Editor: Alastair Nixon, 7 Bramblegate, Edgcumbe Park, Crowthorne, Berks, RG45 6JA. Tel: +44 (0) 1344 775378
Email: Web site: http://www.nixon48.freeserve.co.uk
Editorial
Another exciting find this month! My Meter of the Month this time very kindly has been sent by Ray Woodward-Clarke. The serial number of this Post Perfect machine has been engraved incorrectly and actually has the prefix ‘0PB7’ instead of ‘PB7’. The enlarged view below, clearly shows the die number 0PB75825
Clearly the correct serial number cannot be PB758250 as the series has only reached PB756414. I think that the most likely numbers that it should be are: PB750825 (issued about Nov 2000), PB751825 (Feb 2001), PB752825 (Dec 2001), PB753825 (Jun 2002), PB754825 (Nov 2002) or PB755825 (Mar 2003).
Overseas News
Staying with the Post Perfect, there is some interesting news from The Netherlands this month. I have been contacted by Jan-Willem with a request for information on how to decode the security numbers on such machines.
It transpires that the coding system used is different from the one used in the UK. An example is shown here.
The constant ‘1’ is always the first digit of the left-hand column. Secondly, the Item Count is found in the bottom 5 digits of the right-hand column. The constant 2-digit machine-related numbers are in the bottom two digits of the left-hand column. The remaining three digits remain a mystery as they are with the UK system (see Page 7-3). For those of you who speak Dutch, Jan-Willem has produced a Catalogue of Dutch meters which can be viewed on the following web site http://www.frankeerstempel.nl/overzichten.htm.
Acknowledgements
My thanks to Alan Godfrey, David Aspinwall, John Franey, Ole Constantine, Peter Mantell,
Peter Wood and Ray Woodward-Clarke, for their reports / correspondence this month.
Latest Numbers
Below is a list of ‘Latest Numbers’ as at 27th February 2004. Please could I have updates for the next issue by 27th March, thanks.
This month I have used a slightly different format for acknowledging members who have provided the report – using initials in the right-hand column. My thanks for your all reports.
Frama (UK)
EPSTSF251 FSC 224760 17.02.04 [PM] See Page 40/3
Sensonic 2000 FSC 278267 07.11.03 Static for 3 months
Mailspirit FSC 701023 13.02.04 [DA]
Sensonic 2000? FSC 901882 23.02.04 [AG]
Francotyp-Postalia
EFS 2000/3000 EFS 561859 28.08.03 Static for 5 months
Optimail T 566768 16.12.03
JetMail FJ0565752 23.01.04 [AN]
MyMail FM0008083 08.05.03 Static for 9 months
MyMail FM2111026 17.11.03 Static for 2 months
Neopost
4450 1NE 44510 08.05.03 Static for 2 months
8500, 8550/8750 8NE 44164 05.12.03
IJ25 N1134377 03.10.03 Static for 4 months
IJ65, 75 N1205019 23.01.04 [PW]
IJ35, 45 N1309276 23.02.04 [DA]
Pitney Bowes
Paragon PBP82848 23.01.04
DP400? PB140182 20.01.04
Personal Post PB260665 11.12.03 [PM]
DM 200? PB310245 25.04.03 Static for 9 months
DM 250? PB322537 29.01.04 [PM]
DM 225, 300 PB378975 20.02.03 Static for 11 months
Personal Post PB422358 16.12.03 [PM]
DM 400 etc PB502878 29.01.04 [OC]
Post Perfect PB756414 20.11.03
B921 PB980489 30.10.03
SECAP
DP200 ST224614 17.10.03 Static for 4 months
DP400 ST424533 17.11.03 Static for 3 months
Current Models / Systems
Further to the report on Page 39-3, Alan Godfrey very kindly supplies a copy of a letter from the Meter Admin. Room, Royal Mail, Copperas Hill, Liverpool, L3 1AA in which the registration of a new meter Machine for the company Eaton Limited in Redditch is acknowledged.
The extract from the letter reads:
“The above named customer is hereby authorised by Royal Mail to use postage meter franking machine number 224486 supplied by Frama (UK) Ltd. Your unique die number is FSC224486 and your model is a EPSTSF251.”
This goes some way towards answering the question “how are meter machines registered?”. However, it is not certain whether the office in Liverpool registers all machines across the whole country or whether it only handles the Midlands / North West area. The hunt is now on for another letter like this one, but to a company in a different part of the country. Copies of similar letters would therefore be appreciated if you are able to find any.
The Sensonic 21-2600’s new name has me baffled - I cannot find the EPSTSF251 model mentioned anywhere on the web! The Frama UK web site still mentions the Sensonic 2100 as at 28th Feb 2004.
Alan has also kindly supplied an example print from this machine (actually, two prints to be precise) on an ‘Ashcroft’ self-adhesive label:
Categorising Meter Errors
Errors often take up much of Meter News. Perhaps this is not surprising as philatelists have always loved collecting errors. Therefore, it has occurred to me that it might be worth trying to categorise some different types of ‘meter errors’. My thoughts are that these really fall into 5 categories as follows:
Category A: Errors in the Value die. These are the best and most valuable. Best of all, I suggest, is the recent find where ‘GREAT BRITAIN’ appears to the right of the Value die - see page 37-1 of Meter News. Also among the best is where specimen dies have been left in the machine when it was delivered by the manufacturer - e.g. page 7-1 and 32-1.
The next best are errors in the serial number - e.g. the PB75T104 on page 8-1, the extra digit errors (page 27-1) or lower case 4ne examples (page 3-1). This month’s Meter of the Month item ‘0PB75825’ would count as a ‘Category A’ error. The value amount itself rarely produces errors but when they do occur, they are quite spectacular - see page 13-1 for example.
Much more common (but still very collectable) are the variants in the Value die that are caused by operator error. An 'INVALID VALUE' mark (e.g. page 18-1) could be an example of this, but note that sometimes such marks are used (correctly) to rectify a previously applied date error.
Category B: Other errors in manufacture. E.g. in the spelling of the Town name or inverted town dies (except slogan dies - see cat D). Missing Town dies except the date would fall into this category (see page 12-1) as would the repeated town die error (page 19-1).
Category C: Machine faults causing printing errors. E.g. the example on page 29-1.
Category D: Operator errors. This category includes errors that appear in the date slug and incorrect ink colour (e.g. whole frank in blue - see page 36-1, inverted slogans (scarce). Also, commemorations of events that have past their date would fall into this category.
Category E: Poor servicing errors. E.g. blocked jets or worn dies. I do not value or collect these.
Your views on my definitions of the above categories would be welcome.
Recent Interesting Marks
Here is a nice one from Peter Mantell.
It is not often that you come across a dart board on a meter frank, is it?!
Meter News Page 40-1 Feb 2004