General

This report is devoted to an interesting aspect of modern Israel Philately: the story of the machine vended postage labels (also known as franking labels). Bearing no perforations, nor tabs, these labels were not considered by the collectors as regular stamps, hence their limited presence in Israel Stamp Collections.

However, from a philatelic perspective, these are regular stamps. Mainly due to the fact that the labels can be purchased at one time and used later on, for the purpose of franking letters and packages for postal delivery.

The innovation of the machine vended postage label is the ability of the purchaser to determine the value printed on the stamp/label. Hence it seems correct to use different names for the different franking forms: "stamp" for the early form in which the value was pre-printed, and "postage label" for the later form in which the value is printed at time of purchase.

The Klussendorf machines were the second type of franking labels dispensing machines, put into use by the Israeli Postal Authority. These machines were programmed to print labels in the range of 00.05-15.00NIS. A total of thirty-five machines were purchased for public use (self-service) either within post offices or outside of post offices. Two additional machines were used by the Philatelic Service for printing labels, for supplying the demand of subscribers and large quantity orders from dealers. The Klussendorf machines were introduced in July 1990 and withdrawn in January 1996. They were re-introduced in December 1996 and finally withdrawn in January 1999.

The Klussendorf Labels are different from the Frama labels both in size and design. The labels were printed on roles of paper of 2000 labels each. The paper strip is guided in the machine by tractor wheels, which fit into two transportation holes perforated into the paper between every pair of labels.

Strip of 3 uncut labels

Unlike its Frama predecessor, the Klussendorf label was printed with a colorful design. A total of 22 different designs were issued: a Definitive issue, 7 Christmas issues, 12 Tourist Sites issues, and two Exhibition issues.

Paper types can be distinguished by characteristics of the face side of the label, as well as the gum side of the label.

By examining the face side one can distinguish between two major types of paper: with or without phosphorescence/fluorescence stripes/s. The phosphorescence/fluorescence stripe is 5 mm wide and usually printed on the left side of the label. On three issues the stripe was printed on the right side. Some of the Tourist Sites issues exist in both forms: with and without a phosphorescence stripe.

Two additional types of phosphorescence/fluorescence coatings were used on experimental paper types, which were not put into general use. Both are a paper variety of the Definitive issue. The first is a variety with two phosphorescence stripes. The second is a variety with a fluorescence coating on the entire label.

The preliminary supplies of roles of the Definitive issue were produced in Germany in four different printings. They are characterized by shiny gum and a role sequence number printed in on every fifth label (5, 10, 15.. up to 2000).

The printing of the sequence number was not always at a constant position on the gum side. Vertical and horizontal movements of approx. 1cm were rather common. More rare instances were those in which the number was printed on the label border between two adjacent labels.

Later on, Glilon Printers Ltd conducted printing locally, in Israel. The local print had dull gum, and had no role sequence numbering. Some of the issues appeared with two types of gum coloring: either white coloring or a yellowish tone.

In the early days of Klussendorf machine operation, the technicians who serviced the machines had special roles of white paper. These roles were used during machine servicing, for the purpose of conserving the philatelic paper roles. White Klussendorf test paper labels are not considered a genuine philatelic item, because they can not be used for postage.

Test Paper

The Klussendorf machines operated by the Philatelic Service were special machines. The had no cliche number and were not operated by coins. The first machine put into use printed characters in the form ***5 (Type "A" print). This machine broke down in 1994 and was replaced by another machine which printed characters in the form *005 (Type "B" print).

Thirty five additional machines were put into general use at different locations. Unlike the Philatelic Service machines, these machines printed machine cliche numbers on the printed labels. All were of the Type "B" printing. The known cliche numbers are in the range 001-045, because several of the original printing mechanisms were replaced, due to malfunctions.

It is important to mention the fact that there were two different printers, both with the 023 cliche. One machine was the on-site machine located at Bethlehem, and later on re-located to Nazareth, for the purpose of dispensing the Christmas issues during their period of availability. The other machine, was a self-service machine located at the Philatelic Service main office sales counter at Jaffa (=Yaffo) (and activated during the period of availability of the various Christmas issues). Thus collectors could obtain the Christmas stamps with the "on-site" machine imprint, without actually driving to the "on-site" location. Nevertheless, there is a slight difference between these two machine prints: they differentiate in the lateral distance between the machine cliche number and the rosette. In the 023-w ("Wide") setting it is approx. 10 mm, and in the 023-N ("Narrow") it is approx. 9 mm.
The various locations (Tel Aviv, Bethlehem, Nazareth) of the 023-W & 023-N machines are listed in Table 2.

Machines that were removed for maintenance were not necessarily reinstalled at the same site. Therefore the same machine cliche number could reappear at different locations. This data is important for the postal history recording of relevant post office cancellations. Unfortunately, limited records exist as to the first dates of the appearance of the different Definitive Issue paper varieties in the different machines/locations. Appendix A contains a table listing the installation and removal dates of the on-site Klussendorf machines.

The collector of Israel Klussendorf labels faces a rich domain of label varieties. As mentioned earlier, 22 different basic designs exist. For the collector interested in the collecting phosphorescence/flouorescence varieties the number of known combinations rises to 31. If one adds the machine cliche variety (with/without machine cliche numbering) and the different paper types, the number of combinations reaches 69 different varieties (for the Tourist Site, Christmas & Exhibition issues) and 137 different varieties (for the Definitive issue). Overall some 200 varieties.

If one desires to pay significance to the rear side of the label, the number of varieties increases tremendously. Taking into account the combinations of different sequence numbers of the Definitive issue of the four German Printings (400 varieties x 4 paper types) and the different gum shades (white & yellow) of the Israel Printings, the theoretical boundary of possible combinations crosses the figure of 54,000 different labels. Those, without taking into account the combinations available due to plate varieties and values printed on the face side.

The possible printable values by the on-site Klussendorf machine were in the range of *0.05-15.00NIS. These values were available from the on-site machines at all times. The Philatelic Service machine range was **.*5/*0.05-99.95NIS.

For those labels printed by the Philatelic Services machines, the minimum value was restricted regulatory (during 1995) to the tariff of an inland letter. Hence, for designs issued prior to that date, one can find sample labels printed with a lesser value. The values of the labels printed by the Philatelic Service for subscribers and across the counter sales were oriented to the valid postal rates at the time. It is important to mention that other values (in the range inland letter – 15.00) were available from the Philatelic Service, by special order (but as of 1996, not below the rate of an inland letter).

Since the machines’ introduction in 1990, 12 postal rate increases occurred. Appendix B contains a table listing the valid postal rates that were effective during the period of Klussendorf labels issuing.

Naturally, each collector makes a personal decision as to the extent of his/hers collection. Observing the different collecting habits that emerged since the labels were introduced, one can point out several main collecting policies:

Several catalogue numbering schemes exist. For the purpose of this report, the comprehensive numbering scheme of the Michel ATM Specialized Catalogue will be used. In the domain not covered by Michel catalogue numbering (i.e. print errors, plate varieties etc.), a special numbering scheme is used.

Michel ATM Specialized Catalogue - (This is a WW ATM catalogue).
Bale Israel 2000 (This is a comprehensive catalogue of Israel stamps, including interim period).
Carmel 2000 (Israel stamp catalogue).
LG ATM catalogue - Thomas von Loeper (This is a WW ATM catalogue).


Definitive Issue	Christmas 1992 Issue	Jerusalem 3000 Exhibition


Stripe on left side	Stripe on right side	Two stripes


Seq. No. shifted top left	Seq. No. shifted bottom right


Minimum value Philatelic Service Machine Type "A"	Minimum value Philatelic Service Machine Type "B"	Maximum value - on-site machine


Sequence no. 5	Sequence no. 2000


Type "A" print	Type "B" print


Machine 001	Machine 045