HISTORAMA AUCTION #7 - 'Buy or Bid' Sale

Soviet subtle 'postkrieg' against Israel: 19-5-1988 'avis de reception' registered airmail cover from HAIFA (return-addressed JERUSALEM) to MOSCOW (USSR), franked 3.60NIS per FA-38 period rate & franked with 3nis 'Archeology in Jerusalem' + 60ag 'Anne Frank' stamps - the former being boycotted by the Soviet authorities for promoting Israeli sovereignty in united Jerusalem: the cover and AR card were backstamped 18-7-88 (long 2 month transit time for airmail - deliberately handled slowly) MOSCOW transit, with the address being cross out and cover tied by French language "Return | Unknown" instructional handstamp + "Spravka" label (mostly removed) ostensibly giving a reason for the returned mail and pasted close/over the offending stamp, and returned to sender. Cut open on both sides. As AR mail the senders clearly knew they needed confirmation of the cover's delivery, and so the official reason given for the cover's return was a hollow excuse.

Undocumented case in Postkrieg research: in the 1970's and 80's the USSR took many active postkrieg measures against Jewish and Zionist targets - many of which remain undocumented in Postkrieg literature, and as a 10 Feb. 1986 Jewish Telegraphic Agency report notes, about the Soviet Union's refusal to accept mail franked with the 1986 Herzl stand-by definitives, the Soviet post office didn't resort to dramatic postal markings and simply marked the refused mail with standard "addressee unknown" handstamps. Here too, although not a documented example with the Archeology stamps but confirmed by numerous similar covers studied, the USSR used subtle bureaucratic procedures to deny postal service (though it's accentuated by the senders' use of postal services to track shipment and confirm delivery to known addresses) - all undocumented in the Postkrieg catalogue.
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This lot is being offered in a buy or bid sale format, whose initial buyout price is: $119. This price will rise by about 5-10% for every new bid received once the bid level passes the midway mark between the starting bid price and the initial buyout price. In such cases please check the latest buyout price on our homesite or contact us.
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Product Tags: Israeli, Soviet Philately - Postal Covers, Postkrieg mail and Postal History from Israel, Soviet Union and from 20th Century, 1980s, Cold War which are Philately - Suspended Service mail, Philately - Air Mail, Unique/Discovery Piece, Philately - unusual postal procedures/fines/taxes, Philately - Significant franks on covers