Editor: Alastair Nixon, 7 Bramblegate, Edgcumbe Park, Crowthorne, Berks, RG45 6JA. Tel: +44 (0) 1344 775378
Email: Web site: http://www.meterfranking.co.uk
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Meter of the Month
Occasionally the scope of Meter News is widened to include thematic illustrations of Smart Stamps but never before has one been promoted to the front page! I could not, however, resist this topical one kindly supplied by Peter Mantell.
Editorial
Well, another year is over and, perhaps, this is a good time to take a look back at some of the key news for 2008. The start of 2008 saw our first live example of the new Francotyp-Postalia Centormail machine (FC series) to replace the old JetMail (FJ series) machine. It must be said, however, that the Centormail does not appear to have made a significant impact on the market - with probably fewer than 150 or so being sold to date in the UK. Indeed, there has not been a reported increase in the FC series for six months now. Perhaps the cost of these state-of-the-art machines is a contributory factor?
Royal Mail’s Advanced Mail service continues to gather momentum. There are now so many examples that I am finding it increasingly difficult to record them all. One thing is still puzzling, though – why do we see so many examples of entry-level machines using blue ink when it is unlikely that they will ever process the minimum 1000 items per day to be eligible for the Advanced Mail discount. Is blue ink being supplied in error in some cases, or are the users just applying their franks in this way for effect, I wonder?
The mapping of Neopost machine types to serial numbers has still not been fully resolved, but my thanks must go to Richard Goring for the progress made so far. The machine type associated with the N3 series is still unknown, even though it has now been around for more than six months. Some observations with regard to the serial number allocations for the Francotyp-Postalia machines are given on page 3 of this issue.
Membership & Acknowledgements
This month I would like to extend a warm welcome Richard Peck as member number 0026. Richard is well known as a keen and knowledgeable collector and was a contributor to the International Meter Stamp Catalog. He is the retired philatelic curator of the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, a job he had for 22 years and to where he has donated many old franking machines.
My thanks this month go to Jim Ashby, David Aspinwall, Bob de Vekey, Ray Downing, Richard Goring, Peter Mantell, Bob Rowe, John Scotford and Peter Wood for their reports and communications.
Latest Numbers
Below is the list of ‘Latest Numbers’ as at 30th December 2008 – with updates shown in red. Please could I have next month’s reports by 28th January, thanks.
Frama (UK)
EcoMail FSC 353199 25.11.08 Reported by PM
MailMax FSC 908998 29.10.08 Reported by RG
Francotyp-Postalia
Optimail? B 0770780 01.02.08 See MN 90
Optimail T 402677 03.11.08 Reported by RG
Optimail 30 F04111334 28.11.08 Reported by AN
Centormail FC5110225 09.07.08 See MN 93
Mymail FM2119386 25.11.08 See MN 97
Mymail FM2210997 14.11.08 New sub-series - AN
Ultimail? FU3114448 31.10.08 Reported by PM
Ultimail 65 FU8002494 10.09.08 See MN 97
Ultimail 95 FU9001148 06.02.08 See MN 91
Neopost
IS-350 (Ex IJ-25) N1167153 15.09.08 See MN 95
IJ-65 N1208261 11.07.08 See MN 93
IS-480 (Ex IJ-85) N1240310 03.09.08 See MN 96
IJ-80/90/110 N1253689 28.10.08 See MN 97
IJ-85 N1290017 23.01.08 See MN 90
IJ-35/45 N1317747 20.11.08 See MN 97
IS-430 (Ex IJ-40) N1359997 07.08.08 See MN 95
IS-460 (Ex IJ-50) N1373213 21.08.08 See MN 94
IS-420 (Ex IJ-30) N1384631 11.09.08 See MN 95
IJ-40 N1390062 16.10.08 See MN 96
Unknown N3003180 12.12.08 Reported by PM
Pitney Bowes
Paragon PBP84118 19.03.08 See MN 92
DM50, 55 PB035715 16.12.08 Reported by AN
DP200? PB130122 24.09.08 See MN 95
DP400? PB143184 18.07.08 See MN 93
Personal Post PB279196 28.07.08 See MN 94
DM 200? PB311616 01.08.08 See MN 94
DM 225, 300 PB380543 23.07.08 See MN 94
Personal Post PB492787 27.10.08 Reported by PM
DM 550 etc. PB524863 17.11.08 See MN 97
DM 400C / 450C PB612664 11.12.08 Reported by PM
Post Perfect PB763934 20.10.08 Reported by PM
DM100i PB839480 08.12.08 Reported by PM
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Francotyp-Postalia News
Your editor has recently come across this new Mymail sub-series ‘FM221’. However, it does raise an interesting question.
Last month we reported FM2119386 as the highest number reached for this series. Is it possible that the fifth character from the left has been given some other meaning, and that the series could not, therefore, naturally roll on to ‘FM212’ (and that FM221 is merely an extension of the FM211 series)? It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few months on this series.
Meanwhile, Richard Goring has noticed that the third character of the serial number (from the left) of Francotyp-Postalia machines always seems to uniquely define the prefix (and hence the machine type). The following table shows this more clearly:
3rd Character /Machine Type
0 = FJ / JetMail1 / Not yet allocated
2 = FM / Mymail
3 = FU / Ultimail (unspecified)
4 = F0 / Optimail 30
5 = FC / Centormail
6 / Not yet allocated
7 = B0 / Optimail? (only one example reported – see page 90-1)
8 = FU / Ultimail 65
9 = FU / Ultimail 95
Editorial comment - why the manufacturer should feel it necessary to do this is not understood but, if the above theory is correct, then the next new Francotyp-Postalia machine type should have a ‘1’ or a ‘6’ as the third character.
Recent Interesting Items
Richard Goring has found this Pitney Bowes DP200 item with unusual formatting in the townmark. The town name ‘ASHBY-DE-LE-ZOUCH’ is in small font and appears rather ‘squashed-up’, whereas the county ‘LEICS’ is in large font and ‘spaced-out’ – very strange.
Richard has also found this Frama MailMax item where the town name is the county!
As explained on page 86-3, when a new Pitney Bowes machine is delivered, the first item to be franked would normally be a test print made by the engineer installing the machine. Peter Mantell has now found a second example of an item number ‘0000002’, this time on a DM 50/55 machine. Again, this is likely to be the first ‘live’ example from this machine.
Peter also reports machine N1253525 being used by Neopost Ltd in Leeds:
Recent Interesting Items Continued
Peter Mantell has noticed something strange happening recently with the item count on Francotyp-Postalia machine FU8000460. Up to June last year, the item number was counting up normally and had reached ‘00028134’, as shown below:
However, from mid-August 2008, every example that Peter has seen has shown the item no. ‘00000001’, as seen below.
At least six such examples have now been seen, including two items dated 8.9.08 and two items dated 19.9.08. It would seem unlikely that the operator is manually resetting the item count each time, and the most likely possibility is that the machine has somehow developed a fault.
Further to page 94-4, Peter Mantell has found another Personal Post machine that has produced this strange printing error – this time from machine number PB486710. It looks like this may be a common problem with the Personal Post, and could be caused by a hardware or software fault - I feel that it is unlikely to be an operator fault. Further reports of similar items would be welcome.
Recent Interesting Items Continued
The following item, supplied by Peter Mantell, is unusual. It shows both the built-in slogan “IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS ENCLOSED”, together with the mini-die “IMPORTANT”. This must be a first, I think!
Meter Correction Handstamps
Richard Goring reports the unusual use of two handstamps applied to a zero-value meter. The oblong handstamp on the right reads “CLEARED BY METER IRREGULARITY TEAM” and the oval ‘PAID’ handstamp on the left has, presumably, been applied in addition to record the date that the irregularity was resolved.
Ascom Hasler
Your editor has recently received the following:
“Meter News page 80-4 speculates that the indicia shown is from an Ascom F340 meter. This is not possible for several reasons. The offset line through the impression shows this to be made by an ink-jet Franking Machine. The 340 was a high-speed variant of the 324, 18,000 per hour and required a special high-speed base unit. It was a mechanical print from dies, the same dies as the 324. Ascom has a couple of these, as far as I am aware though none were sold.
In another newsletter, there is speculation on the Z suffix on some Ascom Hasler meters e.g. HT56432Z or HS. These are second-hand machines either sold by Neopost as refurbs or purchased and re-licensed by customers. When Ascom where taken over by Neopost in 2002 the T suffix was the last dies made by Ascom themselves, Neopost simply decided to issue a ‘Z’ on any new dies they had to make.”
Your editor would like to thank the contributor of the above, who wishes to remain anonymous. This information is of significant importance.Advanced Mail / Blue Ink Meters
We now have our first reports of blue ink use on the N3 series. In the examples below, Peter Mantell kindly supplies the first two and Richard Goring the third:
Your editor reports the first example of the FSC9 series using the Advanced Mail service. Note also the bold character font that has been used.
GPO Press Releases In the Run-up to Decimalisation (3)
Further to pages 96-5 and 97-4, here is the third of the four GPO notices regarding the run-up to UK Decimalisation in February 1971, kindly supplied by Jim Ashby.
THE POSTAGE MACHINE
Four manufacturers now supply franking (postage meter) machines, for hire or purchase, for commercial firms and others who post large quantities of mail, to use in place of postage stamps.
Like all new franking machines sold since June 12 these machines print postage values in pence (not shillings and pence) in preparation for the introduction of decimal currency in February 1971.
Franking machines are used under licence from the local head post office. Postage is paid in advance as a lump sum set on the meter by the Post Office. From this sum any stamp value may be printed on envelopes, wrappers and labels at any time of day or night. There are more than 74,000 postal franking machines in use throughout the country.
The postage machine saves staff time and costs and, since it keeps an accurate record of expenditure it makes for simpler accounting. No longer do staff have to make frequent trips to the post office for stamps; the firm no longer has to carry large stocks; no longer do stamps have to be wetted and stuck on, and, of course, there is no more “borrowing”.
All envelopes and labels come off the machine “the same way up” and it is simple to prepare bundles of mail for speedy post office treatment. The machine can print advertisements alongside the stamp, saving on the expense of printed envelopes and labels. Since each postage meter prints a registered number, the sender can easily be traced when it is impossible to deliver a letter or parcel without opening it.
Note to Editors
The suppliers are Acral Ltd, Bush Fair, Harlow, Essex; Pitney Bowes Ltd, The Pinnacles, Harlow, Essex; Roneo-Neopost Ltd, Lion House, Red Lion Street, Richmond, Surrey; Postage and Revenue Franking Machines Ltd, 10 Leighton Road, Linsdale, Leighton Buzzard, Beds.
WNF 15 April 19, 1969Smart Stamp Thematics
Here is an attractive railway thematic Smart Stamp from Peter Mantell. The detail on the design is quite amazing.
Christmas Slogans
Peter Mantell sends these three attractive Christmas slogans. The first depicts a reindeer, the second appears to be Santa with a long ‘wants list’ and the third is Santa skating on ice.
Your editor has selected the above because are possibly new designs. My thanks go to other members who have supplied other examples.Meter Thematics
The thematic slogans this month have all been supplied by Peter Mantell:
Further to the ‘Peter Pan’ slogan shown on page 85-7, here are two more from the Woking Theatre – this time ‘West Side Story’ and ‘Aladdin’.
Anyone for polo?
… and again!
.Meter Thematics Continued
Further to the two examples on page 97-7, here is another attractive slogan with a bee:
Here is one from The National Hockey Stadium at Milton Keynes. Milton Keynes also happens to be the home of The National Badminton Centre – does anyone have a meter frank from there?
This one is from the Waterways Museum in Goole. The museum was awarded the 2007 winner of the Yorkshire Tourist Board White Rose Award as The Best Visitor attraction of the year (under 50,000 visitors).
On page 93-6 we showed a Pitney Bowes meter frank from Reading Football Club (PB507976). Here is an earlier one (2005) when a Neopost machine was being used.