Bulgarian Maximum cards on eBay

Bulgarian
maximum cards
on eBay
- fake or not?

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A large number of Bulgarian "Maximum Cards" appeared on eBay in the Autumn of 2003. Some of these were described as "old" and "rare" and sold at quite high prices. The sudden introduction of such a high number of items and the observation that they all had a rather similar appearance triggered my curiousity. I started making some inquiries that led to the construction of this web page.... Read on!

Contents:
I. What is a Maximum Card?
II. What do the experts say?
III. What do the dealers say?
IV. Comparison and analysis of "maximum cards" and cancellations
V. Conclusions
VI. The story continues...

I. What is a Maximum Card?

Before elaborating on the question of fake or not, we need to give a more precise definition of the term "Maximum Card".

The philatelic resource web site www.askphil.org gives the following definition:

"Maximum card: a picture post card that has an illustration, stamp and cancel all with a common theme."

For a more detailed and formal definition, we may look at the Special Regulations of the International Federation of Philatelists (F.I.P.). Collection and exhibition of Maximum Cards is defined as a special area by F.I.P. under the name "Maximaphily". The following are extracts of the relevant paragraphs:

From Special Regulations for the Evaluation of Maximaphily Exhibits at F.I.P. Exhibitions:
(F.I.P. 15.02.2002)

"Article 2: Competitive Exhibits

The Maximaphily items should conform to the principles of maximum possible concordance between

a) The postage stamp
b) The picture postcard
c) Postmark

Article 3: Principles of Exhibit Composition

The constituent elements of a maximum card should conform to the following characteristics:

1. The postage stamp

The postage stamp should be postally valid and affixed only on the view side of the picture postcard. (postage due, pre-cancels, fiscals and stamps violating the "Code of Ethics of the UPU" are not admissible, as well as official stamps, except those which are at the disposal of the public: United Nations, UNESCO, European Council, etc..).

2. The picture postcard

Its dimensions must conform to universal postal convention. Chapter 1 Article 19 para 1 (max. 105 X 148 mm. min. 90 X 140 mm). At least 75% of its area must be used for the picture and the illustration should show the best possible concordance with the subject of the stamp or with one of them, if there are several. Picture postcards with mere reproduction of the stamps are forbidden.

3. The postmark and time

The pictorial design of the cancellation and the place of cancellation (name of the Post office) should have a close and direct connection with the subject of the stamp and of the picture postcard, and should be dated within the validity of the stamp and as close as possible to the date of its issue."

From Guidelines for judging Maximaphily Exhibits:
(F.I.P. 15.02.2002)

"4. Criteria for evaluating exhibits

(...)

The research in Maximaphily bases on the observance of the three concordances: of subject, of place and of time.

The concordance of subject is the most important condition to characterise a maximum card, e.g. the best concordance between the subject of the stamp and the illustration of the picture postcard.

The concordance of place requires a connection between the name of the place or the locality written in the postmark and the subject of the stamp and the card. The "first day cancellation" can only be used when it is in accordance with the above mentioned condition.

For monuments, landscapes and sites the only place giving the required concordance is the one where the monument, the landscape or the site is located.

When the subject is a famous personality of the stamp issuing country, the postmark of the place related to the commemorated event should be chosen: birth, death, work or aspect of his activity.

In case the stamp commemorates an event, the cancellation should be made in a place related to it. When the stamp shows for instance a plane, a train or a ship, the postmark will be made in a place where there is an airport, a railway station, a harbour or a post office on board related to the subject. The maximum cards showing sports activities should be cancelled in places where these sports are practised.

The maximum cards showing works of art such as paintings, sculptures, mosaics, enamels, leaded glass windows, fresco, tapestry works, and, generally, all objects in museums or art collections, can be cancelled either in the place where they are to be found, or in the place where they were created. Nevertheless, in judging exhibits about "works of art", considering their universal character, the jury can admit the cancellation of the issuing country. In case the same work of art is shown on stamps of different countries, the maximum card with the cancellation of the country where this work of art is to be found will be rated higher.

(...)

The cancellation is especially interesting as it completes the unity stamp/card by its illustration or its text, and whether it has been used for a more or less long time. The concordance of time is defined by the date of the postmark, in the period of postal validity of the stamp."

Today, postal authorities often make maximum cards as part of their product offers, using specially designed cancels. It is of course also possible to make your own maximum cards, as described in this excellent article, but they would still have to fulfill the F.I.P. criteria of concordance of theme, time and space between card, stamp and cancel. Simply gluing a stamp to a card and having your local post office cancel it, would not make a true maximum card and it cannot be sold as such!

Further reading:

II. What do the experts say?

When I first started to notice these "maxicards" I contacted two different experts on Bulgarian philately (of which one prefers to remain anonymous). They were both in unison that these maxicards are fake, made recently with cancels that are in private hands. These maxicards were first observed on eBay around 2000. Nobody knows, however, when these maxicards were made or by whom, or whether they are still being made.

The first known "maximum card" from Bulgaria is from 20.04.1901 with the issue "25 years anniversary of the April uprising in 1876". This card accidentally became a maximum card when the sender put the stamp on the picture side of the card. Both the stamp and the left picture show the cherry tree cannon used by the rebels, but the Sofia cancel doesn't quite fulfill the concordance of place...

The next maximum card appeared in a similar way in 1902 when the sender put the "25 years anniversary of the Schipka battle" issues on the picture side of the cards.

The first official Bulgarian maximum cards made by the postal authorities with a specially designed cancel are the 1946 issues "1000 years anniversary of the Rila Monastery".

Bulgaria issued about 25 "official" maximum cards in the period 1946-50. The first exhibition of maximum cards in Bulgaria was held already in May 1948.

(Source: Philatelen Pregled 1988/Nr.1)

III. What do the dealers say?

My second step after noticing these "maxicards" was to contact three of the eBay sellers that offer these maxicards. Here are their answers (slightly edited for anonymity):

"I buy from heir (successor) of big stock of maxicards at Sofia market. I am not an expert on Bulgarian maxicards."

"I buy all these Maximum cards from one older collector in Sofia stamp club. I hope and I think that all these Maximum cards are original. About the card with 2 different cancellations: To make Maximum card you can give one post card (clean or used), and stamp on this theme and cancellation. In Bulgaria all first day cancellations were made in Sofia."

"The explanation is very easy. Inheritans of old philatelist-dealer sold his whole collection and stock. I regret I do not have more information about the Maximum cards that you are interested in. Because of the difference in age, I do know this philatelist only by face. He died 3 or 4 years ago. I have not been in contact with his inheritants, but I bought a small part of his collection from another person. I understood that the inheritants have sold everything very cheap to several philatelists."

Provided that these explanations are true, they are sufficiently similar to assume that all these maxicards have the same source - an old dealer (or a group of dealers) in Sofia. It does not give any clue to the age or authenticity of the cards, though... Let us therefore continue to a more detailed analysis...

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