1960-1969 Rates, Routes & Postal Handling

1960 currency revaluation 'Last Day' cover: 5 Jan 1960 postmarked air mail cover on imprinted business postal stationary, sent from JERUSALEM to Bank of Belgium in BRUSSELS, franked 250 Prutot as per the base leter rate to Europe using a 1959 issue Pruta-denominated Bialik stamp & tied by a full strike of the JERUSALEM-41 postmark. The cover was franked using Pruta denominated stamps on the la...

Israeli currency redenomination - last day of Pruta postage rates: 5 Jan 1960 postmarked registered printed matter air mail, sent from TEL AVIV to AMSTERDAM Netherlands & franked 600 Prutot for the period postage rate (200pr 25g printed matter + 180pr registry fee + 200 additional 25g weight, 20pr overpaid) using 2x tabbed stamps of the 12 Tribes series on their last day of use + tabbed 1959 Indep...

1st day use of the Provisional definitive stamp series: 6 Jan 1960 postmarked registered air mail cover sent from HAIFA to WITTSTOCK East Germany, franked 44 Agorot for the 43 Agorot currency revised postage rate (0.25ag airmail + 0.18 registry fee) using mostly tabbed + 3 regular stamps of the Provisionals series, tied by 4x strikes of the HAIFA-64 postmark on front + 2x on back; tied on front by...

1960 mixed currency franking on mail abroad: 2 Aug 1960 postmarked airmail color picture postcard (Negev mountains on road to Eilat) sent from TEL AVIV to RICCIONE Italy, franked 15 Agorot as per the period postage rate using mixed currency franking of 80+20 prutot 1957 issue IDF stamp + 0.05 Lira (5 agorot) 1960 provisional definitive, tied by strike of the local postmark. Israel's fractional cur...

Israeli ship mail: 5 Aug 1961 postmarked surface mailed registered cover, sent from STRASBOURG PORT AU RHIN (Strasbourg port on Rhine river), return addressed to KIRYAT BIALIK (Israel), and addressed to passenger on board the Israeli ship SS MOLEDET at MARSEILLES, scheduled to depart 1 Sept.; franked 0.85 Franc & tied by 2x strikes of the local postmark. The letter arrived a week after the shi...

Reforwarded US-France airmail to Israel with airmail surcharge: 24 Aug 1961 postmarked air mail cover sent from SAN CLEMENTE USA to BRUNOY France, franked 15c for the period postage rate. The addressee evidently left for Israel and whoever received the mail re-addressed the cover to 'poste restante' in Tel Aviv (the mail is held at the post office for pickup by the addressee) & added 0.20F postage...

1962 late use of Pruta franking in the Agorot currency reform era: 26 Oct 1962 postmarked registered cover sent locally in JERUSALEM, franked 370 Prutot (37 Agorot) for the period 12 Agorot domestic letter postage rate + 25 Agorot registry fee, using an old 350pr denominated 1956 Technion stamp (Ba #131) & a 20pr 1958 issue 12 Tribes stamp (Ba #119), tied by single strike of JERUSALEM-54 postmark ...

Rare Eilat - Army mail combination: 27 Aug 1963 postmarked family correspondence cover sent from civilian in EILAT to relative serving in the army; in this period uniquely at EILAT all domestic mail addressed outside of the city was flown as air mail: the postage rate was the same as the domestic letter rates for the rest of the country but the weight tranche differed. Here the cover was franked 1...

Rare use of "A.O" label on mail to Israel: 26 Feb 1964 postmarked air mail printed matter cover sent from PARIS to French Consulate in JERUSALEM, meter franked 40Fr & affixed with yellow "A.O" label to indicate 3rd class mail (AO = "Autres Objets"); the Israeli post office evidently rerouted the letter to the consulate's post office box and tied the front with a black framed instructional marking ...

Unpaid Israeli mail mailed untaxed: 14 APRIL 1966 commercial cover on bank "registered mail" postal stationary, sent from EILAT to insurance company in TEL AVIV - but posted stampless & tied by machine cancel; not returned and apparently delivered; slit open at top....

Unusual consular mail: 23 Aug 1967 postmarked registered air mail cover on imprinted postal stationary, sent from the Embassy of Switzerland in TEL AVIV to the Swiss Ambassador in ABIDJAN Ivory Coast; franked 1.55 Lira for the 0.65L letter rate + 0.40L for the registry free (3 of 4 stamps being tabbed) & registry number applied by meter, tied by 3x strikes of the TEL AVIV-94 postmark on front + 1x...

1968 Communist Bloc unsanctioned Israeli militaristic franks on mail: 2 Jan 1968 postmarked airmail cover sent from RISHON LE ZION to CLUJ Romania; franked 0.40 Lira with 'Straits of Tiran' stamp (Ba #377) of the 1967 IDF Victory in Six Days War issue for the postage rate & tied by machine cancel; backstamped 6 Jan arrival + Romanian numbered sorting office handstamp. Remarkably the letter was not...

1969 German diplomatic mail from Israel: stampless consular letter of the West German embassy in TEL AVIV, addressed to the State Administration Office in BERLIN; carried by diplomatic pouch to the country's capital BONN, where meter franked 30pf for domestic letter postage rate & postmarked on 20 Jan 1969 by the "Foreign Office" meter; slit open at top. Rare type of mail, especially as non-Americ...

1969 Communist Bloc unsanctioned Israeli military franks on mail: 16 April 1969 postmarked airmail First Day Cover for Israel's Independence Day, sent from JERUSALEM (return addressed DIMONA) to BUCAREST Romania; franked 0.95 Lira with tabbed set of 1969 Independence Day stamp issue (Ba #422-423) for the 0.50L postage rate & tied by full strikes of the illustrated JERUSALEM-79 postmark; backstampe...

Jordanian postal boycott of Israel: 26 JAN 1961 airmail cover from CARACAS Venezuela to Hotel Dana "TEL AVIV JERUSALEM" (no country mentioned), meter franked 80c; as address unclear [mis-]routed via JORDAN where backstamped 3 FEB 61 AMMAN transit, forwarded on to EAST JERUSALEM where Israeli address noticed + marked "PAS DE COMMUNICATION" using JERUSALEM Post Office K-Type-III instructional markin...

Kuban mail affected by Egyptian postal boycott of Israel: 1961 era surface mailed picture postcard of Havana from LOS PINOS - HAVANA to KIBBUTZ LEHAVOT HAVIVA, franked 3c but [mis-]routed via EGYPT where seized and censored (by K-Type7 censor handstamp numbered #75) & marked by Egyptian "PAS DE SERVICE" K-Type-II instructional marking - and returned to sender; the postcard was resent, correctly ro...

Very rare Israeli mimeograph on Jordanian postal boycott of mail to Israel: 14 SEP 1962 airmail cover from PADDINGTON (UK) to KIBBUTZ MASADA "Jordan Valley, Israel", franked 5d at the period 'Zone A' (Middle East) printed matter airmail rate & tied local machine slogan cancel (oddly advertising 6d postage rate); mis-routed via JORDAN (probably confused by "Jordan" valley address) where backstamped...

Egyptian postal boycott of Israel: 10 JULY 1969 registered airmail cover from HERZLIYA to WEST BERLIN, franked 80Ag per FA-18 period rate (40Ag letter to EU + 40Ag registration fee) & tied by local postmark; when arrived re-routed to CAIRO with Poste Restante address (as addresee travelling abroad) & backstamped 16-7-69 CAIRO AIRPORT arrival - however as cover's origins & markings are Israeli, it ...

Local mail misdirected to China + taxed by 2 postal administrations & 2 methods: 8 Oct 1968 postmarked domestic cover sent from TEL AVIV to Postmaster at the northern Druze town (with ancent Jewish community) of PEQIIN (Peki'in), franked at 0.15L at the DO-12 period domestic letter rate & tied by local machine cancel. With the return address and sending address being written in English the sorting...

1960 early currency reform era domestic 'top of the pile' taxed franking: 4 Feb 1960 postmarked printed matter window cover on imprinted business postal stationary, sent from TEL AVIV & franked 6ag at the DO-9 period domestic printed matter postage rate using a 1960 Provisional definitive Ba #181 frank (in use since 6 Jan.) tied by machine slogan cancel; the address was subsequently determined to ...

1962 mixed currency 'top of the pile' taxed franking: 15 FEB 1962 printed matter commercial cover from TEL AVIV branch of Idud Ltd. franked 80 Pruta at the DO-11 period 8 Agora printed-matter rate using mix of late use pair 15Pr 1950 3rd Coinage Ba44 + pair 25Pr 1954 New Year Ba100, but returned to sender (marked by scarce "up" arrow cachets) as address unknown (cachet & manuscript on back); as en...

Domestic 'top of the pile' taxed franking IN BETWEEN POSTAGE RATE PERIODS: 14 March 1966 postmarked printed matter window cover on imprinted business postal stationary, sent from TEL AVIV & business meter franked 12ag at the new domestic printed matter postage rate as of 13 March (the day before posting); the address was subsequently determined to be unknown (instructional handstamp on front + man...

Israel illustrated first day cover commemorating the dedication of the new Hadassah-Hebrew University Hospital at Ein Karem, 3 August 1960, postally used 23 May 1962 (pencil address at King David Hotel partially erased), franked 0.25IL at the DO-11 postage period double letter rate & backstamped arrival by King David Hotel cachet, 24 May 1962...