Maxicard Ruins of Angkor (1931)

Country: French Indochina (Indochine)

Issue: Exposition Coloniale Internationale – Paris 1931

Date of Issue: 13/04/1931

Postmark: Circular datestamp CDS - Angkor / Cambodje - 2 NOV 1931 (applied during the period of the Colonial Exhibition in Paris)

Postcard: Monochrome photographic illustration of the Ruins of Angkor, specifically Angkor Wat, showing the central pavilion of the east façade with its iconic towers and stairway. The postcard is credited by Photo NADAL, a known publisher of photographic cards depicting historical and cultural landmarks.

Justification of Maximum Concordance:

This maximum card originates from French Indochina and commemorates the International Colonial Exhibition held in Paris in 1931. The stamp, inscribed Exposition Coloniale Internationale – Paris 1931 and marked Indochine, features symbolic elements of the exhibition and the region, creating a thematic link to the postcard’s depiction of Angkor Wat, one of the most emblematic monuments of Indochina’s cultural heritage. The postmark dated 2 November 1931 reinforces the temporal connection to the event. Together, the stamp, the image, and the cancellation achieve maximum concordance by uniting subject, location, and commemorative purpose in a single philatelic piece.

Yvert & Tellier: FR-IC 147

The two stamps on the postcard indicate the correspondence journey through the postal system. It was common practice in old philately to have multiple stamps to record the date, time, and location at each processing or transfer point of the letter or postcard.

Meaning of the Postmarks

Left cancelation ("FRONTIÈRE CAMBODGE"): This border postal date stamp ("Frontier Cambodia") marks the date and location where the postcard entered or exited the border area of the Cambodian postal service. The date is 3-11-31 (November 3, 1931).

Right cancelation ("ANGKOR CAMBODGE"): This stamp indicates that the postcard was processed at the post office in Angkor, also in Cambodia. The legible date appears to be 2-11-31 (November 2, 1931).

The discrepancy in the dates (one day difference) and locations confirms the different stages of the postal journey, likely indicating that the postcard was processed first at the Angkor station and, the next day, or shortly thereafter, at the border post before continuing its journey to the final destination (Paris, France, as suggested by the annotation "Exp. Colonial de Paris" and the context of the 1931 Exhibition).