Philatelic
and Postal History Primer
Types of Collections -
Maximum Cards, Proofs and Essays
Introduction//Stamp
Types//Collection Types//Getting
Started//Associations
Types of Collections -
Maximum Cards, Proofs and Essays |
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A
Maximum Card is a full size pictorial
postcard often showing an enlargement of the stamp design. They may also
depict a design related to the stamp. They will have either the pictured
stamp or a design related to the stamp affixed to the pictorial side and are
canceled with the First Day of Issue
cancellation.
Illustrated on the left is a
Maximum Card
picturing the stamp design and an official First Day Cancel of the 1990
Rhode Island Statehood
issue. |
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Proofs are
impressions taken from an approved die, plate or stone in which the design
and color are the same as on the issued stamp.
Trial Color Proofs
are impressions taken from approved dies, plates or stones in varying
colors.
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Essays are
impressions of the design that differs in some way from the stamp as issued
Illustrated to your left from top to bottom are a
Proof
of the 1898 Trans-Mississippi Issue,
an Essay
and the Actual Stamp
as issued.
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You can see that the proof follows the color scheme of
the actual stamp while the essay is of a different color scheme than the
actual stamp. |
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Some Dealers sell items which are labeled as
Proof Cards.
Although, they are
not
actual Proofs, they are a popular collection item.
Proof Cards are
6x9 inch embossed cards with artist proof quality illustrations and they
include the stamp with the First Day of
Issue cancellation. The
reverse side of
the Proof Card
includes a description of the new stamp. Proof Cards are beautifully done
and look great framed and displayed on the wall of your Stamp Den. Proof
Cards were only produced for the 1977 to
1997 stamp issues and all of them were
produced as First Edition Artist Proofs.
Proof Cards are sometimes hard to find as only a few dealers carry them as
part of their inventory. You will usually find them in a dealers
miscellaneous section and many of them were sold in sets only.
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Introduction//Stamp
Types//Collection Types//Getting
Started//Associations |
|