Auction Detail

French Consular Post In Jerusalem, Spink/ Maury 3, 4 I, 1948 20m, 20m on 6fr Overprints, 20m with neat partial cancel, 20m on 6fr small h.r., fresh and fine to very fine; elusive issues with only 2,000 of the 20m and 5,000 of the 20m on 6fr issued; 20m with 1999 Pigeron certificate (EUR465) During the Israeli Independence War of early 1948, Jerusalem was divided between Jordanian and Jewish forces. The French Consulate, situated close to the Old City, was oftentimes in a "no-man's land". A mail system was arranged by the French Consul, Rene Neuville, whereby mail deposited at the consulate would be driven by automobile to Amman, flown to Beirut and then on to France. He used postage and consular stamps he had on hand to frank the mail though this was not approved by the French government. There was some confusion when the mail arrived in France and few covers are known to have travelled this route. Leftover unused stamps were sold later by M. Neuville.