Maximaphily USA, Messages from the President 2001

Maximaphily USA, Messages from the President 2001

Maximaphily USA Front Pages:

volume 21, issue 1

Feb. 2001

Letter on Maximaphily's Acceptance to the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors
By Daniel Olsen

The recent changes in the sub division of the exhibiting classes to include "Illustrated Mail" means that Maximaphily, a class by itself in International Exhibiting, now will be accepted in our National Exhibitions. If an exhibit of Maximum Cards were to enrich the exhibition frames of a stamp shoe, the judges would be prepared by having studied the Special Regulations for the Evaluation of Maximaphily Exhibits at F.I.P. Exhibitions, as well as the Guidelines for Judging Maximaphily Exhibits

But how about the public? Do they really know what makes a Maximum Card? I doubt it. Coloranos, Velvetones, USPS, Souvenir Cards from foreign Postal Administrations, and other Cards reproducing the stamp design are not Maximum Cards. But too often they are erroneously identified as such.

Three elements comprise a Maximum Card: the Postage Stamo, the Postcard, and the Postmark. The picture Postcard should show the best possible concordance with the subject of the stamp. Just as important, the locality of the postmark must have a rational connection with the Stamp

design and the Postcard. So the first Day Issue Cacellation can only be used when it meets this condition. For instance, the 1980 stamp issue of five Windmills located around the USA had a Lubbock, Texas First Day of issue Cancellation. Only one of the five would make a Maximum Card with this F.D. Cancellation. The others would have to be cancelled at the location of the Windmill in the stamp design.

More than half a dozen times stamps featuring the Statue of Library had their First Day Cancellation in places such as Hempstead, N,Y; Corvallis, OR; Sioux City, IA; Dallas, TX; and Washington, D.C. The correct one for a Maximum Card is 'Liberty Island, NY'; while 'New York, NY' is tolerated.

From 1950 until 1957 the Maximum Card Society of America grew to a membership of more than a thousand. Since 1980 the Maximum Card StudyUnit of America (Affiliate #106 of the APS) has been the organization dedicated to the collectors of Maximum Cards. Some of the members have exhibited at Internationals. Anyone untersted in more information can contact me at olsenaples@aat.net

Feb. 2001
By Daniel Olsen

In February the American Philatelic Society approved new classifications for exhibits. The APS Committee on the Accredition of National Exhibitions and Judges recommended that the exhibiting classes of single frame, multi frame (general) and youth be further divided into six Divisions: Postal, Revenue, Thematic, Charity - Promotions - Cinderella, Display, and Illustrated Mail.

According to the report in the March 26 issue of Linn's by APS director at large Lloyd de Vries, First Day Cover exhibits would fall into the Illustrated Mail Division, which is described as having a "focus on the illustation or illustrated subject of the philatelic material, that is the adverting, patriotic message, or corner card or cachet subject rather than its postal use". Mr. de Vries continues: "Some of the msterial included in this division, such as maximum cards, are accepted now at highest level of exhibiting in international competitions".

This Illustrated Mail Division, I believe, will increase public interest in attending and collectors interest in exhibiting in stamp shows. I expect that Maximaphily now will be in a sub division by itself and under distinct rulrs of judging. There has to be a caution here. Some areas in this Illustrated MaIL Division will allow exhibition of material that hitherto was disalowed or none competitive.

This is not the case with Maximaphily. There already are standards set by International Federation of Philately (F.I.P.). The judges are not going to ignore these rules. If yoy are going to exhibit you should know what they are.

When preparing a card for cancellation, you have to be sure that there is good concordance with the postmark and the subject of the stamp. Recently the Celebrate the Century series included a stamp from the Grand Canyon. The first day of issue cancellation was Washington, D.C. An exhibit of Maximum Cards, whether international or at a national show here in the USA, should, and I hope will be downgraded in the judging if it included a postcard with a stamp of the Grand Canyon cancelled with a Washington, DC first day of issue postmark, instead of that of the Grand Canyon, AZ (place of site).

Also let us not expect that recognition of Maximum Cards in exhibiting means that now we can accept those "reproduction of the stamp" cards that were published by Colorano, Velvetone, Collotype and others, or those put by the United States Postal Services and the Post Offices of some other countries as Maximum Cards. They never were and they never will be. If they appear in first day cover exhibits that is a matter that does not concern us. What does concern us is that they continue to be misidendified as "Maximum Cards". These have a name in Germany: Reprokarten. I wish we had a name foe them here.

Maximum Card Samples :

**General**
Yankee Stadium	Vietnam Women's Memorial	Korean War Memorial	Pioneer Pilot

Special Postmark Ebbet Field Bronks NY Oct-27-1999 U.S.A.	Regular Postmark Women in Service Washington DC Sep-02-1999 U.S.A.	Regular Postmark Memorial Washington DC Sep-02-1999 U.S.A.	Special Postmark Jacqueline Cochran Reno NV Sep-19-1999 U.S.A.

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Last Updating: June-06-2001