This is a rare, authentic piece of Jewish and British Mandate history. This ink stamp belonged to the Secretariat of Camp 64 (Youth Village/Camp) in Cyprus.
Between 1946 and 1949, the British government established internment camps in Cyprus to hold Jewish refugees ("Ma'apilim") who were attempting to reach Mandatory Palestine.
Text (Hebrew): "מזכירות מחנה 64 כפריסין"
Translation: "Secretariat of Camp 64, Cyprus."
Design: Features a prominent Star of David (Magen David) in the center of the engraving.
Materials: A hand-carved iron engraving mounted to a unique, aged stone handle/base.
Period: Circa 1946–1948.
Origin: Dhekelia, Cyprus (British Internment Camps).
Condition: This is a genuine survivor of the camps. The iron shows a natural patina consistent with age. The stone handle is intact, showing signs of use that add to its character and historical "soul."
Rarity: Most camp items were improvised or destroyed. An official administrative stamp from the "Youth Village" is an exceptionally rare find for collectors of Holocaust history, Zionism (Eretz Yisrael), or British Mandate memorabilia.
Items from the Cyprus camps are vital links to the story of the "Exodus" generation. This stamp represents the administrative efforts of the refugees to organize their own lives behind barbed wire as they prepared for the establishment of the State of Israel.
Size: 3.8x3.5cm (1.5x1.37 inch)