Postal History Of Israel Poster

Two covers, stamped envelopes, showing a bit of Israel's postal history. The top cover shows the usage of Keren Kayemet Le'Israel (Jewish National Fund) labels as postage stamps during the period at the end of the British Mandate and the first days of the State of Israel. The cover bears several labels which were cancelled in Haifa. The cover is also addressed to Haifa Below that is a First Day cover bearing Israel's first postage stamps, the First Coins; also known as "Doar Ivri" (Hebrew Post). The blue cachet lists the date "5 Iyar 5708" (May 16, 1948) using the numerical values of Hebrew letters. In Israeli postal history, the specific period of May 2, 1948 until May 22, 1948 is known as the Interim Period of postage stamps. Though the functions of the British Palestine Mandate continued until its end on May, 14 1948, against the backdrop of the War, the Mandate's Postal Administration began to phase out its activities during the period of April 15 to May 14, 1948 (Israel declared her independence that same day), and this led to a lack of service in many cities and towns. A series of local stamps began to be produced in these areas on an emergency basis, as early as April 5 in Rishon Le'Zion, and as late as May 24 in Jerusalem (which was cut off from the rest of Israel). For brief periods these areas also applied special local postage rates different from those in the rest of the country. On May 2 the interim governing body of the Jewish community of Eretz Israel, the "Jewish People's Administration" (or "Minhelet Ha'Am", in Hebrew), authorized the use of labels produced by the Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemet Le'Israel) throughout the country. JNF stamps were overprinted with the word "Do'ar" in Tel Aviv in violet or red ink; those overprinted in Haifa bore the word "Do'ar" in a circle, all in black ink. However, Tel Aviv overprinted stamps were sometimes used to send mail from Haifa, and likewise Haifa overprints were used on mail from Tel Aviv. And Jerusalem produced her own set of labels altogether. Overprinted JNF labels were used as postage during the period of 2 May - as the British closed Mandatory post offices - and Friday, May 14, the date Israel declared her independence. The use of JNF labels overprinted with "Do'ar" began in small towns on May 2, but in the main 3 cities - Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa - only on 5 May; furthermore, the People's Administration permitted the continued use of Mandatory stamps as legitimate postage through to Saturday, May 15 (i.e. the day after Independence; Saturday - a day of rest). Israel issued its first postage stamps on Sunday the 16th, it being the first work day after the declaration of Independence. The use of the overprinted JNF labels in all cities and towns except Jerusalem, up to May 22. Printing of the first official postage stamps, the "First Coins, begun some weeks before the end of the Mandate, was hampered by the lack of paper, appropriate printing presses and perforation machines. The name the new country would bear had not been decided - Judea? The Land of Israel? Israel? It was decided that the stamps would read "Doar Ivri" (Hebrew Post). The Doar Ivri stamps were designed by Otte Wallish, a Czech Jewish immigrant, using ancient coins from the First Jewish-Roman War and later Bar Kochba revolt.