Maximaphily
Encyclopedia
Maximaphily is a branch of philately
involving the study and creation of maximum card
s. It is one of eleven classifications of philately recognised by the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie
(FIP) and therefore has its own FIP Commission.
The FIP Maximaphily Commission holds a biennial conference on the subject, most recently in Lisbon in 2010.
Philately
Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps...
involving the study and creation of maximum card
Maximum card
In philately a maximum card is a postcard with a postage stamp placed on the picture side of the card where the stamp and card match or are in concordance. In most cases, the cancel is also related to the image on the front of the card and the stamp.The collecting of maximum cards is known as...
s. It is one of eleven classifications of philately recognised by the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie
Fédération Internationale de Philatélie
The Fédération Internationale de Philatélie was founded on June 18, 1926 and is the world federation for philately based in Zürich, Switzerland.- Aims :The primary aims of the FIP are:*To promote stamp collecting and philately....
(FIP) and therefore has its own FIP Commission.
The FIP Maximaphily Commission holds a biennial conference on the subject, most recently in Lisbon in 2010.
History
Maximaphily did not become organised until after the Second World War. Before then maximum cards were created as novelties, often by tourists. Maximaphily is closely associated with thematic or topical stamp collecting and many thematic collections are enhanced with appropriate maximum cards.Elements
A maximum card is made up of three elements, the postcard, the stamp and the postmark. The object of maximaphily is to obtain a card where the stamp and picture are in close concordance, ideally with an appropriate cancellation too. The image should not be of the stamp on the card.Competitions
Maximaphily displays have become popular at competitive philatelic exhibitions and special rules have been developed by the FIP to assist in judging the entries.Further reading
- Rangos, Nicos. What is Maximaphily?, FIP Maximaphily Commission, 2006 Download link.