Postal History of Israel from 1948 Mandate Termination-Interim Period to War of Independence era

1948 interim 2-period cover with frozen dated cancel: MAY 1948 undated registered commercial cover from loan society NATANYA to Anglo-Palestine Bank TEL AVIV, franked 25m per postage period rate using mixed interim & Mandate franks (4 mil Pipeline & 20 mil Pictorial) + registry-label 2309 (numbers 2183-2877 known used throughout interim period), tied by 2 strikes of interim postmark in violet on f...

Besieged Negev - end of Operation Yoav: 19 OCT 1948 (1st day of Hol HaMoed Sukkot holiday) parcel card from BNEI BRAK to KABA 277 (Palmach Yiftach Brigade headquarters) in the NEGEV, franked 60m using 10 + 50m Doar Ivri stamps for 1.3kg weight & tied by 2 strikes of the local postmark; flown to the servicing army post office at APO 10 ('Misrad 10') in RUCHAMA where front-stamped 22 X 48 arrival; r...

1948 beseiged Safed interim post: 10 MAY 1948 local printed-matter cover franked 5m per period 3m printed-matter rate (2m convenience overcharge) using Mandate Ba93 stamp tied by full strike of "circular local" postmark in carmine; cut open at top. Probably posted sealed (against printed-matter reguations) to protect its contents as operation to liberate the town began that same day; Mandate frank...

Philatelic cover purporting to be taxed mail between 3 different postal authorities: probably prepared by an employee at the Tel Aviv Head Post office, originally blank cover without return address tied by an invalid JNF stamp (no "doar" overprint) & postmarked on the field by a 5 May 1948 dated Mandate cancel (Sacher #B24) + tax cachet (Sacher #L2; i.e. the last day of the Mandate post in Tel Avi...

1948 1st convoy mail from besieged JERUSALEM: scarce regular mail cover from JERUSALEM to TEL AVIV franked at the period letter rate 10m using 1st local issue Ba102 tied by local Minhelet Ha'am postmark and linear dater 9 MAY 1948 (unclear but corroborated by 1st issue's 1st date of issue as 9 May); transported by the 1st convoy which carried Jerusalem mail dated 9-12 May which accumulated in Rech...

1948 Minhelet Ha'am stamps used as provisional postage dues: local TEL AVIV cover mailed unfranked & tied by Mandate single-circle TEL AVIV postmark in field, and taxed double the deficiency, marked by Mandate "to pay" boxed cachet; paid using 2x interim 10m Weizmann Ba12 franks with Tel Aviv overprints + obliterated by large "T" tax handstamp, making these "provisional" postage due franks: cover ...

1948 JERUSALEM siege period couriered (flown?) mail: cover from female in JERUSALEM to female in TEL AVIV franked 10m at period letter rate using Jerusalem 2nd locals Ba105; couriered to TEL AVIV and posted locally in June 1948, tied by 23-6-1948 TEL AVIV trilingual postmark (per elements of faint Hebrew date) - interim franking was invalid outside Jerusalem after 22 May and accepted inconsistentl...

1948 early postal links / taxed incoming couriered airmail: unfranked airmail stationary cover from PARIS to TEL AVIV, couriered from abroad by air and posted locally unfranked, where marked for tax with Mandate scarce metal boxed cachet "To pay 10 mils" and charged concessionary tax (half the usual postage dues) as addressed to private individual, and paid using 10m 1st Postage Dues Ba #PD3 frank...

Reintroduced Mandate postmark on early 1948 Israeli mail abroad: 21 JU 1948 airmail stationary commercial cover from RAMAT GAN to BUDAPEST franked 40m at period airmail rate to Europe using pair of 20m Doar Ivri and tied by reintroduced Mandate Ramat Gan postmark Dorf-4; arrived 26 VI 48 and reached address on the 28th. Probably transported by Czechoslovak Airlines which opened the Israel-Hungary ...

1948 early postal links / service (not) suspended mail: "First Day airmail to Israel" return paid post card (RPPC) from CHICAGO Palestine Postal History Society to postmaster PETACH TIKVA, pre-printed with 3c franking + additional 22c franking for overseas airmail, postmarked "Chicago-Airmail" 29 JUN 1948 (1st day of US-Israel mail) & erroniously stamped "Return to Mailing Office | Service Suspend...

Doar Ivri PO's, rates & routes: 16-5-1948 local HAIFA registered 'first day' cover franked 25m at the DO-1 period rate (10m letter + 15m registration) using 5m + 20m (Ba2/5) franks tied by single full strike of 1st day HAIFA-1 trilingual postmark on front + 2 on back; cut open at left, very fine....

1948 Interim mixed franking domestic mail: 12 MY 48 local HAIFA express cover to northern district engineer franked 50m at the postage period rate (10m letter + 40m express) using mix of 10m Mandate pictorial coil stamp (Ba97) + block x4 10m Ramat Gan interim stamps (Ba26) tied by 3 strikes of Haifa Minhelet Ha'am postmark and back-stamped twice 12 MY 48 by Mandate HADAR HACARMEL branch office pos...

1948 outbound JERUSALEM siege mail: commercial cover to HAIFA franked 10m per letter rate using 1st Jerusalem locals (Ba102) on 2nd day of issue, tied by local interim postmark & 10 MAY 1948 dater. Transported on the 1st convoy of 18 June (lacks backstamp as not registered letter - this rare on convoy mail); opened roughly at back but complete. Estimated value $175+...

1948 JERUSALEM 1st convoy mail: commercial express registered cover to HAIFA, franked 65m per period rate using mix 1st locals 25m (Ba103) & complete set 2nd locals (Ba104-6) tied by 2 strikes of black interim postmark + 2 strikes 11 MAY 1948 dater (3rd day 1st locals use; 2nd day 2nd locals use); transported on 1st convoy of 18 June (carrying mail dated 9-12 May) but not backstamped as not regist...

1948 JERUSALEM interim mail: local commercial printed-matter cover franked 5m using rare 3rd local issue (Ba #107; 2m convenience overfrank as city limited to local issue denominations) tied by interim MEA SHEARIM postmark and 23 JUN 1948 dater (3 days after start of use of Doar Ivri franks in city); returned as addressee left (manuscript on back); unsealed per printed-matter regulations. Rare com...

1948 besieged JERUSALEM interim mail: local registered commercial cover postmarked at Machane Yehuda Branch Office (JERUSALEM 6) franked 40m (25m registered + 2x 6m additonal weight) using mix of 25m 1st local issue (Ba103) on 2nd day of issue & 5m + 10m 2nd local issue (Ba104-105) on 1st day of issue, tied by 3 strikes of slightly deformed local interim postmark + single strike of 10 MAY 1948 dat...

1948 PEDI first flight mail - HIGHEST NUMBER with BOTH CANCELLATION TYPES: Zionist Organization of America airmail stationary cover from BROOKLYN to BNEI BRAK ("Palestine") franked 25c regular airmail rate, postmarked MAY 21 1948 (1st day of PEDI service) using both Type I and II cancels - as numbered 236 this is the highest recorded cover marked by both types (ref. IFPL p.93 says "211"); with US ...

1948 backstamped PEDI airmail: commercial cover from NYC to Walter Eitan at Foreign Ministry in Kirya TEL AVIV, machine franked 25c airmail rate on JUN 23 48 and tied by PEDI Type II cancel, cover numbered 19687 (corresponds to 23-24 June) - 15th shipment; backstamped 13-7-1948 HAKIRYA arrival - extremely rare on a PEDI cover as these not usually registered mails. Slit open at top. Eitan was a leg...

1948 PEDI first flight mail: May 21 1948 postmarked air mail cover on Agudat Israel airmail stationary, from NEW YORK to American Consul General in HAIFA ("Palestine"), franked 50c per period double-rate postage & tied by single strike of PEDI Type II cancel + serial number 745 & "First Flight" handstamp on front; this 1st flight arrived in Haifa on 2 June where CSA Czech Airlines circular cachet ...

1948 Interim period mixed franking mail: MAY 1948 local HAIFA registered cover from MOUNT CARMEL branch office, franked 25m per postage period rate using mix of Mandate pictorals 5m & 10m (Ba93/97) + interim Weizmann 10m (Ba12) with scarce Haifa overprint & tied by 2 strikes of local interim dateless postmark + 2 on back; tied by Haifa-3 (Mt. Carmel) period registry-label 2243 indicating mailing c...

DISCOVERY - 1st Day ISRAEL 15 MAY 1948 cover with *INTERIM* postmarks: local HAIFA registered cover from the AHUZAT SAMUEL town agency to addressee at MOUNT CARMEL, franked 25m per period registered letter rate using interim 5m Negev & 2x 10m brown Diaspora I (Ba 34/#44-45) & tied by 2 strikes of "reintroduced" Mandate AHUZAT SAMUEL HAIFA postmark (GD-117; no interim canceller was used here, only ...

Interim period Haifa Head Post Office postmark: local HAIFA registered cover from Consolidated Refineries Ltd. to Execution Officer, franked 26m per period registered letter rate (25m with 1m convenience overcharge) - fully pre-paid as mail to Government departments was not free of postage (except to the Income Tax office) - using only Mandate pictorals, vertical pair 3m + 20m (Ba 91/99) & tied by...

Very early/"first day" interim registered cover: dateless local HAIFA registered cover from Tuberculosis League, franked 25m per postage period rate (10m letter + 15m registered fee) using interim Technion 5m & pair 10m (Ba13/14,with Haifa overprints) & tied by strike of interim postmark + 2x on back; tied by Haifa-12 (NAHLA Branch Office) registry-label 0019 - this very early use (0003-1672 were ...

1948 South African "service suspended" mail: 30 IV 1948 airmail cover from JOHANNESBURG to TEL AVIV, franked 10d per period 9d rate & tied by multiple strikes of JOHANNESBURG-94 postmark; however South Africa suspended airmail to Palestine on 24 April (and Lydda airfield closed 25 April) - here cover marked by both instructional marking handstamps "P.T.O." ["please turn over"] + "NO SERVICE" K-Typ...