IsraelFirst Postage Stamp

A first issue built on ancient coin designs

Issued in May 1948, just days after independence, Israel’s first stamps were a provisional national issue, and released before the word “Israel” even appeared on stamps. No flag. No state name. Prepared in secrecy while still under British authority, the stamps carried the neutral inscription “Doar Ivri” (Hebrew Post), as the country’s name was still being debated. With little time, limited facilities, and scarce paper, printing was rushed and improvised. The designs were created by Otte Wallish and drew inspiration from ancient Jewish coins of the Second Temple and Bar Kokhba periods. Rather than modern emblems, these images reached back to earlier moments of Jewish sovereignty. Sold from 16 May 1948 in values from 3 to 1000 mils, this first set of stamps marked the postal birth of a state still defining itself.