The FEPA exhibition EXFILNA 2018, Spanish National with International participation, beat records
The FEPA exhibition EXFILNA 2018, Spanish National with International participation, beat records
From October 31 to November 4, more than 35.000 people enjoyed the many activities of the FEPA Exhibition EXFILNA 2018, National Spanish with the participation as invited guest os the Federations of Argentina and Colombia. The events were held in 4 key venues of the historical centre of Seville all of them offered for free by the different institutions: The General Archive of the Indies, UNESCO World Heritage building, the Cajasol Foundation, the Seville City Hall and the Institutional and Commercial enormous tent mounted in the Square of San Francisco, hosting a total of 730 exhibition frames. The morning of the 2nd of November had an all times record of visits of the “General Archive of the Indies” with 3.754 persons counted one by one automatically by the Security control.
Left photo:The Bin Room, always essential at the exhibitions. Ángel Iglesias, Andrés Ordóñez and the President of the Spanish Federation, Miguel Ángel García Fernández, giving example, executing himself the harder jobs. Right photo: The exhibition frames had to enter the General Archive of Indies through a window of the first floor to avoid any damage in such historical building.
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Queuing to enter the General Archive of Indies
The General Archive of the Indies hosted the Championship Class, Official Class, Postal History, Traditional Philately, Revenues and Literature.
In the Cajasol Foundation, were the exhibits of Aerophilately, Thematics, Open Philately, Maximaphily, Modern Philately and the Picture Postcards.
In the Seville’s City Hall, was present the special display “The 1929 Universal Exhibition of Seville from Collecting”, with exhibits of postal stamps, postcards and different stuff.
The Institutional and Commercial Tent of the Plaza de San Francisco hosted the stand of the Spanish Post and of numerous dealers. There, the Spanish Post – CORREOS, distributed “Mi first album” with some stamps to be completed visiting the other venues of the exhibition, devoted mainly to youth. Over 4000 albums were completed. On top of that long queues were continuously formed to buy the philatelic products issued for the occasion. Some of them were quickly sold out, as the postal stationery with the smell of Seville’s oranges blossom.
At the stand of the Royal Mint- FNMT-RCM, was possible to mint by hammer blow the commemorative medals, in silver and in bronze, issued for the EXFILNA 2018.
Left photo: The FEPA President José Ramón Moreno, presenting to Mr. Julio Allepuz, the author the Large Gold Medal received in PRAGA by the Editor, Ángel Laiz, President of Edifil for the 10 volumes “Catalogue of the Local and Political Stamps of the Spanish Civil War 1936 -1939”. Right Photo, Mr. Mario Mirman, President of ANFIL, Mrs Schiller, Mr. Oscar Schiller and Mr. Angel Laiz, President of EDIFIL
The Welcome Dinner offered by ANFIL-EDIFIL, with the view of “La Giralda” and “The Gold Tower” resulted in an enjoyable get together of more than 200 guests.
At the Opening Ceremony were presented the special issues of this EXFILNA 2018, the Block Sheet of the “Giraldillo”, the stamp depicting one of the galleries of the General Archive of the Indies and tha Postal Stationery with the smell of Seville’s oranges blossom.
Amongst other authorities were present the Major of Seville, Mr. Juan Espadas, Mrs. Rosa Salas, Director of the Cajasol Foundation, Mr. Modesto Fraguas, Director of Philately of the Spanish Post, Mr. Manuel Ravina, Director of the General Archive of the Indies, the Presidents of FESOFI Mr. Miguel Ángel García, and ANFIL, Mr. Mario Mirman, the Director of the Royal Mint – FNMT Mr. Ángel Nieto, the President of the Organizing Committee of the EXFI LNA, Mr. Ramón Cortés de Haro, the President of the Colombian Federation Mr. Santiago Cruz Arboleda, the representative of the Argentine Federation, Mr. Guillermo Pettigiani, the President of the Regional Philatelic Federation of Andalusia Mr. Rafael Serrano Gandía, the President of the Sevillian Philatelic Society, Mr. Rafael Rodríguez Gómez, Commissioners, Jurors, members of the Organizing Committee and a huge crowd who filled the auditorium.
Commissioners : Juan Panes Cantero (Consultant); Carlos A. Rodriguez Gómez (Canary), Joan Isern López (Catalonia), Estanislao Pan de Alfaro (Center Regions), Maria Elisa Abad Suarez (Galicia), Javier Castro Manrique (Castille, Leon and Asturias), Juan Manuel Cerrato García (Cantabria, Basque Country, Rioja and Aragon), Luis Urrutia Rojas (Valencia and Balearic Islands), Rafael Acuña Castillo (Estremadura and Andalusia), Felipe Téllez Manzanares (Other Collectables), Santiago Cruz (Colombian Federation), Guillermo Pettigiani (Argentinian Federation).
Jury: José Ramón Moreno (Honorary President), Fernando Aranaz (President), Santiago Cruz (Vice-President), Guillermo Pettigiani (Vice-President), Juan Manuel Cerrato, Miguel Ángel García Fernández, José Pedro Gómez-Agüero, Ángel Iglesias, Joan Isern López, Juan Panes Cantero and Carlos Rodríguez Gómez. Apprentices: Rafael Acuña Castillo, José Belarmino Díaz and Esteve Domenech. Expert , Eduardo Escalada-Goicoechea.
This 56th edition of the Exfilna together with the 5th European Collecting Convention (ECC), was organized by the Spanish Federation – FESOFI and and the National Dealers Association – ANFIL, sponsored by the Spanish Post – CORREOS, with the collaboration of the Royal Mint FNMT, Regional Government of Andalusia, Seville City Council, General Archive of the Indies and Cajasol Foundation amongst other collaborators.
Every day had its commemorative postmark. On the31st of October was used the “Post by coach” cancellation. A 18th Century Post Carriage was transporting mail postmarked with the special cancellation of “Post by coach” deposited at the Spanish Post stand, arriving to the Seville’s Post Main Office and then delivered.
During this EXFILNA 2018 were presentations of books and lectures of very high level. Amongst them the Spanish Post – Correos, presented the two volumes book “The history of Spain according to Gallego and Rey”. The presentation was chaired by the Director of Philately of CORREOS, Mr. Modesto Fraguas, and was attended by the authors themselves, José María Gallego and Julio Rey. Learn history with humor! That is the intention with which CORREOS by the hand of the popular Gallego and Rey have done this magnificent work which includes the history of Spain told with their characteristic humor.
There was an important Symposium in Postal History and other seminars and meetings as already informed in this FEPA Website.
Left photo: Fernando Aranaz, Honorary President of FESOFI, José Ramón Moreno, FEPA President, José Pedro Gómez-Aguero, Vice-President of FESOFI and Delegate for Youth and Miguel Ángel García Fernández, President of FESOFI. Right photo: The winner and finalists of the drawings of stamps.
The finalist drafts of the youth and the winer already a stamp
Were presented the prizes to the winners and finalists of the drawns “A stamp for Seville” aimed for students from 1st to 6th grade of Primary Education from more than 700 public and private schools in the province of Seville.
José Ramón Moreno, FEPA President handed out the Certificates of the FEPA 2017 runners up of the Award “to the Exceptional Research Work” to the 6 Co-Authors of the “Illustrated Philatelic Dictionary” Andrés Ordóñez Cámara, Ángel Iglesias Vidal, Fernando Aranaz del Río, José Pedro Gómez-Agüero Jiménez, Juan Panés Cantero and Miguel Ángel García
At the Palmares, after the reading of the minutes by the Jury Secretary Mr. Juan Panes, were presented the 43 Gold Medals and 23 Large Gold, as well as other official Awards. Were present official authorities as the Spanish Deputy Minister of Communications Mr. Jesús Manuel Gómez García, the Minister of Economy, Finance and Public Function of the Regional Government of Andalusia, Mr. Antonio Ramírez de Arellano, the General Director of Postal Regime of Spain, Mr. Rafael Crespo, the Director of Philately of the Spanish Post, Mr. Modesto Fraguas, the Director of the Royal Mint, Mr. Ángel Nieto, the Deputy Director of the General Archive of the Indies, Ms. Pilar Lázaro, the Commissioner of the General Archive of Indies for the Exhibition, Mr. Manuel Álvarez. From the philatelic side, the President of FESOFI, Mr. Miguel Angel García, the President of the European Federation of Philatelic Associations FEPA, Mr. José Ramón Moreno, the President of the Organizing Committee of the EXFILNA, Mr. Ramón Cortés de Haro, the President of ANFIL, Mr. Mario Mirman and the President of EDIFIL, Mr. Ángel Laiz amongst others.
The President of the Regional Federation of Philatelic Societies of Andalusia (FEFIAN) Mr. Rafael Serrano awarded with the FEFIAN Medal to Mr. Modesto Fraguas, Director of Philately of the Spanish Post in presence of the FEFIAN Honorary President Mr. Ramón Cortés de Haro.
The Grand Prix EXFILNA 2018 was won by Mr. Francisco Infantes Peña, for his collection Certified mail of Alfonso XIII and the Grand Prix of the Championship Class, was also awarded to Mr. Francisco Infantes, for his collection Essays and proofs of Alfonso XIII.
Were presented the 2018 Medals of the Spanish Federation-FESOFI. The individual medal was for Mr. José Ramón Moreno while the collective one was for the Philatelic Group of the Rioja recieved by its President Mr. Fernando Herce.
Mr. Rafael Crespo, Chancellor of the Order of Postal and Philatelic Merit, read the Minutes of the Award of the Medal of Postal Merit. Collective Gold Medals: Philatelic and Numismatic Group of the Athenaeum 1906, Philatelic Association Zaragozana 1932 and Sevillian Philatelic Society 1933. Individual Gold Medal: Mr. Juan Gabaldá García, Mr. Antonio Rodríguez López. Individual Silver Medal: Mr. José Luis de la Cruz Rodríguez, Ms. María Teresa Bravo Sánchez and Mr. Fernando Herce Porres. Collective Bronze Medal: Cardenal Cisneros School of Orense.
Mr. José Ramón Moreno, President of FEPA, presented the Gold Pin of the European Federation to Mr. Miguel Ángel García, President of FESOFI and the FEPA honorary plate to Mr. Ángel Nieto, Director of the Royal Mint-FNMT.
The Organizing Committee of EXFILNA 2018, also wanted to show Seville to all attendees that were interested. That’s why were scheduled three tourist visits to the most emblematic places of this beautiful city: “Essential Seville”, “The Santa Cruz Quarter” and “The Magic of Triana” . The culmination was to contemplate, as if it were Easter , the procession of the “Esperanza de Triana”.
There was an emotive dinner organized by FESOFI in homage of Mr. Ramón María Cortés de Haro, President of the Organizing Committee of EXFILNA 2018, whose “philatelic curriculum” over 50 years of activity in organized philately, is impressive. The homage was attended by 130 philatelists from the whole Spain and even from several foreign countries.
Congratulations to the Spanish Federation – FESOFI, to the National Dealers Association – ANFIL, to the Spanish Post – CORREOS and to all those who participated with their work and time for the outstanding success of the 56th edition of the Exfilna together with the 5th European Collecting Convention (ECC).
Our special thanks to Mr. Miguel Ángel García Fernández and Mr. Rafael Acuña, authors of big part of this text and to Mr. José Luis de la Cruz for providing most of the pictures
