"2ª SESION DE PORTUARIA MARITIMOS-OEA" (2nd Maritime Port Session - OAS).

 

The cancellation on your cover is a commemorative pictorial postmark used to mark a specific international diplomatic event. Here are the finer details:

⚓ The Cancellation Details

• Event Title: "2ª SESION DE PORTUARIA MARITIMOS-OEA" (2nd Maritime Port Session - OAS).
• The Sponsoring Body: The OEA (Organización de los Estados Americanos or Organization of American States). This session was part of the Second Inter-American Port and Harbor Conference.
• Location & Date: "MAR DEL PLATA (B.A.) ARGENTINA" | "27 MAYO 1963". The "(B.A.)" stands for Buenos Aires province.
• The Graphic: The central image in the postmark depicts a cargo ship at a pier with a crane, symbolizing the maritime and port development themes of the conference.
• Historical Significance: This specific conference is famous among international law and maritime historians for the adoption of the Convention of Mar del Plata (Inter-American Convention on Facilitation of International Waterborne Transportation). This treaty aimed to simplify and standardize the paperwork and procedures for ships moving between American nations. 

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🎨 The Envelope (Cover) Details

• The Cachet (Top Left): The logo featuring the seal is for PEFIMAR (Peña Filatélica Mar del Plata). This was a private stamp collecting club based in the city that produced "souvenir" covers for major local events.
• First Day of Issue: While the Sarmiento stamp itself was likely issued earlier, this envelope is considered a "First Day of Event" cover. In philately, the "Firts Day Cover" (misspelled on your envelope) text usually refers to the first day a specific special cancellation was used.
• Typography Error: Note the typo in the word "FIRTS" instead of "FIRST" on the left side. Such errors are quite common in locally produced private covers of this era and sometimes add a bit of "character" or "charm" for collectors, though they rarely increase the monetary value significantly. 

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📜 Historical Context: Why Mar del Plata?

In 1963, Mar del Plata was a major hub for international conferences in Argentina. In addition to this Port Session, the city hosted the 92nd Session of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America (CEPAL) during the same month (May 1963). The 2nd Port Conference brought together national port authorities from across the Americas to discuss security, modernizing infrastructure, and environmental protection.

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