Doar Ivri first stamps

The Doar Ivri ("Hebrew Post" or "Hebrew mail") stamps constitute the first definitive postage stamp series issued by the State of Israel. Following the declaration of independence on 14 May 1948, the stamps were released by Israel Post on Sunday, 16 May 1948, which was the first business day of the new state. They were designed by the graphic artist Otte Wallish and produced under secretive printing conditions. Because the official name of the sovereign nation had not yet been determined during their production, the series was inscribed Doar Ivri rather than bearing the name Israel, which appeared on all subsequent postage issues.

The issue emerged as the British administration discontinued postal services in April 1948 amidst the end of the British Mandate. The definitive series comprised nine face values: 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 50, 250, 500, and 1,000 mils. Stamp booklets were also released containing the 5, 10, 15, and 20 mil values. Wallish designed an official first day cover to accompany the release, and a dedicated first day cancellation was introduced on 16 May 1948. The coin motifs from the series were subsequently re-employed for the state's provisional postage due issues.

Visually, the stamps feature motifs based on ancient coins discovered through archaeological research from the First Jewish–Roman War and the later Bar Kokhba revolt. Produced by letterpress, the stamps were issued with perforations as well as in a rouletted variation. A defining characteristic of the sheet margins was the inclusion of emblematic tabs carrying descriptive Hebrew marginalia about each illustrated coin.

Intact specimens are particularly distinguished by attached sheet-margin tabs bearing descriptive Hebrew text about the depicted coins.