A Short Introduction To The Philately Of Palestine

Informational and Instructional Cachets
of the Palestinian National Authority

This pages presents information and illustrations of Palestinian National Authority / Palestine Post Informational and Instructional Cachets. Click on the images to enlarge.
These listings are in an early stage of research. Any additions and information is welcome!

 

 

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AR: Avis de Réception / Advice of Delivery / علم وصول

There are four types of AR cachets, all are boxed cachets (with or without rounded-off corners) with the inscription " علم وصول / AR". The latin "AR" (for avis de eéception) comes in block or serifed type.
Cachet sizes vary.

type_AR01
Type AR01
علموصــول / AR
ca. 30.3x11.8mm
type_AR02
Type AR02
عل وصــول / AR
ca. 36.1x12.9mm
type_AR03
Type AR03
علم وصــــول / AR
ca. 44.8x15.6mm
type_AR04
Type AR04
علم وصول / AR
ca. 26.8x10.5mm

Fingerprint and Signature of Witness /بصمة وتوقيع الشاهد

Although illiteracy in Palestine is very much lower compared to other Arab countries, there's sufficient need for post offices to have a boxed cachet inscribed "بصمة الشاهد" or "البصمة وتوقيع الشاهد" which translates as "Signed by Witness" or "Fingerprint and Signature of Witness". So far three types have been detected.
Cachet sizes vary.

type_SHD01
Type SHD01
بصمة الشاهد
ca. 26.8x10.5mm
type_SHD02
Type SHD02
البصمة وتوقيع الشاهد
ca. 40.2-41x10.6-11.8mm
type_SHD03
Type SHD03
البصمة وتوقيع الشاهد
(type 2 with rounded corners)
ca. 40.6x12.1mm

Returned for the Following Reasons / اعيدت الرسالة للأسباب التالية

When a letter cannot be delivered, these is notified by a range of cachets. Three basic designs are known:
  • "اعيدت الرسالة للأسباب التالية" or "اعيدت الرسالة للاسباب التالية" (translates as "The letter was returned for the following reasons"
  • "POSTE بريــــد" or "POSTE بريـد"
  • no heading, first line reads "UN KNOWN غير معروف"
  • English only heading "RETURN TO SENDER / TICK AS APPROPRIATE"
The former two desigs exist in a number of types.
Cachet sizes vary.

type_INC01
Type INC01
(note different "EN VOYAGE" to type 06)
ca. 32.2x70.2mm
type_INC02
Type INC02

ca. 32.8x69.6mm
type_INC03
Type INC03
serifed font
ca. 58.7x54.9mm
type_INC04
Type INC04
un-serifed font
ca. 51.7x61.1mm
type_INC05
Type INC05
larger font than type 03
ca. 53.0x63.5mm
type_INC06
Type INC06
(note different "EN VOYAGE" to type 01)
ca. 33.0x69.1mm
type_INC07
Type INC07

ca. 51.2x60.6mm
type_INC08
Type INC08

ca. 32.3x59.7
type_INC09
Type INC09

ca. 58.4x50.7mm
type_INC10
Type INC10

ca. 63.0x39.5mm
type_INC11
Type INC11

ca. 59.4x70.2mm

Postal Bank "CASH" / الصندوق

Datestamp inscribed "CASH" are used for Postal bank transactions and payment of bills. There are several types of boxed cachet, with some with rounded corners (type 3 and 4), using different inscription and fonts. Arab inscription generally مكتب بريد or بريد and the office's name and الصندوق or صندوق with the branch-code on both left (bottom-to-top) and right (top-to-bottom) segements. The central datestamp is applied manually in some cachets (?)
Cachet sizes vary.

type_CASH01
Type CASH01
"CASH", "POST OFFICE" and name upper case, un-serifed
ca. 47.8-48.7x27.9-28.9mm
type_CASH02
Type CASH02 "POST OFFICE" and name upper case, un-serifed, "CASH" upper case and serifed
ca. 47.7x28.mm
type_CASH03
Type CASH03
rounded corners, "CASH" and "POST OFFICE" in upper case, all un-serifed. (Type 04 without latin office's name, only known from Bidya)
ca. 47.8x27.8mm
type_CASH04
Type CASH04
rounded corners, "CASH" and "POST OFFICE" in upper case, name in mixed cased, all un-serifed.
ca. 56.0x36.6mm
type_CASH05
Type CASH05
"cash" in lower case un-serfied, "POST OFFICE" and name in mixed cased and serfied
ca. 47.5x29.5mm
type_CASH06
Type CASH06
all serifed and upper case
ca. 48.2x28.9mm
type_CASH05
Type CASH07
"CASH" and name upper case, un-serifed, no "POST OFFICE", no branch-code left & right (known only from Saffa, West Ramallah)
ca. 47.5x26.8mm

Post Office / Postmaster / مكتب بريد / توقيع مدير البريد

Postmasters use to sign documents boxed cachets reading either "مكتب بريد" or "بريد" or just the office's names and number (Arabic od Latin) as well as توقيع مدير البريد or توقيع مدير المكتب, translating as Post Office / Postmaster's (director of mail/office) signature".
Cachet sizes vary.

type_MAD01
Type MAD01
مكتب بريد ... / توقيع مدير المكتب
ca. 45.0x14.6mm
type_MAD02
Type MAD02
مكتب بريد ... / توقيع مدير البريد
ca. 44.1x14.4mm
type_MAD031
Type MAD03
... / توقيع مدير البريد
ca. 44.3x14.3mm
type_MAD04
Type MAD04
بريد ... / توقيع مدير البريد
(PO number in Latin numerals)
ca. 48.0x13.3mm

Barid / بريد

Habla Post Office uses an unboxed cachet reading "بريد حبله". Similar cachets from other offices are not (yet) known.
Cachet size: 20.7x4.8mm

type_BAR01
Type BAR01
بريد حبله
ca. 20.7x4.8mm

Palestine Post / الـبريـد الفلسطينـي

Some Post Offices use a round cachet with the Palestine Post logo reading "الـبريـد الفلسطينـي / Palestine Post / ... بريــــد" with the post office's name and number.
Cachet size: 34.8mm diam.

type_PPB01
Type PPB01
الـبريـد الفلسطينـي
Palestine Post
... بريــــد
daim . ca. 34.8mm.

Census

To promote participation in the first Palestinian Census in 1997, a cachet was used at Central Sorting. It shows the official logo and the inscription "XXXXXX". The cachet was lightly struck in greenish colour.
Cachet size: ca. 49.5x30.5mm

type_CEN9701
Type CEN9701
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
ca. 49.5x30.5mm

No Service

There are also "no service" cachets, saying the the Postal Authority regrets that the letter could not be delivered to Arab countries due to the occupation powers refusing to allow the forwarding. A cachet informs costomers about the effect of Israeli blockades: The inscription

/ وزارة البريد والاتصالات / إدارة البريد
نأسف لعدم ...... تصدير البريد / الى الدول العربية و ذات ارفض سلطات / الاحتلال السماح بنقل هذا البريد
translates as "Ministry of Post &: Communications / Postal Authority / We apologize for not being able to forward this post to Arab countries due to the Occupation Authorities' refusal to allow it". This cachet has been used in March and April 2001 (further dates of usage likely but as yet undetected).
Form sizes: ca. 49.1x29.3mm

type_NOS01
Type NOS01
وزارة البريد والاتصالات
إدارة البريد
نأسف لعدم ...... تصدير البريد
الى الدول العربية و ذات ارفض سلطات
الاحتلال السماح بنقل هذا البريد
ca. 49.1x29.3mm
010317_noservice (43K)

الرسوم مدفوعة / Palestinian Authority / Postage Paid

There are boxed cachets (one type only) with the inscription "السلطة الفلسطينية‎ / Palestinian Authority / Postage Paid".
Form size: ca. 44.5x19.5mm

type_PAPP01
Type PAPP01
السلطة الفلسطينية‎ / Palestinian Authority / Postage Paid
ca. 44.5x19.5mm

Postage Paid "POSTE PAID" / الرسوم مدفوعة

One type of boxed cachets with the inscription "الرسوم مدفوعة / POSTE PAID" is known.
Form size: ca. 45x11.7mm

type_POP01
Type POP01
الرسوم مدفوعة / POSTE PAID
ca. 45x11.7mm

Postage Paid "PP" / xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx الرسوم مدفوعة

Two boxed cachets with either inscription

  • PP / السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية / وزارة الاتصالات وتكنولوجيا المعلومات / خالــص الأجــرة‎
  • P.P / السلطة الفلسطينية / وزارة البريد و الاتصالات / خالـص الأجــــرة‎
for franking letters are known. This translates as "Palestininan (National) Authority / Ministry of Communications (and Information Technology) / (full) fee paid".
Form sizes vary.

type_PP01
Type PP01
السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية‎
وزارة الاتصالات وتكنولوجيا المعلومات
خالــص الأجــرة
PP
ca. 41.3x26.4mm
type_PP01
Type PP02
السلطة الفلسطينية‎
وزارة البريد والاتصالات
خالـص الأجــــرة
P.P.
ca. 33.3x18.0mm

Postage Due / مستحق

There are two types of Postage Due cachets: one main type with a "مستحق / T" in a single-line box, the other says "مستــحق / T." in a double-line box.
Form sizes vary.

type_PDT01
Type PDT01
مستحق / T
ca.30.8x11.5mm
type_PDT02
Type PDT02
مستــحق / T.
ca. 35.0x15.2mm

Retour / العودة

Two types of "RETOUR" cachets are known: one with a double-line arrow, the other with a single-line arrow and rounded corners.
Form size vary.

type_RET01
Type RET01
RETOUR
ca. 34.9x9.6mm
type_RET02
Type RET02
RETOUR
ca. 34.0x8.6mm

Return To Sender / Address Not Clear / يـرد الراسـل

There are several types of "Return To Sender" cachets used in-liue of "Retour" cachets. Two types of boxed cachets show the (serifed or un-serifed) inscription "RETURN / TO SENDER / يـرد الراسـل" with a small stylized hand to the left, the third type an unboxed large stylized hand with inscripions "Returned / To / Sender" and "ADDRESS / NOT / CLEAR" inside it.
Form sizes: xmm

type_RTS01
Type RTS01
RETURN / TO SENDER / يـرد الراسـل
ca. 38.8x18.9mm
type_RTS02
Type RTS01
RETURN / TO SENDER / يـرد الراسـل
ca. 39.2x16.8mm
type_RTS03
Type RTS03
Returned / To / Sender // ADDRESS / NOT / CLEAR
ca. 52.7x18.3mm

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[Created 5.07.2014, last revised 5.07.2014]
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