Palestine revenue
During a temporary shortage of revenue stamps in Palestine in 1918, the local authorities ordered a batch of revenue overprints on the 1d British stamp. The reason for this is not known and it was not repeated, allegedly because of local opposition to the use of the King's head being deemed politically insensitive. Examples are reported to be known used postally. These stamps are of particular interest to collectors of "GB overprints" as (along with the Additional Medicine duty stamps) they are the only examples of postage stamps overprinted for revenue use.
Note: this numbering system was drawn up by the Society for the website, and may not be used without permission.
King George V
Stamps overprinted "O.P.D.A." (Ottoman Public Debt Administration)
For fiscal use but known used for postage. The OPDA was a huge organisation managing the foreign debts and loans of the Ottoman Empire.
Mackennal head, script cypher
Note: some catalogue listings state (or imply) that GB stamps other than this were similarly overprinted or bore the contemporary "HJZ" revenue overprint as used on Palestine stamps; these have not been verified and it appears that such reports may be based on misunderstandings.
(illustration of 5 mills Courtesy of Grosvenor Philatelic Auctions, May 2007)
1 "5 mills" on 1d
2 "1 p.t." (ie 1 piastre) on 1d
6000 of each were printed.
After these stamps were used up the local (British controlled) Palestine administration continued with overprints on Palestine / EEF stamps or rather basic inscribed revenue stamps, replacing also the previous overprints on Turkish revenues (overprinted ADPO as the name of the department was in French):
First image: from the period when Palestine was part of the Ottoman empire
Second image: overprint on contemporary stamp of the "Egyptian Expeditionary Force" (EEF).
Third image: a typical example of locally produced revenue of this period; many are on British GvR script or block watermark paper.
page last updated on: 3 May 2007, 4 Sept 2012, 6 March 2013
gbos: GB Overprints Society