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All stamps in photogravure up to and including the 1-1-57 issue have watermarks. During the same period stamps printed in offset/photo-litho haphazardly, as it seems, have watermarks. After the use of watermarks had been stopped for the Twelve Tribes, we find all following commemoratives in photogravure without watermark but for the 27-1-1958 Ships [20, 30, 1000]. |
The period 27-1-1958 / 25-2-1959 shows no watermark at all. During the period 25-2-1959 / 31-8-1960 all stamps in photo-litho bear a watermark except the 1959 Ben-Yehuda, 1960 Independence, and New Year 0.25, 0.40. The last two stamps being on coated paper. From 14-12-1960 onwards all photo-litho stamps have coated paper and no watermarks. With one exception: the 3.00 Airmail! Issued early 1962, having a printing date of 071161. It may seem likely that an attempt was made to use up the [second type, stag facing right] watermarked photogravure paper in the 1958 Ship stamps. |
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This second watermark hadn't been used for photo-litho stamps before but pops up suddenly in 1959 [10th anniversary postal services], 1960 [Atomic Reactor, New Year], 1962 [3.00 Airmail]. Why introducing special watermarked photo-litho paper in a period when watermarks are fading out? And when coated paper has already begun [1958 10th Independence Day]? |
It's not likely that photogravure paper, should it be still available, had been used. The printing-sheets for photo-litho measure 25"x20" instead of the 12" width of the photogravure endless web. What other use of stag watermarked paper could be besides postage stamps? The Airmail labels [12] having a stag watermark were introduced in late 1960 though! |
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Had watermarks been of any use at all? Or is it as Hirst said [11] on welcoming the watermarks in 1953: |
The tendency in other countries employing this process is rather to abandon watermarked paper, photogravure by virtue of its complexity and refinement being widely regarded as being by itself an effective method of security printing sufficiently safe-guarding against forgeries. However, the collector of the stamps of Israel, having been off the beaten track for years, now finds himself, rather unexpectedly, back on familiar ground. Watermarks are peculiar characters that call for close observation? |