A Short Introduction To The Philately Of Palestine

Part 13: Postage Dues III (1928)

Following the introduction of the new Palestinian currency (£P1 = 1000 Mils) in November 1927, the postage due stamps had to be changed accordingly: Mil(s) replaced the old Millième(s). The design of the previous, 1924 issue (Postage Dues II) was adapted. There were also changes to the placement of the numeral in the central panel and the direction of the Arab script for Palestine was corrected. Only on the 1m stamp the position of the Hebrew word "Mil" remained unchanged: it still sits above the large cipher. On all other stamps this term was moved to below that numeral.

The printing sheet consists of two panes of 100 stamps (10x10) divided by an empty gutter. The panes are surrounded by jubilee lines. Guide marks are positioned in the center above and below each pane. The numerator is in upper right corner of the sheet with the plate number to its left. An additional plate number is found in the lower left corner.

The 6m stamp diverts from these characteristics in that the gutter shows four pillars, printed in the colour of the stamp. Accordingly the guide marks are only in the top and bottom margin of the printing sheet. I have so far not seen any illustration of this.

Another peculiarity is that the 1m value (in colour brown) apparently exists only in sheets of 100 stamps (one pane: 10x10). The plate number is above field 9, the numerator sits on its right hand. I don't know whether this variant is also known from other shades.

Sheets of the 1m and 4m values printed in 1944/45 are perforated in comb perforation K14.75:14 (instead of K14). They also have just one pane of 100 stamps (10x10). The numerator is positioned on the top right, but the plate number was moved to the margin's bottom left.

Full sheet of 2m value
SG no. D13.
Image courtesy Aladdin Adwan.

Images (D12a, D14a) courtesy Thomas Schubert.

Insufficiently franked Postcard with a lower margin gutter pair of SG No. 91. Postmark: PHILATELIC EXHIBITION / TEL AVIV / A / 9 AP / 1945 (Sacher J66).
Tel Aviv tax marking TO PAY. / MILS in box (Sacher L2) with pencilled-in 2. The postage due stamp is cancelled TEL AVIV / 10 AP / 45 (Sacher B24).

Image courtesy "ebay".

London printers Thomas De La Rue & Co. produced the stamps in typography on slightly transparent paper with regular watermark Multiple Script CA (W9). Late prints of the 4m value in 1945 are found on normal paper (white, wove) with unchanged watermark.

The most common varieties include:

inverted or missing plate number(s);
inverted watermark (2m).

A total of nine values were issued between 1928 and 1948: eight values on 1.02.1928, then a ninth (6m) in October 1933. Two values (1m and 4m) were used in changed perforation (K14.75:14 instead of K14) from 1944/45. The number of printed stamps according to Crown Agents records (quoted in Bale Palestine Mandate) ranged between 41,000 and about 660,000.

Letter with SG no. D16 (twice).
Egyptian 5 Millième stamp (SG no. 156, Mi.Nr. 125) with machine cancellation Misr / Cairo 5.10.1929. Egyptian tax marking T (in box).
Palestinian tax marking TO PAY. / MIL in box (Sacher L7) with pencilled-in 16 and signature. This is tax marking L6 with the letters LIEMES poorly excised. According to Sacher (p.115) it was used only between 7.10.1928 and 22.04.1929.
The two postage due stamps are cancelled JERUSALEM / x / 7 OC / 29 (Sacher B30 ?).

Image courtesy Thomas Schubert.

Front and reverse of a "Receipt For Import Duty" (form P.T. 214, imprint: 10574-1000-Bks 15.8.27. L.J.S.P.) used in December 1930 in order to charge 40m (90m?) import duty on a parcel fom Germany. The amount is covered by a vertical strip of four 10m postage due stamps: SG no. D17. Postmark: four strikes of JAFFA / * / 23 DE / 30 (Sacher B5).
PS: the amount noted looks like 90m, though I don't see any remains of a cancellation mark or where the additional 50m PD stamp may have stuck.

Insufficiently pre-paid letter from London to Jerusalem. British definitive 1½d, machine-cancelled LONDON W.C. / 19 SEP / 1938 / 715PM. British handstamps: T in hexagon, on reverse: PLEASE ADVISE SENDER THAT / LETTERS SHOULD BE PREPAID / 1½D FOR EACH HALF OUNCE.
Jerusalem tax marking TO PAY. / MILS in box (Sacher L9) with manuscript pencilled-in 12. The postage due stamps (vertical strip of 2x 6m, SG no. D15) is cancelled JERUSALEM / E / 26 SP / 38 (Sacher B9 or B12).
On reverse boxed handstamp P.T. 514 ISSUED ON .......... (Sacher L77) with manuscript pencilled-in date 23/9. Form PT514 was the notice to the addressee to collect a letter and pay the postage due charge. The 30 on the averse denotes the date until when the letter would be stored.

SG	Michel	Value	Issue	Colour	Type	Paper	Watermk.	Perf.	Circ.


D 12	P 12 A	1 m	1.02.1928	brown	T D3	gumm.	W 9	K 14	0.44m
D 12 b	--			deep brown
D 13	P 13	2 m	1.02.1928	yellow	T D3	gumm.	W 9	K 14	0.50m
D 13 a	--			light yellow
D 14	P 14 A	4 m	1.02.1928	green	T D3	gumm.	W 9	K 14	0.45m
D 14 b	--			deep green
D 15	P 15	6 m	--.10.1933	orange-brown	T D3	gumm.	W 9	K 14	0.60m
D 15 a	--			greyish brown
D 16	P 16	8 m	1.02.1928	carmine	T D3	gumm.	W 9	K 14	0.37m
D 16 a	--			red scarlet
D 17	P 17	10 m	1.02.1928	pale grey	T D3	gumm.	W 9	K 14	0.66m
D 17 a	--			slate grey
D 18	P 18	13 m	1.02.1928	ultramarine	T D3	gumm.	W 9	K 14	0.16m
D 18 a	--			light ultramarine
D 19	P 19	20 m	1.02.1928	pale olive-green	T D3	gumm.	W 9	K 14	0.48m
D 19 a	--			bistre olive
D 20	P 20	50 m	1.02.1928	violet	T D3	gumm.	W 9	K 14	0.31m
D 20 a	--			dark lilac

D 12 a	P 12 C	1 m	(1944)	brown	T D3	gumm.	W 9	K 14.75:14	0.04m
D 14 a	P 14 C	4 m	(1945)	green	T D3	gumm.	W 9	K 14.75:14	0.06m

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