Every now and then, we get emails asking us about specific types of postcards. Instead of replying to them one by one, we thought a series of posts explaining them was in order. First up, Maxicards!
What are Maxicards? These maximum cards, as they are often known, are postcards that feature an image (a monument, animal, event, etc) along with a stamp of a very similar or related image on the picture side of the card. There are actually thousands of them in circulation today, as they are regularly issued by the Post Offices themselves – with collectors paying big bucks for originals. See some examples on the Virgin Stamps website.
Maxicards have a long and storied history. The first Maxicard was mailed by a tourist in Egypt in 1893, who sent a picture postcard to a friend in Germany. The postcard depicted a pyramid and the Sphinx, and was mailed after he stamped it with a pyramid and Sphinx stamp. He accidentally placed the stamp on the view side of the postcard and thus the maximum card was born from his mistake. Whether later cards were accidents or by design, the craze took off. In 1978, the International Federation of Philately (FIP) officially recognized maximaphily as a branch of philately, basically saying that Maxicards are legitimate.
So, how can you create a Maxicard? You might purchase the postcard and related stamp, put the stamp on the image side and send it, but you have not actually created a Maxicard. Why is this? You are missing another important step that collectors look for: not only do you want the stamp and the postcard to be related, but you also want the postmark to tie in as well! Only then will you have a full-fledged maximum card. Learn more about creating a maximum card on this Maximum Cards website.
Do you have a favourite type of postcard that you’d like to see featured, or are you intrigued by a certain format? Let us know in the comments!
55 comments so far
Interesting post :D
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/AU-169910
this is a nice Maxi card I received from Thailand
I also received another one from Greece that had a gold cancellation seal on the matching stamp It was quite different unlike any cancellation mark I had ever seen!
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/AU-138636
The sender doesn't know about my birthdate. Isn't it a lovely surprise? ^_^
Thanks to Viva101, for the amazing maxi card! :D
To give a totally different input though: I hate those maxicards. Stamp and postmark ruin the picture, if you ask me.
But opinions are different. :)
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/FI-1300117
I guess they are easy compared to other countries and once you have a standing order set up they are "extremely easy", but it is hard if you are just walking in off the street into your local post office (in western australia!)...
p.s I have often admired your range of maxicards artefaque!
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/PT-42012
From lostris, Australia
Here's a few of my favourites
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/AU-187344
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/AU-184237
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/AU-160755
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/AU-155339
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/AU-148654
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/AU-166426
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/AU-163581
Sam
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/AT-68708
as a swap from Linzerin in Austria.
I know that these cards existed in Germany, Great Britain and France and were very popular in the 6os - has anyone got more informations about such cards in other countries?
Moomin maxicards
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/FI-754994
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/FI-896281
Inge Look old ladies maxicard
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/FI-1010627
Finnish artist Virpi Pekkala
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/FI-906826
Others
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/FI-861837
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/FI-754431
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/FI-739401
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/FI-692904
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/FI-1337036
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/FI-1229772
Here is the link. Now I have a new hobby.
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/RU-895136
↑ Back to top ↑