Israel. 1948 provisional postage dues: undated window cover from secretariat KIBBUTZ MASADA ("Kinneret PO" return addressed) franked 10m at period letter rate using vertical pair 5m Kofer HaYishuv stamps (accepted for postage during Minhelet Ha'am/interim period between 2-14 May, and tolerated up to 22 May 1948 - but not consistently at any time by the Post Offices as these not marked "Doar" [post] on them) - here posted through the KINNERET post office which rejected the labels and didn't cancel them; marked for tax (manuscript in box) at twice the deficiency, and paid in TEL AVIV using vertical pair TEL AVIV overprinted 10m Weizmann interim Ba12 franks obliterated by Mandate "T" tax handstamp. Cover generally dates from 2-21 May (22 was Saturday): from 16 May until 1st postage dues entered use on 28 May, both Doar Ivri and interim stamps could be used as postage dues (interim franks until 21 May); as Minhelet Haam canceller not used on this cover (last usage date was 14 May; 15th was Saturday), it may date to narrow period of 16-21 May (see similar cover in Aloni p.100). Very fine and scarce; Tsachor/Aloni certified. Estimated value $1600++

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Israel. 1948 1st postage dues: 21 MY 1948 business stationary commercial cover from PARDESS HANNA to TEL AVIV franked 10m using Minhelet Ha'am 'Diaspora-2' stamp (Ba56) - the last day these were valid for use, tied by single full strike of reintroduced Mandatory local postmark (D2/Dorf-2), then struck again in field with manuscript notation alongside for 12m tax for being overweight (double the 6m fee for additional 30g) - but as frank demonetized by the time the cover arrived in TEL AVIV, it was simply taxed double the regular 30g letter rate (10m) without regard to being overweight - highly unusual reason for taxation - and marked by Mandate "To Pay" box cachet; tax paid using vertical pair 1st Postage Dues issue franks on 2nd official day of use in TEL AVIV, 31-5-1948 (the relatively late arrival may be due to military operations near Pardess Hanna in mid-late May). Opened at back, vertical fold; remarkable 3 postal authority cover, Tsachor certified. The local trilingual postmark entered use 1 July.

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Israel. 1948 waived taxed late interim mail: 23 MY 1948 commercial cover from KARKUR to HAIFA franked 10m using now demonetized and invalid interim frank (Herzl Ba7) as of 23 May; this not initially accepted by local clerk who circled the frank and stamped the cover with reintroduced Mandate postmark (D3/Dorf-4) on blank field and marked the cover with "To Pay" boxed cachet - but this overruled and box cachet struck out (a possible favor by the manager), and mail accepted for delivery in spite of the postage dues markings; opened gently at back. Very late and highly unusual interim franked cover. Karkur received the Israeli trilingual postmark on 1 July. Very fine. Here a 3-postal period cover.

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Israel. Haifa 'provisional' Doar Ivri postage dues: 24-5-1948 local HAIFA printed-matter commercial cover on Shell Co. stationary, franked 3m per period printed-matter rate using Mandate Pictoral (Ba 91) - but this demonetized as of 16 May; frank tied by Head Post Office trilingual postmark (index Alef) contrary to regulations, but cover still marked for 6m tax (double deficiency) using "T" cachet & boxed "To Pay" cachet: this paid using vertical pair 3m rouletted Doar Ivri stamps (Ba 1c) cancelled by Haifa "T" cachet & tied by same-day Head Post Office postmark (index Bet) - local postage dues practice from 20-31 May prior to use of 1st Postage Dues franks in Haifa on 1 June; very fine & rare genuine 'provisional' Postage Dues franking; unsealed per printed-matter registered; certified Tsachor - Aloni, from Yaakov Shabtai Coll. Estimated value $1500-2500.

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Israel. 1948 JERUSALEM-TEL AVIV taxed couriered mail: cover from JERUSALEM (return addressed to Doctor in Tel Aviv) to TEL AVIV, franked 10m in JERUSALEM per letter rate using 1st issue JERUSALEM locals stamp Ba102; dispatch delayed over a month by seige before being transported by courier via new 'Burma Road' (prior to this could only have been sent airmail via military); courier probably added "PR" (Poste Restante) in English & Hebrew on front but against regulations as not in the address itself, and posted it locally in TEL AVIV (Barclays Bank post office), where franking accepted & cancelled, tied by 27-6-1948 TEL AVIV-3 postmark - but here charged a double fee: Poste Restant is not available when return address is from the same town - as such, cover handled as "special delivery" at the Post Office for which 10m is charged; tax paid using 20m 1st Postage Dues Ba PD4 stamp tied by 30-6-1948 TEL AVIV Head Post Office postmark. Folded vertically as typical of couriered cv's; opened gently at back. Very rare taxation. Ref: Postal Guide 1948. Addressee Dr. Spiro may be Shmuel Spiro (1885-1960) born Germany to Haredi family; served as head respiratory doctor of the German national insurance system & also doctor for the Jewish Agency, Berlin; came to Palestine 1939 & settled in JERUSALEM; established & oversaw the medical service of Aliyat HaNoar & in charge of medical processing of the Teheran Children, 1943; served the Jewish Agency as doctor in Displaced Persons & internee camps; retired 1957.

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Israel. 1947/49 Mandate-State 2 rate-period taxed wartime mail: DEC 1947 commercial cover from MESHEK EIN HAROD to partially written addressee at Religious Youth Village POB in HAIFA posted during Mandate period (start of War of Independence) and franked 10m using Ba97 stamp per letter rate, and tied by scarce Proud D6/Dorfman-2 postmark; as addressee not found (manuscript bottom front), cover returned to sender over a year and a half later (15-5-49 Haifa postmark on front) but now marked for tax as Mandate stamp now demonetized, using scarce narrow "T" cachet; received at MESHEK EIN HAROD next day where postage dues (double DO-2 period 15pr letter rate) paid 11 days later using 10m & 20m 1st postages dues BaPD3/4 franks tied by full strike of 27-5-49 local postmark. Opened gently at back; very fine and unusual. As Postage Dues were calculated per 2nd postage rate period (starting Oct. 1948), cover probably didn't reach Haifa in 1947-48 and was delayed by the War, as northern Palestine affected by Arab marauders & al-Qawuqji's Arab Liberation Army from late 1947 to 1948.

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