Doar Ivri (Hebrew Post) First Definitive Series

Israel · 1948 · 3 mil

This stamp is the first in the inaugural 'Doar Ivri' (Hebrew Post) series, issued on the day Israel declared its independence. The design, by Otte Wallish, features an ancient Judean coin from the First Jewish-Roman War (66-73 CE), depicting a lidded amphora and inscribed with 'Israel' in ancient Hebrew script. The tabs below the stamp bear the inscription 'Doar Ivri' in Hebrew.

Issued on May 16, 1948, just two days after the Israeli Declaration of Independence, this series marks the establishment of the state's postal service. The name 'Israel' was a last-minute decision, so the stamps were printed with the generic 'Doar Ivri' to be ready for the new state's founding.