CLASSICAL MAXIMAPHILY - PRE-FIP PERIOD (Coleção de Sérgio G. Pedro)

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This collection presents an in depth exploration of Classical Maximaphily, focusing on the period prior to the establishment of FIP regulations, and organized by countries up to 1947. It is a carefully curated body of work that highlights the earliest principles of maximaphily, when collectors aimed to achieve perfect harmony between stamp, postmark, and postcard, long before formal standards existed.

Each item in this collection exemplifies one or more essential forms of concordance:

• Thematic concordance, ensuring that stamp and postcard depict the same subject;

• Geographic concordance, with cancellations applied in the relevant place of origin;

• Temporal concordance, respecting the valid postal period or commemorative dates of the issue.

Through these principles, the collection reveals how early maximaphily served both as a form of visual storytelling and as a documentary tool reflecting cultural identity, political history, and artistic expression across continents.

Spanning countries such as Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Egypt, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, and numerous others, the collection explores personalities, monuments, historic events, architectural landmarks, and national symbols from the first half of the 20th century. These maximum cards illustrate not only philatelic creativity but also provide a window into global history during a time marked by social transformation, war, colonial influence, and nation building.

Among the highlights are:

• Rare maximum cards honoring significant cultural and political figures;

• Early commemorative issues marking centenaries, exhibitions, and historical milestones;

• Postcards depicting culturally significant sites such as the Mosquée Sidi Abderahmane in Algeria, the State War Memorial in Perth, the University of Tartu, or the Rila Monastery;

• First day cancellations and postmarks from historically relevant locations across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

Together, these elements form a rich, scholarly contribution to the study of early maximaphily. The collection is both a philatelic archive and a historical narrative—showing how the union of three simple elements can create objects of lasting documentary value.