Bidspirit auction | Besieged Jerusalem – Registered Local

Besieged Jerusalem – Registered Local Cover, 16 May 1948 – JNF Labels Overprinted “Doar” - Registered cover mailed in Jerusalem on 16 May 1948, the first day of operation of the postal service of the newly established State of Israel following the end of the British Mandate. During this transitional period, when regular postage stamps were not yet available in besieged Jerusalem, Jewish National Fund (JNF) labels overprinted “Doar” were used as provisional postage. The cover bears five 5-mil labels, paying a total of 25 mil, corresponding to the local registered letter rate at that time. The labels are tied by clear Jerusalem 16.5.1948 postal cancellations, with an additional cancellation on the reverse. Also present is a blue registration label “JERUSALEM 1 – No. 3846.” The address is handwritten and appears to be local within Jerusalem. It is possible that the sender mailed the cover to himself as a souvenir from the first day of Israel’s postal service. A representative postal history item from the period of the Siege of Jerusalem and the provisional postal system, illustrating the improvised postal arrangements in the first days of the State of Israel. Condition: Very good. Light age toning consistent with period. Complete cover with clear cancellations.