collection - 4 original Palestinian stamps from 1917- 1927 in a beautiful frame .
In November 1917, the BritishEgyptian Expeditionary Force occupied Palestine. Initially, the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (and the Indian Expeditionary Force) had given civilians basic postal services for free, with additional services paid in British or Indian stamps. Free mail was withdrawn with the printing of appropriate stamps. Two stamps inscribed E.E.F. (1 Piastre, and 5 Millièmes) were issued in February 1918,the first definitives (11 values) were circulated from June 1918. These E.E.F. stamps were valid in Palestine, Cilicia,Syria, Lebanon, and Transjordan. Prior to the British Mandate in Palestine, Hebrew was not an official language, and so these stamps bore only Arabic inscriptions besides English.
In 1920, Transjordan was separated and distinctive overprints for the two territories came into use. As Palestine came under the civil administration of the British Mandate of Palestine, falling into line with League of Nations rules, the High Commissioner sanctioned stamps (as pictured here) and coins bearing the three official languages of British Mandate Palestine: English, Arab, and Hebrew. Between 1920 and 1923 six such distinctive overprints were issued: four produced in Jerusalem, two in London.
