Israel

Israel was established in 1948 following the end of the British Mandate for Palestine. Since its founding, the country has developed as a modern state shaped by waves of immigration, rapid economic growth, and a complex geopolitical environment. It is home to diverse cultural traditions and holds deep historical and religious significance for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Israel has produced a distinctive and highly regarded range of postage stamps. The first issues, known as the Doar Ivri series, featured ancient Jewish coins and inscriptions without naming the state, as its official name had not yet been finalized. Later stamps showcased archaeology, national achievements, cultural heritage, science, and religious landmarks. Israeli stamps are particularly noted for their innovative designs and the inclusion of informative tabs attached to many issues.

The country used the Israeli Pound/Lira = 100 Agorot from 1952 to 1980. In 1980, it transitioned to the Shekel, which after hyperinflation was further transitioned to the New Shekel = 100 Agorot in 1985.

1978 - Israel 20 Lira - Rosh Pinna

First issued: 04 July 197820 Israeli LiraLandscapes of Israel SeriesSG: IL 684 Colnect Link
This stamp depicts Rosh Pinna, one of the oldest modern Jewish agricultural settlements in the Land of Israel. Located on the slopes overlooking the Hula Valley in Upper Galilee, the village was established in 1882.The settlement was founded during the First Aliyah, a wave of Jewish immigration to Ottoman Palestine. Although the early settlers faced difficult conditions, including poverty, disease and agricultural challenges, Rosh Pinna survived and became an important symbol of the Zionist agricultural movement. Financial assistance from Baron Edmond de Rothschild helped sustain the community during its formative years.The stamp portrays a pastoral Galilean landscape with grazing sheep, cultivated fields and the distinctive cypress trees associated with the settlement.Rosh Pinna's historic stone houses and narrow lanes remain preserved in the village's old quarter. The settlement played an important role in the development of Jewish agriculture in Galilee and today is regarded as one of Israel's most picturesque historic communities, combining cultural heritage with views across the Hula Valley and surrounding mountains.

1979 - Israel 2 Lira - Coral Island

First issued: 07 Oct 19792 Israeli LiraLandscapes of Israel SeriesSG: IL 509pa Colnect Link
This stamp depicts Coral Island (Almogim Island) near Eilat at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, one of Israel's most distinctive marine landscapes. The island and its surrounding waters are famous for their rich marine biodiversity, including hard and soft corals, reef fish and other Red Sea species. Because of the exceptional clarity of the water and the resilience of its coral communities, the area became one of Israel's most important sites for marine research and conservation.The stamp portrays Coral Island framed by a rocky opening, with a passenger vessel crossing the gulf in the foreground and the mountains of the opposite shore rising in the background. Coral Island forms part of the area now protected by the Coral Beach Nature Reserve, established to safeguard one of the world's northernmost coral reef ecosystems. The reefs around Eilat have become internationally important for scientific study because they have shown unusual resilience to environmental stresses that have damaged many tropical reefs elsewhere.

1980 - Israel 50 Lira - Sorek Cave

First issued: 15 Jan 198050 Israeli LiraLandscapes of Israel SeriesSG: IL 684a Colnect Link
This stamp depicts Sorek Cave (Me'arat Soreq) in the Judean Hills west of Jerusalem, one of Israel's most remarkable natural caves. Discovered accidentally in 1968 during quarry blasting, the cave contains an extraordinary concentration of stalactites, stalagmites and other calcite formations created over hundreds of thousands of years.The cave lies within the valley of the Sorek River and was formed as rainwater slowly dissolved the surrounding limestone. Some of its formations are estimated to be more than 300,000 years old.The stamp portrays the cave's densely packed mineral formations illuminated in warm golden and amber tones. Issued as part of Israel's Landscapes of Israel definitive series, the design emphasizes a natural wonder rarely seen by the public before the cave was opened as a protected attraction.Today Sorek Cave is regarded as one of the finest limestone caves in the Middle East and serves as an important site for geological and climatic research, preserving evidence of environmental changes stretching back hundreds of thousands of years.

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