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

My meter of the month this time concerns the Townmark. The frank shown (dated 9.8.01) shows a Francotyp-Postalia mark (T 389196) inscribed simply "London / N". Normally the London postal region, in this case N18, would be in the lower half of the Townmark.

Furthermore, two other examples have recently turned up. The first is a Hasler 300 machine (HT07018P) with a Townmark inscribed "London / W" and the second is a SECAP Minipost machine (ASM 82023) with a Townmark inscribed "London / EC". It is interesting to note that three different manufacturers have been doing this. Have regulations changed, I wonder?

This month we have some major news! Both Jack Peach and John Franey report major developments involving mergers of franking machine vendors. I have summarised the situation on Page 15-3. No doubt more details will emerge in due course, but I am most grateful to both Jack and John for providing the news so far.

Acknowledgements

Thanks this month for news and correspondence from the following:

David Aspinwall, John Scotford, Jack Peach and John Franey.

Latest Numbers

Below is a list of my ‘Latest Numbers’ as at 27th January 2002. Please could I have updates for the next issue by 24th February. Thanks.

Frama

Sensonic 21-2600 FSC 220966 15.01.02

Sensonic 2000 FSC 265870 05.12.01

Mailspirit FSC 700162 17.10.01 Static for 2 months

Francotyp-Postalia

EFS 2000/3000 EFS 546012 05.12.01

T1000 T 542430 09.11.01 Static for 2 months

JetMail FJ0542596 30.10.01

Hasler

Smile HS 44412S 12.12.01

300 Series HT 27673S 05.09.01 Static for 2 months

Neopost

SM 22,26 4NE 19701 07.11.01 Static for 2 months

5450, 5460 5NE 16606 23.10.01

8500, 8550/8750 8NE 43758 21.12.01 *

SM 75,85,95 9NE 50831 06.09.01 Static for 4 months

IJ25 N1106141 16.01.02 *

IJ65 N1202363 11.01.02 *

Pitney Bowes

Paragon PBP 04370 02.11.01

Paragon? PBP 81105 03.01.02

Personal Post PB247755 14.01.02

DM 200, 250 PB305725 04.12.01

DM 225, 300 PB373978 02.10.01 Static for 3 months

Post Perfect PB752552 23.11.01

B921 PB928591 01.08.01 Static for 5 months

Secap

Alpha ASA 90470 09.04.01 Static for 8 months

Minipost ASM 82261 19.09.01 Static for 4 months

*  These reports were kindly supplied by David Aspinwall who also reports a highest number for the Neopost 3NE Series, namely 3NE 41120 dated 15.01.02. I have not previously considered this as a current series. Further reports of movement on this series are therefore welcome.

Thanks also to John Scotford for his report this month.

Meter Manufacturer Acquisitions

Since the last edition of Meter News, both Jack Peach and John Franey have supplied reports of acquisitions involving four of the UK's six manufacturers!

John Franey kindly sends an article from the December 2001 edition of 'Mind your Own Business' entitled 'Sorting out your mail post haste'. The whole article is interesting and addresses various factors to consider when buying or leasing a franking machine, but one section in particular is of major interest and reads:

"In October, the largest player, Pitney Bowes announced the completion of its acquisition of the French company SECAP. Also in October, Neopost, the second largest, announced it is acquiring franking firm Ascom Hasler. These two will control 80% of the market, Frama and Francotyp-Postalia being the other two."

Jack Peach has also independently reported this information and has kindly been attempting to find out more using his contacts. In the case of SEACAP, it is not clear whether the Alpha and Minipost will continue to be produced. The ASI web page (which refers to SECAP) still exists and advertises these machines.

Jack points outs that a relationship between Pitney Bowes and SECAP goes back a long time. In the December 1988 edition of The Stamp Magazine, Jack's article entitled 'United Kingdom Machine Marks - Part 19' reads as follows. "During the 1939-45 War, supplies were suspended and the French Company 'Societe d'Etude et de Construction d'Appareils de Precision' (SECAP for short) manufactured its own version of the Universal machine (based on the Model D)."

As far as Neopost / Hasler acquisition is concerned, Jack reports that the Neopost press release from 2nd October reads:

"Provided that the required authorisations are granted, the acquisition should be completed before year-end. Ascom hasler should be consolidated within Neopost as of the beginning of the fiscal year 2002 (1st February 2002)."

It is understood that the take-over of Hasler by Neopost is being evaluated by the Office of Fair Trading. It is expected that the acquisition will complete very soon.

New Hasler Machines

Despite all the take-over proceedings, it appears that Hasler are going ahead with the launch of two new machines (due 14th Jan), namely the InteliPost 36 and the Intelipost 54 (as announced in the final article that Jack wrote for Gibbons Stamp Monthly).

Although no examples have yet been seen, Jack understands that the serial numbers for the new machines will start with the following prefixes:

Intelipost 36: A202....

InteliPost 54: A203....

Some more thoughts on cut-outs

Last month I captured some thoughts on collecting cut-outs. This month I describe my method for sorting those cut-outs and this idea could be used as a basis for valuation.

I normally sort my cut-outs into three categories according to 'quality' and 'presence / absence of a slogan'. The first category (that I call Category 'A') are those with a slogan mark and in 'very fine' condition. Typically, 'very fine' means the following characteristics:

1) On good quality white paper (not grey, cream or manila) and not creased.

2) Complete cut-outs (i.e. not less than 150mm x 40mm) and not torn.

3) Clear complete print (i.e. legible serial number, date, town mark and slogan).

4) Free from postmark, address, and other markings that could distract.

5) Centred vertically and right-justified horizontally (about 1cm from the RH edge).

6) Free from ink blotches and not over or under inked.

Category A cut-outs are the ones that I am most likely to want to mount in my main collection and ones of interest to thematic and local postal history collectors.

The second category (that I call Category 'B') are as Category 'A' as far as quality is concerned but do not have a slogan. These also go into my collection but are replaced with Category 'A' ones when they come along. This category is useful for a 'Townmark' collection or for a comprehensive local postal history study.

All the remainder I call Category 'C' and these go into my 'reference' collection for earliest / latest dates, and directory listings including determination of extent of batches of serial numbers (mainly Hasler, Frama and Francotyp-Postalia). Typically, I sort Category 'C' cut-outs according to serial number and keep them in bundles protected by card cut to the same size. It is interesting to note that in a batch of modern meter cut-outs, I typically find that 30% are Category 'A', 20% are Category 'B' and 50% are Category 'C'.

Some thoughts on how to evaluate value

This is not something I tend to give much thought to, although it may become relevant for any future catalogue or should I ever wish to exchange examples with (or sell to) other collectors.

After careful consideration, I think it is probably best to use a scale based on a frank made on a DL-size addressed envelope (non-window) as follows:

Category 'A': £0.05 base value (prior to scarcity scaling).

Category 'B': £0.02 " " " " " "

Category 'C': £0.01 " " " " " "

I would admit that keeping meters in cut-out form probably halves the value and ones on window envelopes valued somewhere in between. Neatly typed C6-size envelopes could be worth as much as five-times these base values. Following on from this, in a future article I intend to give some of my thoughts on the relative scarcity of current meter series.

Meter News Page 15-1 Jan 2002