A set of six artistic maximum cards, of which two appear in our scan.  These postcards are artworks by themselves.  Grade: 1

The front of this very special Concorde First Flight postcard is as you see.  The unused reverse has “Carte Postale 1er Jour” at the top, and “Avion Supersonique ‘CONCORDE'” on bottom left.  From 2nd March 1969.  Grade: 1

Note that these are stamp cards, not postcards, and in Maximum Card style.  Scan 39600038A shows the cover for six different cards, each measuring about 7-1/4″ x 10-1/4″.  The set was issued in 2012 by China National Philatelic Corporation.  Each card is fully captioned on the reverse, in Chinese and English, explaining Ci (a kind of classical Chinese poetry during the Song Dynasty 960-1279 A.D.) and the particular work portrayed on each card.  As an example, the card you see in 39600038B illustrates “Pozhenzi – A Poem to Chen Tongfu in a Heroic Vein,” by Xin Qiji.  It’s said to be a patriotic poem full of heroism, and the caption is remarkably colloquial and colourful–almost but not quite enough for us to want to look further into the history.  It’s a nice set, and we have two of them.  Grades: 1

See 39600038A.

We offer individual cards, or sets, of Macau’s 2013 “Year of the Snake” Maximum Card products.  Each card represents a different aspect of Snake, and each card has very minor smudging on the reverse, as delivered by Macau Post, but we are not going to downgrade the ratings for this.  This card 39600041 is for Wood.  Grade: 1 ($12) but if you want to have one card from each of the five aspects, the total will be $50.

We offer individual cards, or sets, of Macau’s 2013 “Year of the Snake” Maximum Card products.  Each card represents a different aspect of Snake, and each card has very minor smudging on the reverse, as delivered by Macau Post, but we are not going to downgrade the ratings for this.  This card 39600042 is for Water.  Grade: 1 ($12) but if you want to have one card from each of the five aspects, the total will be $50.

We offer individual cards, or sets, of Macau’s 2013 “Year of the Snake” Maximum Card products.  Each card represents a different aspect of Snake, and each card has very minor smudging on the reverse, as delivered by Macau Post, but we are not going to downgrade the ratings for this.  This card 39600045 is for Earth.  Grade: 1 ($12) but if you want to have one card from each of the five aspects, the total will be $50.

One would think we have a standard way to describe items like this by now.  One would be mistaken!  They each pose different obstacles.  Issued by China National Philatelic Corporation, this is a book in a 10″ x 10-3/8″ cardboard sleeve (pictured here).  Its extensive captions are in Chinese and English, but not usually both languages on the same page.  It’s a book containing maximum cards (postmarked) and sheets of 15 mint stamps each on alternate pages, so there are eight facings with cards (one is shown as 39600048B) and eight of corresponding sheets.  After all that, there are several pages of first-day covers and miniature stamp sheetlets, followed finally by a “Philatelic Passport: Ancient Towns of China (I)” embedded in the inside back cover, though it can be removed.  We haven’t tried.

See what we mean?  If you want to know more, please ask.  Special postage rates will apply, please ask.   It is quite nice, and busy with different things.  Grade: 1

See 39600048A.  Grade: 1

See text for 39600049A.  But if you can read Chinese, you can go to this website, key in the certificate number (6513714589) and “10” for the weight.  We don’t want to create an unwanted web link, so you would need to put this into the correct www format:  www dot gold dot gd dot cn/gdtc.  It shows “pure silver.”

For reasons too long and irrelevant for this space, this maximum card is one of our favourite postcards ever.  Forgive us then for thinking it should be yours, too.  You will think:  it cannot be so expensive.  Well, yes, it can.  Mailed in 2013 with a large special postmark (same as the one on the front) over another stamp, and bilingual Priority label.  Official Disney card dated 2012.  Grade: 1

Mailed from Netherlands (not England) in 2013, with three stamps and bilingual Priority label.  Illegible postmark.  Grade: 4

Maximum cards from Bali are not available everywhere.  This dates from 1993, and while not postally used (i.e., not mailed), it has two purple rubber-stamp markings on the back:  one says “Visit Indonesia,” and the other (translated from Bahasa) says “Preserve the environment”.  Tanah Lot being one of if not the most famous places in Bali, this is quite a nice card to have.  Grade: 2

Would you like to know the Latin name for this animal is Spilocuscus maculatus?  The unused card issued by Pos Indonesia in 1996 tells us.  Grade: 1

This (otherwise unused) “Official Maximum Card” from World Wide Fund for Nature has a 1996 first day of issue postmark.  Please be mindful that we have several variations of rhino maximum cards, so the correct code number is especially important.  Grade: 1

This (otherwise unused) “Official Maximum Card” from World Wide Fund for Nature has a 1996 first day of issue postmark.  Please be mindful that we have several variations of rhino maximum cards, so the correct code number is especially important.  Grade: 1

Unused maximum card from Pos Indonesia, with pre-printed postage on the reverse allowing for mailing within Indonesia.  Issued in 1998.  Grade: 1