Auction 63 - Rare and Important Items

Minister-Sheet – The First Day of the Hebrew Post – First Nine Postage Stamps of the State of Israel – Rare Perforations and Special Printing

Opening: $3,000
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000
Sold for: $4,000
Including buyer's premium
"First Day of Hebrew Post". Minister Sheet (souvenir sheet) - with the first nine stamps of the State of Israel, May 16, 1948.
Nine "Do'ar Ivri" postage stamps, in the value of 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 50, 250, 500 and 1000 Mils, pasted on an official souvenir-sheet on top of which appears the printed caption "Iyar 7, 5708, 16.5.1948" and "Do'ar Ivri" and on the bottom part – "Hayom HaRishon Shel HaDo'ar HaIvri" (first day of Hebrew post). Stamped with six postal stamps from Tel-Aviv, May 16, 1948.
This souvenir sheet is named "Minister Sheet" since it was distributed to ministers and to VIP's. In its first edition only 40 copies were printed, on thick yellowish paper, and the stamps were pasted on them between midnight and the morning of May 16, 1948.
Since all of the stamps qualified for sale were already sent to the post offices, it was decided to use for these sheets experimental stamps, or stamps which were especially perforated in Perf. 10 line; as a result, on some of the sheets appear stamps with particularly rare perforations.
This sheet includes stamps in the value of 1000 and 250 Mils with a rare perforation of 10X10; a 15 Mils stamp with a very rare perforation of 10¾; stamps in the value of 50, 10 and 3 Mils with a perforation of 10X11; the 3, 50 and 250 Mils stamps have perf. 10 line on the bottom of the tab (which does not exist in regular stamps). In addition, the 250 Mils stamp was printed on thin yellow paper.
26 X 21.5 cm. Good condition.
Enclosed is a certificate of authenticity.
Zionism, The Holocaust and She'erit Hapletah, Palestine and the State of Israel
Zionism, The Holocaust and She'erit Hapletah, Palestine and the State of Israel