List of postal rates in Mandatory Palestine explained

The List of postal rates in the British Mandate of Palestine are the postal rates in effect in Palestine under military occupation British and allied forces and later civil administration of the British Mandate of Palestine between 1917 and 1948. During the Mandate, postal services were provided by British authorities.

After occupation by allied forces in 1917, basic postage was free for civilians. Registration fees and parcels had to be franked using British or Indian stamps. Once the EEF stamps printed in Cairo came on sale, mail to overseas destinations had to be paid for from 10 February 1918, and from 16 February 1918 also mail to the then occupied territories and Egypt.

The structure of postal rates followed broadly British practice and new services, like airmail and express delivery, were added over the years. From 1926 reduced rates applied for mail to Britain and Ireland, and from 1 March 1938 to 4 September 1939, Palestine was part of the All Up Empire airmail rates system.

Postal rates

Date	Rate details and subsequent changes
December, 1917^[1] ^[2]	Inland letter	free	-	Foreign letter	free	-	Inland postcard	free
	February 10, 1918^[3] ^[4]	Foreign letter	10 m (20g)	-	Foreign postcard	10 m; (Bale lists: 5 m)	-	Inland printed matter	5 m per 50g
		February 16, 1918^[5] ^[6]	Inland letter	5 m (20g); 3 m per add. 20g	-	Inland postcard	5 m	-	Inland registration	10 m	-	Foreign registration	10 m	-	Inland advice of delivery	10 m	-	Foreign advice of delivery	10 m	-	Inland enquiry	10 m	-	Foreign enquiry	10 m
April 10, 1918^[7]			Foreign printed matter	5 m per 50g
July 16, 1918^[8] ^[9]	Inland postcard		3 m	-	Foreign postcard	4 m	-	Foreign printed matter	2 m per 50g
	October 1, 1919^[10]		Inland printed matter	1 m per 50g	-	Foreign printed matter	1 m per 50g	-	Inland newspapers	1 m
			August 1, 1920^[11] ^[12]	Foreign letter	10 m (20g); 6 m per add. 20g
September 1, 1920^[13] ^[14]			Inland postcard	4 m	-	Inland printed matter	2 m per 50g	-	Foreign printed matter	2 m per 50g	-	Foreign commercial papers	2 m per 50g; minimum 250g
	1921		Foreign newspapers	2 m per 50g; 2m per add. 50g
	October 1, 1921^[15] ^[16]		Foreign letter	13 m (20g); 9 m per add. 20g	-	Foreign postcard	6 m	-	Foreign printed matter	3 m per 50g	-	Foreign commercial papers	3 m per 50g	-	Inland registration	13 m	-	Foreign registration	13 m	-	Inland advice of delivery	10 m	-	Foreign advice of delivery	13 m	-	Inland enquiry	10 m	-	Foreign enquiry	13 m	-	Insurance (incl. mand. reg.)	20 m for value up to £10; 10 m per add. value of £10, maximum £40
		January 1, 1923^[17] ^[18]	Foreign letter	13 m (20g); 7 m per add. 20g	-	Foreign postcard	8 m
December 16, 1925 ^[19] ^[20] ^[21]			Foreign postcard	7 m	-	Blind literature	2 m per 1 kg
		1926^[22] ^[23]	Inland Express	20 m for distances up to 1 km, 30 m for 2 km, over 2 km up to delivery boundary 40 m; only available in Jerusalem, Jaffa, Haifa, and Tel-Aviv	-	Insurance (incl. mand. reg.)	20 m for value up to £12; 7 m per add. value of £12	-	Insured box	8 m (50g); minimum 40 m
January 1, 1926^[24] ^[25]			Inland newspapers	2 m
February 15, 1926^[26] ^[27]			UK & Éire letter	7 m (20g); 4 m per add. 20g
December 1, 1928^[28]		Foreign commercial papers	3 m per 50g; minimum 100g	-	Samples	6 m per 100g; 3 m per add. 50g
		March 1, 1929^[29] ^[30]	UK & Éire letter	13 m (20g); 7 m per add. 20g
April 1, 1930^[31] ^[32]		UK & Éire letter	7 m (20g); 4 m per add. 20g
June 19, 1930^[33]		Small packet	7 m (50g); 7 per add 50g, minimum 25 m
June 1, 1932^[34] ^[35]		Foreign letter	15 m (20g); 9 m per add. 20g	-	UK & Éire letter	8 m (20g); 5 m per add. 20g	-	Foreign postcard	8 m	-	Foreign commercial papers	3 m per 50g; minimum 250g	-	Small packet	9 m (50g); 9 per add 50g, minimum 300g	-	Inland enquiry	13 m	-	Late posting for ordinary packet	2 m	-	Late posting of registered packet	20 m	-	COD trade charge	10 m per £1	-	COD delivery fee	15 m	-	COD posting fee	10 m
	1933^[36]	Inland advice of delivery	13 m
	January 1, 1937^[37]	Inland Express	25 m (distance specs. unknown); only available in Jerusalem, Jaffa, Haifa, and Tel-Aviv
	1938	Foreign newspapers	6 m
	March 1, 1938^[38] ^[39]	UK & Éire letter	10 m (10g); 10 m per add. 10g ("all up" Empire rate)	-	UK & Éire postcard	5 m; ("all up" Empire rate)
		April 1, 1938^[40] ^[41]	UK & Éire letter	10 m (10g); 10 m per add. 10g up to 70 g, 70 m for 71 up to 90g, 80 m for 91 up to 110g, over 110g: 80 m plus 10 m per any add. 20g ("all up" Empire rate)
	September 4, 1939^[42] ^[43]	UK & Éire letter	10 m (20g); 6 m per add. 20g	-	UK & Éire postcard	8 m
		1940	Inland commercial papers	3 m per 50g; minimum 250g
	May 1, 1940^[44] ^[45]	Inland letter	7 m (20g); 5 m per add. 20g
	July 1, 1940^[46] ^[47]	Foreign letter	15 m (20g); 10 m per add. 20g	-	Foreign postcard	10 m	-	Inland registration	15 m	-	Foreign registration	15 m	-	Inland advice of delivery	15 m	-	Foreign advice of delivery	15 m	-	Inland enquiry	15 m	-	Foreign enquiry	15 m	-	Insurance (incl. mand. reg.)	25 m for value up to £12; 10 m per add. value of £12	-	Insured box	16 m (50g); minimum 65 m
		April 1, 1941^[48] ^[49]	Inland letter	10 m (30g); 6 m per add. 30g	-	Inland postcard	7 m
July 1, 1943^[50] ^[51]			Foreign letter	20 m (20g); 13 m per add. 20g	-	UK & Éire letter	15 m (20g); 10 m per add. 20g	-	Foreign postcard	13 m	-	UK & Éire postcard	10 m	-	Inland printed matter	3 m per 50g; (Bale lists 1.05.1941)	-	Foreign printed matter	5 m per 50g	-	Inland commercial papers	3 m per 50g	-	Foreign commercial papers	5 m per 50g; minimum 250g
		April 5, 1945^[52] ^[53]	Small packet	8 m (50g); 8 m per add. 50g	-	Inland Express	40 m for distances up to 3 km; 35 m per add. 1 km	-	Foreign Express	40 m

See also

• Postage stamps and postal history of Palestine
• Postage stamps and postal history of Israel
• Post offices in the British Mandate of Palestine

Sources

• Bale : the stamps of Palestine Mandate 1917–1948, 9th ed. (2000). Joseph D. Stier (ed.). Chariot. .
• Proud, Edward B. (2006). The postal history of Palestine and Transjordan. Heathfield. . First edition (1985): The postal history of British Palestine 1918-1948.

Notes and References

1. Proud, 2006, p. 85, 86.
2. Bale, 2000, p. xv, 162.
3. Bale, 2000, p. xv, 162.
4. Proud, 2006, p. 85.
5. Proud, 2006, p. 85, 86.
6. Bale, 2000, p. xv, 162.
7. Bale, 2000, p. xv.
8. Proud, 2006, p. 85, 86.
9. Bale, 2000, p. xv, 164, 166.
10. Proud, 2006, p. 86.
11. Proud, 2006, p. 85.
12. Bale, 2000, p. xv, 166.
13. Proud, 2006, p. 86.
14. Bale, 2000, p. xv, 166, 170.
15. Proud, 2006, p. 85, 86.
16. Bale, 2000, p. xv, 167.
17. Proud, 2006, p. 85.
18. Bale, 2000, p. xv, 167.
19. Proud, 2006, p. 86.
20. Bale, 2000, p. xv, 167.
21. Proud, 1985, p. 89.
22. Bale, 2000, p. xv.
23. Proud, 2006, p. 87.
24. Proud, 2006, p. 86.
25. Bale, 2000, p. 167.
26. Bale, 2000, p. xv.
27. Proud, 2006, p. 86.
28. Proud, 2006, p. 86.
29. Proud, 2006, p. 85.
30. Bale, 2000, p. xv, 167.
31. Proud, 2006, p. 85.
32. Bale, 2000, p. xv, 167.
33. Proud, 2006, p. 86.
34. Bale, 2000, p. xv, 167.
35. Proud, 2006, p. 85, 86, 88.
36. Proud, 2006, p. 86.
37. Bale, 2000, p. xv, 170.
38. Bale, 2000, p. xv.
39. Proud, 2006, p. 85, 86, 97.
40. Bale, 2000, p. xv.
41. Proud, 2006, p. 97.
42. Bale, 2000, p. xv.
43. Proud, 2006, p. 85, 86, 101.
44. Proud, 2006, p. 85.
45. Bale, 2000, p. xv, 173.
46. Bale, 2000, p. xv.
47. Proud, 2006, p. 85, 86, 87.
48. Proud, 2006, p. 85, 86.
49. Bale, 2000, p. xv, 174.
50. Proud, 2006, p. 85, 86.
51. Bale, 2000, p. xv, 174.
52. Bale, 2000, p. xv, 174.
53. Proud, 2006, p. 86, 87.