Blue Penny Museum

The Island of Mauritius is famous for 2 of the rarest stamps in the World, the 1847 "Post Office" Penny Orange and Two pence Blue. This site is dedicated to the first stamps of this Paradise on Earth, those that were engraved and printed locally.

Extensive work has gone into the creation of this site and updates are frequent. The intention here is to provide noteworthy data, not limited strictly to philately, but also useful information about the Island, it's history, customs, culture and environment.

Founded by The Mauritius Commercial Bank and erected at the Caudan Waterfront in Port Louis, this state-of-the-art Museum is one of the jewels of Mauritius cultural establishments. Resolutely modern and dynamic in its conception, it houses an exquisite heritage collection that speaks of Mauritius and the region. Transcending time and space, from the first explorer to set foot on the island, all through its successive settlers from Europe, Africa and Asia, an exciting adventure awaits you. Interwoven with reality are the numerous legends which make us all dream.

If deep down, you want to taste the soul of Mauritius, to feel its heart beating with memories of the past, to learn all about what makes it so endearing, then the Blue Penny Museum is a must.

The Blue Penny Museum is unique in that it is the only museum in the whole world to own and permanently exhibit the famous Mauritius "POST OFFICE" stamps dated 1847. However, if the museum has been named after the most prestigious of those stamps, make no mistake: it is first and foremost a place of History and Art, and houses an array of other rare heritage treasures. 

The numerous maps and ancient nautical instruments, paintings and sculptures, engravings and lithographs, documents and rare editions found in the museum’s six permanent exhibition rooms are witness to the genuine and legendary Mauritian history and culture which span three colonisation periods: Dutch, French and finally English, before achieving independence in 1968.

The modern concept of the Blue Penny Museum contributes to its interactive environment. Multimedia and audiovisual facilities highlight the visitor’s journey of discovery, constantly renewing and keeping alive his interest while taking him through an exciting trek in the past.

The BLUE PENNY MUSEUM’s Boutique is worth a visit. Here, under the label  Blue Penny Museum the visitor will find by-products of the institution’s prestigious collections: small pieces of Mauritius History and Art to take home… Each souvenir is not only of great quality, but also exclusive.

For the choosy person, a variety of selected articles from the local market is also available, ranging from t-shirt to model ships, books and decorative objects.