Palestine’s first stamps were from 1863, when the area was in the Ottoman Empire; these stamps were of Turkish origin and were used until the end of World War I.
In 1917, the League of Nations issued a mandate giving Britain control over Palestine; the British issued stamps overprinted E.E.F. (Egyptian Expeditionary Forces) for three years, then a series of different overprints were tried for the next few years. In 1927 a set of definitives for Palestine was finally issued.
In 1948 the League of Nations mandate expired, and Israel declared independence, with Gaza and the West Bank occupied by Jordan. Jordan overprinted its own stamps in both English and Arabic with PALESTINE. These were used until 1950; however, also in 1948, Egypt occupied the area, issuing its own stamps similar to Jordan. This situation continued until 1967, when Israel took control of Palestine’s mail, using Israeli stamps.
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Palestine stamps from each of the area’s long, varied history are collectible, and buyers who collect this region often are able to find great stamps to add to their books.
