Lot #: 144313

Asking Price: $249.00


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Description

1959 Egyptian seizures of Israel-bound mail in transit: unpostmarked 1959 era airmail postal stationary cover sent from WROCLAW Poland to SARAFAND, imprint franked 3.40 Zlotys. In this period, although a starting date is unknown, Egypt resumed its practice from 1948 of seizing mail addressed to Israel from mail bags transiting Egypt by air or surface transport - censoring and returning those letters back to their senders, as a systematic policy this is documented in the press archives but not in Daryl Kibble's book. Here this cover was impounded by the Egyptians while the flight carrying the mail stopped over via CAIRO: the cover, unlike in 1948, as a regular letter (not registered) was now not opened and resealed by the Egyptian censor but marked by its circular handstamp (Kibble Type-7, numbered "75") + the boxed French-language no-service marking then in use, Kibble Type-I in black "PAS DE SERVICE VIA L'EGYPTE" of which about 30 pieces are mail are documented by him so stamped.

The cover was returned to sender - but resent, without additional postage required as per UPU regulations for this type of mail; machine backstamped 14 Apr 1959 TEL AVIV transit-arrival + tied by instructional marking Kibble Type-M1.1 in violet "This letter was delayed in one of the Arab countries due to incorrect [postal] routing"; opened gently at back.