Maximum Cards in Medicine
| Starting to Collect
Maximum Cards in Medicine By Erwin W. Rugendorff, M.D. 1997. |
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I believe I was about 10 years old when I started collecting stamps in an
album printed in Germany with a few stamps still in place. My little
collection was set aside during the war and while I studied medicine to
become a urologist. By the time I was practicing I chose as my topic stamps
about various aspects of medicine. Only three years ago (1994) I discovered
the existence of maximum cards somewhat by chance. That was when a collector
made me a gift of two picture postcards showing Albert Schweitzer with affixed
stamps displaying the doctor's portrait and postmarked in Kaysersberg,
Schweitzer's birthplace. The collector explained to me that these were maximum
cards and suggested adding them to my thematic stamp collection.
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Even though I already had a few picture postcards depicting hospitals with
attached stamps on this subject I did not pay much attention to the details.
I also did not realize that these postcards might belong to a special field
of philately. I started to look for information about maximaphily. I found
out that the three postal components -- the stamp, the picture postcard, and
the postmark -- should present the maximum concordance possible. I was convinced
that I had grasped the rules from then on. I was soon to learn that I had
been wrong.
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One day I came upon a postcard with a portrait of Winston Churchill, and a
similar stamp affixed and cancelled on the view side of the card. I sent it
to a friend who is also a collector. I was thwarted when he told me that it
was not a maximum card since the design on the picture card was an enlarged
replica of the stamp. I was most greatful for this information. Another time
I bought a picture postcard of Frankfurt, affixed on the view side a valid
stamp issued on the 1200th anniversary of the city, obtained a cancellation
at the Frankfurt main post office, and again sent the card to my friend. Yet
again, there was something wrong eith this maximum card. The postmark was
centered on the postage stamp. I was told that a maximum card to be
considered optimal, one of the rules is that the cancellation has to be struck
completed on the unity stamp / postcard covering a corner of the stamp only.
I did not despair. I realized that you cannot improvise in maximaphily, and
that you have to give particular attention to its special features.
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In the meantime , I discovered numerous "true" maximum cards portraying
physicians and major contributors to medicine, depicting hospitals, medical
events, or symbols. Being interested in the history of a topic it is fascinating
to read the data ob the bach side of picture cards that were printed long ago
or under special circumstances, to find postage stamps having the same subject,
and to search for genuine postmark having a close and direct connection with
the stamp affixed on the postcard. Maximum card can add to a thematic collection,
especially when the card provides a more detailed view of the subject shown
only partially on the stamp.
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It is certainly possible to buy maximum cards from a dealer. Nevertheless, a
more thrilling way to obtain a maximum card is to do it yourself. Knowledge,
patience and luck are required to find the right card for the right stamp, and
then to find the right place to get a concordant postmark. When drafting a
maximum card one should not forget that solely postcards found in commerce or
alternatively, private edition based on documents existing before the date of
issue of the stamp may be used for this purpose. The date of the cancellation
should fall within the period by wich the stamp was valid for postage and as
close as possible to the date of issue.
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Maximum Cards make a thematic collection more colorful and more appealing to
those who share in the topic yet are not familiar with philately. Analyzing
or producing a maximum card is an inspiring challenge that expands the levels
of thematic and philatelic knowledge to a hiher degree than simply browsing
for some information about a topical stamp. One can examine a maximum card
and be plunged into another place and time, and can be encouraged to expand
one's knowledge of biography, history and medicine.
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Editor: Jesse F. Knight .|
Webmaster: Itzhak Shdemati
Last Updating: Feb-06-1999
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