Maximum Card La Rábida - Huelva

 

Edifil ES-HUL 30

Stamp: Spain – Charity stamp “Para las Cocinas Económicas de Huelva – La Rábida”, 5 céntimos, perforation 10¾, issued in 1937 by the Junta de Auxilios Alimenticios. The stamp depicts the Monasterio de La Rábida, a historic site closely linked to the province of Huelva.

Postmark: Huelva – circular postmark dated October 1937, corresponding to the period immediately following the official introduction of the charity stamp for postal use, as authorized by the municipal agreement of 10 September 1937 and announced publicly on 16 September.

Postcard: Monochrome sepia‑toned postcard showing a panoramic view of the Monasterio de La Rábida, surrounded by vegetation and overlooking the nearby water landscape. The printed caption at the lower margin reads: “4. HUELVA. – Rábida, Monasterio.” (Edition unknown).

Concordance:

– Thematic: The stamp depicts the Monasterio de La Rábida, and the postcard portrays exactly the same historical monument from a compatible visual and cultural perspective. This creates perfect thematic alignment through the exact correspondence of subject and setting.

– Geographic: The postmark originates from Huelva, the same locality where the monastery is located and the same administrative territory responsible for creating and authorizing the charity stamp for postal use. Thus, stamp, postcard, and cancellation share complete geographic coherence.

– Temporal: The 1937 cancellation coincides with the officially authorized period of postal use of the charity stamp, introduced after the municipal agreement of 10 September 1937 and publicly announced on 16 September. The October 1937 postmark therefore provides correct temporal correspondence within maximaphilic standards.

HUELVA y Provincia -  Sellos benéficos

Winter Relief: Modern Buildings - Germany Hall, Berlin

 

Yt: DR 586

Stamp: Germany – Deutsches Reich – Winter Relief Issue “Modern Buildings – Deutschlandhalle, Berlin”, 6 Pf, reddish‑brown, depicting the Deutschlandhalle, the monumental multifunctional hall inaugurated in 1935 and emblematic of Germany’s modernist architecture of the period. (Issue: 26 October 1936)

Postmark: Germany – Berlin – Circular date cancellation “BERLIN” – 26 February 1937

Postcard: Monochrome real‑photo postcard depicting the Deutschlandhalle in Berlin. The overall composition reflects the documentary photographic style characteristic of German real‑photo view cards of the 1930s. (Edition: Echte Fotografie)

Concordance

Thematic: The thematic concordance is excellent: the stamp depicts the Deutschlandhalle; the postcard shows a photographic view of the same architectural landmark; and the Berlin cancellation directly relates to the building’s location. All three elements converge on a single, well‑defined architectural subject, fulfilling the essential principles of maximaphily.

Geographic: All components — stamp, Berlin postmark, and postcard illustration — are firmly anchored in the same city. The cancellation from Berlin provides precise geographic authenticity and aligns perfectly with the location of the Deutschlandhalle, ensuring full geographic concordance.

Temporal: The postmark date (26 February 1937) falls well within the postal validity period of the Winter Relief issue released on 26 October 1936. This close temporal proximity ensures proper chronological concordance for a maximum card created with a stamp used during its contemporary period of circulation.

Kairouan - Minaret de la Grand Mosque

 The Minaret of the Great Mosque of Kairouan, a masterpiece of Islamic architecture, stands as a symbol of Tunisia’s rich cultural and historical heritage.

 

Stamp: Tunisia, “Minaret of the Great Mosque of Kairouan” – 2 Fr. (Issue: 1906, Series: Definitive - Country Motifs)
Postmark: Kairouan – Circular Date Stamp “22.12.1937”
Postcard: Monochrome photographic view of the Minaret of the Great Mosque of Kairouan, framed by an arched doorway in the foreground. (edition Lévy et Neurdein réunis)

Concordance:

- Thematic: The stamp and postcard depict the minaret of the Great Mosque of Kairouan, ensuring excellent thematic concordance.
- Geographic: Both originate from Kairouan, Tunisia, guaranteeing perfect geographic concordance.
- Temporal: The stamp, issued in 1906, remained valid for decades; the postmark dated 22.12.1937 falls within its validity, though not on a special date, making temporal concordance good but not exceptional.

 

Pectoral of the Udjat Eye, found in Tutankhamun’s tomb - TUT ANKH AMEN'S (1937)

 

Stamp: Egypt – Commemorative issue “XV Concilium Ophthalmological” 5 milliemes, brown (Issue: 08.12.1937)
Postmark: Cairo – First Day Cancellation with congress inscription – 08.12.37
Postcard: Monochrome illustration of Tutankhamun’s treasures, featuring the pectoral of the Udjat Eye with detailed depiction of the necklace and symbolic motifs, rendered in an artistic archaeological style. (edition unknown)

Concordance:

- Thematic: The stamp commemorates the International Ophthalmological Congress, while the postcard illustrates the Udjat Eye from Tutankhamun’s treasure—a strong thematic link through the eye symbol and Egyptian heritage.

- Geographic: Both elements are tied to Egypt, with the cancellation from Cairo reinforcing the cultural and geographic authenticity.

- Temporal: The postmark date (08.12.1937) matches the official issue date of the stamp, ensuring perfect temporal concordance.

 

General View of Damascus with the Umayyad Mosque Minaret (1937)

CA55

Country: Syria

Issue: Airmail – Umayyad Mosque and Airplane – 10 Piastres

Date of Issue: 1937

Postmark: Circular cancel – Damas – 7.12.37

Postcard: Black-and-white photographic view titled “Damas. Vue générale”. It shows a panoramic perspective of Damascus with the Umayyad Mosque prominently in the foreground. The mosque’s long colonnaded courtyard wall occupies the lower part of the image, leading to its tall minaret rising above the cityscape. Behind it, numerous flat-roofed buildings extend toward the horizon, framed by distant hills. The caption is in French, and the publisher is not identified.

Justification of Maximum Concordance:

The stamp depicts the Umayyad Mosque along with an airplane, symbolizing air mail service, while the postcard illustrates the same mosque in detail as the dominant architectural feature. The cancellation from Damascus, dated within the stamp’s valid postal period, ensures strong thematic, geographic, and temporal concordance. This combination meets the criteria for a valid maximum card.

Azem Palace – Ottoman Heritage in Damascus

 

Country: Syria

Issue: Palais Azem – Damascus (Orange 1 Piastre Stamp, 1937 Issue)

Date of Issue: 1937

Postmark: Circular Date Stamp (CDS) – “DAMAS 1” with Arabic characters and date in the Islamic calendar “8.1237” (corresponding to 1937 in the Gregorian calendar). The mark indicates origin in Damascus, ensuring geographic authenticity.

Postcard: Monochrome sepia, showing the interior of the Azem Palace in Damascus, with traditional arcades, a central fountain, and a minaret in the background. Printed text at the top: “DAMAS — Intérieur du Palais Azem.”

Justification of Maximum Concordance:

This maximum card shows strong thematic concordance: both the 1937 Syrian stamp and the postcard image represent the Azem Palace, an architectural icon of Damascus. The “DAMAS 1” cancellation reinforces geographic appropriateness, as it corresponds to the depicted city and the location associated with the stamp’s theme. The dating in Arabic characters confirms the contemporaneity of the issue, ensuring temporal concordance.

Maximum General José E. Díaz (1937)

Country: Paraguay

Issue: General José E. Díaz – 1 Peso (Part of the 1925 definitive/commemorative series honoring the national military hero of the War of the Triple Alliance)

Date of Issue: 1925

Postmark: Circular Date Stamp (CDS) – POSTE RESTANTE – ASUNCIÓN – 29 JUL 37 – h 8

Postcard: Monochrome photographic portrait of General José Eduvigis Díaz, depicted in full military uniform, with printed identification below the image. (Edition unknown)

Justification of Maximum Concordance:

This maximum card achieves full thematic concordance.

The 1‑peso stamp issued in 1925 depicts General José E. Díaz, one of Paraguay’s foremost military heroes, and the postcard likewise presents a portrait of the same figure. This creates direct iconographic and subject unity between the stamp and the postcard.

There is strong geographic concordance.

The cancellation originates from Asunción, the capital of Paraguay and the city most closely associated with Díaz’s military and national prominence. As the postal center of the country, Asunción is fully appropriate for the use of a stamp honoring a key figure in Paraguayan history.

The card also meets temporal concordance.

Although the postmark is dated 29 July 1937, twelve years after the stamp’s release, Paraguayan stamps of the 1925 issue remained valid for postal use during that period. Thus, the cancellation date falls within the legitimate postal validity of the stamp, complying with historical maximaphily standards.

Maxicard Anti‑Tuberculosis Fund – Jānis Čakste (1937)

Country: Latvia

Issue: Anti‑Tuberculosis Fund – Jānis Čakste (20 santīmi, 1930 Issue)

Date of Issue: December 4, 1930

Postmark: Circular Date Stamp (CDS) – Jan 16 1937 – Riga Latvia

Postcard: Monochrome photographic portrait of Jānis Čakste, Latvia’s first President (1919–1927), printed in a soft‑tone photographic style and published by M. Lapiņš, Riga. His surname appears handwritten beneath the portrait.

Justification of Maximum Concordance:

This maximum card exhibits full thematic concordance, as both the 20‑santīmi stamp and the postcard depict Jānis Čakste, one of the foundational figures of the Latvian state and its first President. The portrait on the stamp and the photograph on the postcard refer to the same historical personality, establishing direct iconographic alignment.

The geographic concordance is strong. The cancellation originates from Riga, Latvia’s capital and political center, which is closely associated with Čakste’s life and the administrative context of the Anti‑Tuberculosis Fund postal issues. The fact that the postcard was also published in Riga (M. Lapiņš) further reinforces the geographic unity of the piece.

Temporal concordance is met. The stamp was issued in 1930, and the cancellation dated 16 January 1937 falls entirely within the valid postal period for Latvian semi‑postal/charity issues of this era. The piece therefore conforms fully to accepted standards for historical maximaphily.

Yvert &Tellier: LV 167