First day covers (FDCs) of a stamp or series of stamps is an independent graphic artwork. Israel Philatelic Service has not taken a consistent policy to issuing FDCs: They would sometimes order envelope design from the designer who won the stamp design and some times from a different designer. For example, the Negev stamp of 1950 was designed by Wind-Strussky based on a Reuven Rubin painting but the first day cover was designed by Shamir Brothers.
Amazingly, FDCs do not appear in stamp catalogues nor are their designers mentioned. However, Philately columns in the daily newspapers published prior to each issuance generally would often mention both the stamp designer and the designer of the first day cover. The standard structure of these reports indicates that their origin was one - The Philatelic Service. The effort of the former manager of the service, Yinon Beilin and of Yitzhak Granot, their former production manager, identified some envelopes designed by Shamir Brothers.
FDCs of foreign countries included in this web-site come from the albums of Maxim Shamir who carefully collected all the philatelic items designed by Shamir for over 30 years.
The Sixth World Conference of the Medical Association in Israel 1964
1978 25th anniversary of coronation of Elizabeth II
FDC designed by Shamir, the stamp by Reuven Rubin 1950
St Helena - QEII Jubilee FDC
Faulkland Islands, 1977 Queen Elizabeth II's silver jubilee
1961 Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
UN Air Mail stamp and FDC, 1974
Solomon Islands - Christmas, 1977
UN ILO Geneva Issue, 1969 (FDC only designed by Shamir)
Acceptance letter for UN FDC
Twenty years to Aliya (Immigration) from Babel
50th anniversary of Volcani Institute of Agricultural Research, 1971
20 years to Independence of Israel, 1968
25 years to Warsaw Ghetto uprising 1968
Municipal Emblems A 1965 - Jerusalem
Municipal Emblems (A) - Haifa, 1966
Municipal Emblems (A) - Mitzpe Ramon, Ashkelon, Rosh Pina, 1967
Sixteenth Chess Olympiad, 1964
Sixth World Conference of the Medical Association in Israel, 1964
Municipal Emblems (A) - Tel Aviv - Jaffa, 1965
The Best to the Skies - 14th Independence Day, 1962
Butterflies of Israel, 1965
International Year of Cooperation, 1965
50th Anniversaries of Merhavia, Degania and Yesod Hamaala, 1959
Thirty years to "illegal" immigration, 1964
Benjamin Ze’ev Herzl, 1960
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, 1961
A decade of Israel Bonds, 1961
Bezalel 50th anniversary, 1957
10th Anniversary Exhibition, 1958
Tel Aviv 50th Anniversary, 1959
Chaim Nachman Bialik, 1959
4th International Congress - Citrus growers in the Mediterranean, 1956
8th Independence Day, 1956
Festivals - 2nd year of the State 1949 State
Opening of the Constituent Assembly (First Knesset), 1949
Zionist Congress XXIII, 1951
Volunteer Celebrations - paratroopers, 1955