A Short Introduction To The Philately Of Palestine

The Stamps of Palestine 1999

The 1999 Christmas series "Bethlehem 2000" (MiNr. 126–135) was issued in two different formats:

"Regular": five sheets containing 10 identical stamps. The values and inscriptions are in black (200 and 380 Fils), white (280 and 460 Fils), and yellow (560 Fils). The sheet margin to the right of the bottom right hand stamp shows four colour dots: yellow, black, magenta, and cyan.
"Special": five sheets each containing 9 copies of the regular stamps (with values in black, white or yellow) and one copy with value and inscription in silver. The silver stamp is always in the top right hand corner of the sheet. Additional silver colour dot.

The colours of the regular sheets appear to be minimally more intensive. André Mazawi reports on the 560 Fils regular (yellow) version that "the sheet margins are in a darker blue compared to the sheet of the other denominations". Further research is needed here.
According to Josef Wallach, only the regular sheets were sold by Palestinian post offices and the Philatelic Office in Gaza. The special sheets with the silver stamps were apparently distributed by printers CARTOR through the philatelic trade only.

Images courtesy of
Rolf Wernecke.

The project "Bethlehem 2000" (MiNr. 118–125, issued on 15.11.1999) is also celebrated by a stamp issued on 21.08.1999 by Argentina: "Belén 2000". The stamp and an FDC is shown below. One notes that the Argentinian designer has added a third dot over the Arabic "T"...

British design company "BBB Publishing" produced large-scale (A4: 297x210mm) prints, adressed to subscribers, and PNA authentification with stamps from the "Bethlehem 2000" and supposedly also the "Christmas Bethlehem 2000" series. Below is shown the print for "Bethlehem 2000" with the 60 Fils stamp, special handstamp "First Day Of The New Century 1-01-2000" (SHS 812). The motif here is a detail from the painting "The Adoration Of The Shepherds" by Veronese (Paolo Callari, 1525–1588). The authentification is in the name of Zuhair Allaham, then Deputy Minister Post & Telecommunication.

(strip: size reduced to 9/10)

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