailed from Port Louis, Mauritius, by wine merchant Edward Francis to his partners in Bordeaux. It carries two of the world’s rarest Mauritius “Post Office” stamps—one blue and one rose—originally sold for a few pennies but now worth millions. Philatelists estimate the letter’s market value at over $5 million. The letter has remained in the possession of an anonymous collector in Singapore since its 1993 auction, and only 27 of the original 500 stamp copies survive today. Its combination of historic content and the prized stamps makes it the most expensive piece of mail known.

The rarity of the Mauritius stamps, prized for the printing error that replaced "Paid" with "Post Office," continues to drive high auction prices and intense collector interest worldwide.