Palestine 1920-21 5p purple, type 5 overprint, perforations 14, SG43.
A stunning unmounted mint example with full original gum. Despite a very small and insignificant gum crease, this stamp is hardly ever seen so fine and is wonderfully fresh of colour.
A scarce stamp despite its relative low catalogue value.
Accompanied with a clear Ceremuga (International Philatelic Expert) certificate of authenticity (2004).
The Stanley Gibbons catalogue value is £225.
This stamp, first issued in 1920, caused significant controversy. As Palestine was under the civil administration of British Mandate of Palestine, it issued stamps bearing three official languages: English, Arab and Hebrew. Local Jews and Arabs lobbied the British about the overprint.
The Jewish members of the Advisory Council objected to the Hebrew transliteration of the word "Palestine", on the grounds that the traditional name was “Eretz Yisrael”, but the Arab members would not agree to this designation, which, in their view, had political significance. The High Commissioner therefore decided, as a compromise, that the Hebrew transliteration should be used, followed always by the two initial letters of "Eretz Yisrael", Aleph Yod. This combination was then used on all stamps of Palestine, coins and in all references in official documents.
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