A Short Introduction To The Philately Of Palestine

The Stamps of Palestine 2013

 

Merry Christmas 2012 (2013) / International Day of Civil Defence 2013 /
Wildlife in Palestine 2013 / FIFA Recognition 2013 /
Arab Postal Day 2012 (2013) / UNESCO Recognition of the State of Palestine 2013 /
Centenery of the Palestinian Scout Movement 2013 (2014) /
International Anti-Corruption Day 2013 / Shared History: Palestine and Turkey 2013 (2014)

Battle of Shale Stones 2013

The Fatah government's Palestine Post in Ramallah/al-Bireh has so far issued two series of stamps during 2013, a further three series are scheduled for later in the year:
  •   Merry Christmas 2012 (planned for December 2012, then issued 24.04.2013)
  •   International Day of Civil Defence (24.04.2013)
  •   Wildlife in Palestine (3.06.2013)
  •   FIFA Recognition 2013 (7.07.2013)
  •   Arab Postal Day 2012 (10.07.2013)
  •   UNESCO Recognition of the State of Palestine (31.10.2013)
  •   International Anti-Corruption Day (9.12.2013)

The issue of several series was delayed until 2014:
  •   Palestinian Police Day (planned for 1.07.2013)
  •   Centenary of Abdel Rahim Mahmoud (planned for 13.07.2013)
  •   Centenery of the Palestinian Scout Movement (planned for 14.11.2013)
  •   A State is Born - The Birth of the State of Palestine (planned for 29.11.2013)
  •   Shared History: Palestine and Turkey [Joint Issue with Turkey] (planned for 12.12.2013)

The Hamas government in Gaza has published one series of stamps in 2013:
  •   Battle of Shale Stones (5.06.2013)

It planned to issue several further series during 2013, none of which actually surfaced:
  •   State Visit of Sheikh Hamad of Qatar (planned in 2012, likely abandoned)
  •   Mohammed al-Dura
  •   The Fight Against Smoking
  •   The Massacre of Deir Yassin
  •   Old Mosques
Further plans included issues on the 'Arab Spring', 'Earth Day', 'Palestinian Children', 'Monuments in Gaza', and 'The Achievements of Municipalities'.

 

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Merry Christmas 2012 (2013)

Palestine Post has issued on 24.04.2013 the stamp series "Merry Christmas 2012" originally planned for 24.12.2012. First reports on this series reached me on 17.01.2013 when the date of issue was planned for 1.03.2013. Denominations are: 20, 250, 600 Fils (stamps) in sheets of 10 (2x5), and 1,000 Fils (block). Designer: Anas Maraqa. Printed by Oriental Security Printing Solution, Bahrain: 50,000 stamps and 2,000 blocks.

The FDCs (one for the stamp, one for the block) arrived at the Philatelic Office in al-Bireh on 6.05.2013. One notes that the Arab inscription of the first-day cancellation says "2012" while the English version says "2013".

The 250 Fils stampshows clear and deliberate design variations (see illustrations below) and consequently had to be assigned four main numbers Zobbel no. 274–277:
  •   white stroke near the top left corner
  •   white stroke near the top right corner
  •   white stroke near the bottom right corner
  •   fat ornamental line near the bottom
  •   dots at the foot of the Christmas tree

ZobbelValueSizePerfor.PrintedNotes
27320f30.05x40.2mmK 1450,000 
274250f10,000field pos. 1 and 2
275field pos. 3 and 4
276field pos. 5 and 6
27720,000field pos. 7, 8, 9, and 10
278600f50,000 
2791,000f30.05x40.4mmK 14:13.752,000Block: Zobbel Bl. 33 (150.6x101.85mm)

(reduced)

Sheet diagramme
for Zobbel
nos. 274-277
Zobbel no. 274: two white strokes (top left and bottom right), fat bottom line, three dots
Zobbel no. 275: two white strokes (top right and bottom right), fat bottom line, three dots.
Zobbel no. 276: two white strokes (top right and bottom right), normal bottom line, three dots.
Zobbel no. 277: one white stroke (top right), normal bottom line,
two dots.

First day cancellation on the FDC
(note the different years stated):
دولة فلسطين / State of Palestine /
ميلاد مجيد 2012
Merry Christmas 2013
24-12-2012

The eight eletronic essays (computer graphics files) below show the stamps and part of the sheet border as well as the promotional folder.


International Day of Civil Defence 2013

According to reports, Palestine Post has issued on 24.04.2013 the stamp series "International Day of Civil Defence 2013". The stamps were designed by Anas Maraqa. Denominations are: 200, 250, 500 Fils (stamps) in sheets of 10 (5x2), and 1,000 Fils (block). The FDCs (one for the stamp, one for the block) arrived at the Philatelic Office in al-Bireh on 6.05.2013.
First reports on this series reached me on 17.01.2013 when the date of issue was planned for 1.03.2013.

ZobbelValueSizePerfor.PrintedNotes
280200f40x30.2mmK 1420,000 
281250f
282500f
2831,000f40.1x30.3mmK 14:13.752,000Block: Zobbel Bl. 34 (150.45x101.95mm)

(reduced)

The eletronic essays (computer graphics files) below show the stamps and part of the sheet border.



 

Wildlife in Palestine 2013

According to reports, Palestine Post has issued on 3.06.2013 the stamp series "Wildlife in Palestine", conisting of two tranches (flora and fauna) of three stamps and one block each. Denominations are: 20, 100, 200, 480, 720, and 1080 Fils (stamps), and 1,000 Fils (both blocks). Designer: Anas Maraqa. Printed by Oriental Security Printing Solution, Bahrain: 20,000 stamps and 2,000 blocks. Three FDCs were also released.

ZobbelValueSizePerfor.PrintedNotes
28420f30.1x40.05mmK 1420,000 
285100f
286200f
287480f
288720f
2891,080f
2901,000f39.4x30.3mmK 142,000Block: Zobbel Bl. 35 (150.5x101.2mm)
2911,000fBlock: Zobbel Bl. 36 (149.9x102.2mm)

(reduced)
(reduced)

Battle of Shale Stones 2013

According to reports, the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Telecom & Information Technology in Gaza has issued on 5.06.2013 a stamp series under the slogan "Battle of Shale Stones & Martyr Ahmed Jabari". It consists of six stamps (50, 150, 250, 500, 750, 1000 Fils) and one block (3000 Fils). The design can be attributed to Johaa Toon Co. and the block is printed locally by Dar al-Arqam Library Printing Shop, Remal. Prinruns: 20,000 of each stamp, and 3,000 for the block.

The nominal issue date is 12.12.2012 (postmark on FDC).

ZobbelValueSizePerfor.PrintedNotes
g09150fmmL20,000
g092150f
g093250f
g094500f
g095750f
g0961000f
g0973000fmm3,000Block: Zobbel Bl. g16

g097_block
g091__folder_A g091__folder_D
g091__folder_C g091__folder_B

Palestinian Police Day 2013 (2014)

According to reports, Palestine Post had originally planned to issue a stamp series on the occasion of the "Palestinian Police Day" on 1.07.2013. The series was delayed until 2014.

FIFA Recognition 2013

According to reports, Palestine Post issued on 7.07.2013 a block commemorating "FIFA Recognition of the Palestinian National Home Ground". Initially no FDC was issued. As of 10.07.2013, it's reported that the FDC should be issued within the next week.

It is the first Postage Stamp (rather than Fiscal Stamp) to bear the name "State of Palestine" instead of "Palestinan Authority". The denomination is 1,000 Mils (not Fils). The block was designed by Anas Maraqa and 10,000 copies were printed in offset by Oriental Security Printing Solution, Bahrain.

Note the differences to the design of the similar Olympic Palestine (FIFA Recognition) block issued in 2012.

External links:
  •   Palestine (country profile) (FIFA)
  •   Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium, Al-Ram (Wikipedia)
  •   Palestinian Football Association (Wikipedia)
  •   Palestinians play first World Cup qualifier at home by Jon Donnison (BBC, 3.07.2011)
  •   FIFA's Blatter calls on Israel to ease travel restrictions for Palestinian soccer players (Haaretz Online, 12.06.2014)

ZobbelValueSizePerfor.PrintedNotes
2921,000m40.1x40.4mmK 13:12.7510,000Zobbel Bl. 37 (100.2x101.4mm)

Issuance of the first postage stamp bearing the name "State of Palestine"

07/07/2013 - Palestine Post issued the first postage stamp bearing the name of the State of Palestine on the occasion of recognition of the Palestinain home ground by FIFA. Dr. Safaa Nasir al-Din, Minister of Communications and Information Technology delivered the block to the President of the International Federation of Football Joseph Blatter. It has been printed 10,000 times at 1,000 Mils. This stamp was designed by the designer Anas Maraqa in cooperation with the Palestinian-mail.

Source: Palestine Post.

FIFA2013
(essay image courtesy Palestine Post)

Centenary of Abdel Rahim Mahmoud 2013 (2014)

According to reports, Palestine Post had originally planned to issue a stamp series on the occasion of the centenery of the birth of Abdel Rahim Mahmoud on 13.07.2013. The series was delayed until 2014.

Arab Postal Day 2012

According to reports, a series of five stamps on the occasion of "Arab Postal Day 2012" was to be issued by Palestine Post on 03.08.2012. As of 17.06.2013 is was confirmed that (due to the Israeli blockade) the stamps only reached Palestine in June 2013. As of 19.06.2013, the issue was confirmed to be "within the next week." As of 10.07.2013, the issue has been released. Denominations are: 150, 250, 350, 1,000, and 5,000 Fils. The print-run is 5,000 in sheets of 10 (2x5), printed in offset by France's "Cartor Security Printing", in La Loupe.
An official FDC (printed locally?) was released in July 2013 as well: print-run: 500 with the special first day cancellation reading: "Palestine / Arab Postal Day / 03/08/2012".

The Stamps became readily available on the internet during 2012, alledgedly stemming from a batch officially taken on by Oman Post. These offers are deemed not to be illicit.

ZobbelValueSizePerfor.PrintedNotes
268150f49.2x30mmK 13.255,000 
269250f
270350f
2711,000f
2725,000f

Announcing the arrival of stamp series Arab Postal Day 2012

Palestine Post participating with other Arab postal administrations in a joint commemorative stamps issue celebrating Arab Postal Day, which marks the third of August of each year. This event highlights the importance of communication among Arabs and to promote the mail in Arab countries. The stamp series consists of five stamps in denominations of 150 fils, 250 fils, 350 fils, 1000 fils, and 5000 fils and was designed by the Sultanate of Oman, it has also been printed 5,000 times by printers Cartor in France.

Source: Palestine Post.

APD150 (49K) APD250 (49K) APD350 (49K)
APD1000 (49K) APD5000 (49K)

The denomination of 5,000 Fils is unusually high, and upto this date the highest value issued (West Bank) was for 2,000 Fils. But it can be of regular use for larger and heavier letters, as shown here on a cover from the Philatelic Office in al-Bireh.
Postmark: Zobbel 290 (Al-Bireh 2) 24.06.2014, registration label type Zobbel D4 (RR202012065PS).
Franking: 5,000 Fils (Zobbel 272) + 100 Fils (Zobbel 308) + 60 Fils (Zobbel 92) = 5,160 Fils;
which covers these charges: Int. Airmail Letter Europe 250–500g 4,080 Fils + Int. Registration 1,080 Fils.

UNESCO Recognition of the State of Palestine 2013

According to reports, Palestine Post has issued on 31.10.2013 the stamp series "UNESCO Recognition of the State of Palestine", conisting of three stamps and one block. The stamps were designed by Anas Maraqa and commemorate the admission of the State of Palestine to UNESCO in 2011. Denominations are: 100, 200, 420 Fils (stamps), and 1,000 Fils (block). Printed by Oriental Security Printing Solution, Bahrain: 20,000 stamps and 2,000 blocks. The stamps are printed in sheets of 10 (5x2) as tête-bêches, ie. the lower stamp is reversed by 180°.

External links:
  •   General Conference admits Palestine as UINESCO Member State (UNESCO)
  •   Palestine (profile) (UNESCO)
  •   Mid-East press on Palestinian membership of Unesco (BBC, 2.11.11)

ZobbelValueSizePerfor.PrintedNotes
293100f40.3x30.05mmK 14:13:7520,000sheets of 10 (5x2) with 5 tête-beche pairs.
294200f
295420f
2961,000f30.1x40.6mmK 14:13:752,000Block: Zobbel Bl. 38 (151.1x101.4mm)

(reduced)
Shown below are the printer's essays for the promotional folder:

Centenery of the Palestinian Scout Movement 2013 (2014)

According to reports, Palestine Post has publically unveiled on 14.11.2013 the block commemorating the "Centenery of the Palestinian Scout Movement". Details are as yet unclear, the block remains unissued as yet. Please see the report on the ceremony of issue on the ministry's website.
The issue is now due in 2014.

A State is Born – The Birth of the State of Palestine 2013 (2014)

According to reports, Palestine Post had originally planned to issue a stamp series celebrationg "A State is Born – The Birth of Palestine" on 29.11.2013. The series was delayed until 2014.

International Anti-Corruption Day 2013

According to reports, Palestine Post has issued on 9.12.2013 the stamp series "International Anti-Corruption Day", conisting of four stamps and one block, designed by Anas Maraqa. Denominations are: 200, 360, 420, 720 Fils (stamps), and 1,000 Fils (block). Printed by Oriental Security Printing Solution, Bahrain: 10,000 stamps and 5,000 blocks.

ZobbelValueSizePerfor.PrintedNotes
297200f30.1x40.2mmK 1420,000 
298360f
299420f
300720f
3011,000f40.1x30.3mmK 142,000Block: Zobbel Bl. 39 (150.6x101.2mm)

(reduced)

Shared History: Palestine and Turkey 2013 (2014)
Joint Issue with Turkey

According to reports, Palestine Post was planning to issue on 12.12.2013 a block under the title "Palestine Turkey", conisting of two stamps, a joint issue with Turkey.
Turkey did release the block on 12.12.2013, the Palestinian block was delayed and is now due in 2014.

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[Created 25.04.2013, last revised 28.08.2016.]
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