National Philatelic Exhibition - EXFILNA 2004 - VALLADOLID
Commemorative ATMs

Twelve years on and the city Valladolid has once again been selected for the celebration in 2004 of this great annual philatelic meeting in Spain, the 42th edition of the National Philatelic Exhibition - EXFILNA 2004.

The Exhibition took place from October 1st to 9th in the recently inaugurated Science's Museum (Museo de la Ciencia), designed by the Spanish architects Rafael Moneo and Enrique de Teresa.

The organization of the event has been the responsibility of the Grupo Filatelico y Numismatico Vallisoletano.

As is usual in Spain, with the exception of the inauguration's weekend and the last day, the visits were very reduced.

The competitive philatelic exhibition was distributed in two areas of the building, far away from each other, and included a total of 137 collections.

5 interesting collections dedicated exclusively to ATMs were displayed this time, and also many others showing ATMs from Spain and other countries coexisting with quite normally with the "traditional" stamp issues.


Near the access to the Exhibition, next to the two collections displayed in the Master Class, there were the institutional stands of the RCM - FNMT and Correos.


On the Correos stand they sold the usual philatelic items (the Exfilna souvenir-sheet 2004, first day covers, philatelic issues, ...) and collectors could obtain the different commemorative postmarks.

Also there was a franking balance EPELSA ET-RL/T from the Valladolid Main Post Office, with the number 1403.

This balance had been especially configured to print a commemorative text on the ATMs.
On the contrary, this text do not appear in the receipts nor, as expected, on the adjust labels.

By way of an unexpected 'bonus', the director of the main post Office In Valladolid discovered a stock of some 15 end rolls of different designs of ATMs that had been forgotten about over the years and decided to make them available to collectors at the Exhibition.
In doing this he was able to offer a wider range of ATMs featuring the commemorative text, to collectors, whilst at the same time increasing sales turnover. After all some dedicated collectors would feel that they had to have all 15 ATMs with text (and even maybe on cover as well ?).
Experience from the International Philatelic Exhibition held at Valencia in May 2004, showed that ATMs with commemorative text on them were much in demand, so these extras would be a bonus for collectors ! ?

Most of these rolls were not complete and were printed by the balance at the beginning of the Exhibition with the different current values for normal, registered and express post. Some end of rolls of a few of these designs were reserved for normal usage in the franking balance, during the days of the Exhibition.
 

(Papers used: Literatura-Cervantes / Phosphorescent paper, Naturaleza / Bright paper, 100 Años Club tenis Barcelona, Exp. Filatelia. España'2000, Gran Regata 2000, 350 Aniv. Castroverde Campos, Hispasat 1C, Año Jubilar Lebaniego, Hispano Suiza T, Motobecane B-44, 1930, Arquitectura postal- Madrid, Sammer Gallery. Bodegon, Spider con Capota, Berliet - 1926, 11-M. Dia Victimas Terrorismo, España 2004).

None of the designs of these labels bore any relationship to the Philatelic Exhibition, with Valladolid, or anything which occurred there, so they must be considered as labels in which the interest is centered exclusively in the text printed for the Exhibition, independently of the paper used.

Anyway, some visitors and collectors who were badly informed or simply surprised by the extensive offer, acquired everything offered !!

Circulated cover, franked with the ATM with the commemorative text EXFILNA 2004 VALLADOL and the Exhibition general postmark.

As a resumée, we show a philatelic item that we consider constitutes a nice souvenir: an Official illustrated commemorative cover published by the Grupo Filatelico Vallisoletano, franked with the souvenir-sheet EXFILNA 2004 and with the postmark of the 1st day of issue, and one ATM issued by the franking balance in the Exhibition, with the commemorative text EXFILNA 2004 VALLADOL and the Exhibition general postmark.
(Size: 19,90 x 14.50 mm.).
 

At dusk, and after savoring a splendid chocolate con churros in a center doughnut shop, we walked up to the main post office, where a last goodbye surprise waited for us ...
It's a nice franking balance number error, very rare.

The cover reached to us with a special postmark used during October and dedicated to the Seminci - 49th edition of the International Cinema Week of Valladolid.


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This page was created: 02.10.04. Last updated:  16.10.04 . English edition rewritted by S. Goodman (16.10.04)