Bidspirit auction | Emergency Postal Stamps – French

Emergency Postal Stamps – French Consulate in Jerusalem, Airmail Cover to Versailles, France – 27 August 1948 - Original airmail cover sent from the French Consulate in Jerusalem to France during the transitional postal period following the cessation of British Mandate postal services. Franked with a French 6 Francs “Marianne” stamp overprinted “Jerusalem / 20 milliemes”, part of the French consular emergency postal issues used in Jerusalem in 1948. Cancelled with a clear circular postmark: “Jerusalem – Postes Françaises – 27 AUG 48.” Addressed to: Monsieur Henri Perrot, Versailles, France. The reverse shows the sender: J. Perrot – Attaché de recherches du CNRS Consulat Général de France à Jérusalem. Original airmail envelope with decorative red and blue aircraft border typical of period airmail stationery. This is a very rare example of genuine postal use of the French consular emergency stamps in Jerusalem. These issues were used for only a short period in 1948 and surviving covers mailed abroad with the Postes Françaises Jerusalem cancellation are particularly scarce. To the best of our knowledge, items of this type have never previously appeared for sale on the Bidspirit platform. A comparable cover offered in a French auction in 2023 remained unsold at €3,500, illustrating the rarity and desirability of such material among collectors of Jerusalem and transitional-period postal history. Condition: good overall condition with normal signs of postal handling, ink mark on the front and minor creasing typical for a circulated cover. Items from the collections of Jacob Yablok - VirtualJewishmuseum.com. The items are placed in a quality proactive nylon sleeve and can be easily and safely taken out from the display page. Displayed on a thin cardboard sheet.