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
Robert Petts kindly provides my Meter of the Month this time. It is a Francotyp-Postalia frank from an Optimail machine with the town die inscribed simply “SAVINGS”.
Your editor believes this may have originated from the ‘National Savings and Investments’ (NS&I) scheme, backed by the HM Treasury and based in Glasgow. However, the NS&I normally use Printed Postage Impressions (PPIs) for their communications, so confirmation would be welcome.
Neopost AutoStamp2 and IS-280 machines
Further to pages 124-3 and 125-1, Peter Huss reminds me that I have not previously included an illustration of the two new Neopost low-volume machines, introduced earlier this year. These machines are the AutoStamp2 and the IS-280 and they both produce franks with the serial prefix N33.
The illustration alongside is taken from the Neopost web site and the same picture has been used for both machines. As previously stated, the machines have a similar specification except that the IS-280 has a faster throughput.
The AutoStamp2 has a list price of £995.00 whereas the IS-280 is priced at £1250.00.
Acknowledgements
My thanks this month go to Jim Ashby, John Fowler, Peter Huss, David Jones, Peter Mantell, Miles Patterson, Robert Petts and Robert Rowe for their reports and communications.
Latest Numbers
Below is the list of ‘Latest Numbers’ as at the end of May 2011 – with updates shown in red. Please could I have the next reports by 29th June, thanks.
Frama (UK)
Matrix F2, F4, F6 F1000956 27.04.11 Reported by PM
EcoMail FSC357604 27.08.10 See MN 123
Francotyp-Postalia
Optimail T402912 16.11.10 See MN 125
Optimail 25/35 F04112960 18.01.11 Reported by PM
Centormail 240/300 FC5110509 14.04.11 See MN 126
MyMail FM2119908 01.07.10 See MN 121
MyMail / PostagePro FM2650922 01.04.11 Reported by PM
Ultimail FU3115922 06.04.11 Reported by PM
Neopost
IS-330 N1051501 15.03.11 See MN 125
IS-350 N1179266 20.04.11 See MN 126
IJ-65 N1208320 18.03.11 See MN 125
Various upgraded N1240572 13.04.11 See MN 126
IJ-80/90/110 N1254338 09.02.11 See MN 125
Various upgraded N1290071 27.09.10 See MN 124
IJ-35/45 N1318120 29.03.11 Reported by PM
IS-460 (Ex IJ-50) N1373506 18.10.10 See MN 121
IS-420 (Ex IJ-30) N1385330 04.03.11 See MN 125
IS-440 (Ex IJ-40) N1390335 17.02.11 See MN 124
IS-480 N3016910 09.05.11 Reported by PM
AutoStamp2/IS-280 N3300928 10.05.11 Reported by PM, see below
Pitney Bowes
DM50, 55 PB070276 08.04.11 See MN 126
DM 810, 900 etc. PB526617 18.05.11 Reported by AN
Connect+ 1000 etc. PB550847 15.03.11 See MN 125
Connect+ 10FC etc. PB555466 20.05.11 Reported by PM
DM 400, 450, 475 PB616010 25.05.11 Reported by AN
DM100i, 150i etc. PB855924 21.04.11 See MN 126
Advanced Mail
AACR-RY PB525807 09.05.11 Reported by AN
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My thanks go to Robert Rowe for also reporting N3300928, but with a later date of 17.05.11. Recent Interesting Items
Robert Petts sends some examples of double franking by users. The first is an example from 2010, machine N1252999, and it bears two franks of 25p – clearly an over-payment.
It is unlikely that, in this case, the user would have received a refund as this was probably a ‘one-off’ and the handling charge for making a refund would have exceeded the refund amount. Over-payments that have been made on multiple items are refunded if Royal Mail employees notice the irregularity. Usually such items bear a handstamp – see example on the next page and also the one on page 105-9.
The second example is from machine PB711394 in 1998 and shows a ‘straightforward’ correction of a zero-value on sequential item numbers 07601 and 07602.
The rules regarding what a user should do in such cases are unclear, but normally the correct amount is applied on a separate label that is placed over the original zero-value impression. Note that on newer Pitney Bowes models (ones introduced since 2001), franks bearing a zero value print an ‘INVALID VALUE’ die.
The final example is similar and also from 1998, but in this case the user (PB902881) has over-franked the original 38p with an additional 12p, presumably to pay the correct amount for the weight of the item, or to upgrade the item to 1st class.
Recent Interesting Items Continued
Further to pages 85-4, 94-3 and 99-8, Robert Petts reports a further example of a lower case ‘wc1’ in the town die – again this has happened on a Neopost machine. The example here is from 2005, nearly two years earlier than previously recorded. Your editor does not recall seeing this happening with any other London districts – very strange!
Robert Rowe sends a scan of PB523858 where a noticeable space has appeared between the 5 and 8 of the serial number. A frank made by the same machine three years ago is shown alongside for comparison. Ideally, a further recent example would be useful in order to determine whether this was a ‘one-off’ caused by the envelope slipping in the machine (most likely), or whether this is a permanent printing malfunction.
Instructional Handstamps
Peter Mantell sends this handstamp, inscribed “NW MIDS MC / 1C METER CLEARED”. Presumably the “1C” is a code that identifies the Mail Centre employee who spotted the irregularity - possibly due to a franking overpayment.
Advanced Mail
Further to page 119-5 and earlier, Peter Mantell has come across two more Advanced Mail items that have been franked in red ink instead of the mandated blue ink. In both cases the user is unknown.
The user of the second item did actually apply the correct ink in 2010, as illustrated beneath.
On pages 79-4 to 79-6 we first described the Royal Mail’s Cleanmail ® Advance Service where users identify such mail with the words ‘ADVANCED MAIL’ in the frank for both franked mail and PPI use. For the first time since the introduction of the service in 2007, your editor reports a PPI user (HQ3909) choosing the words ‘CLEANMAIL ADVANCED’ instead.
This has not yet been observed on franked mail and any reports of this would be welcome.
Meter Thematics
John Fowler sends this attractive slogan from the Antiquarian Booksellers Association. The ABA, founded in 1906, has over 245 members, who deal not only in rare and collectable books, but also maps, music, printed ephemera, autographs, manuscripts, literary or historical memorabilia, and items in many other related categories.
Here’s a little bit of fun, courtesy of Peter Mantell, with this ‘me’ and ‘you’ pair!
Further to page 121-10 and earlier, Peter Mantell reports a further slogan from the Woking Theatre, advertising their production of ‘Hairspray’ earlier this year.
Meter Thematics Continued
Peter Mantell has kindly supplied all of the items on this page.
Political slogans are always interesting, and here are two of the best (on the topic of Royal Mail Privatisation) from the Communication Workers Union (CWU).
On page 109-10 we showed a frank from the Scottish Seabird Centre that had the slogan “PUFFINS ARE BACK”. Here is their new slogan “WATCH OUT FOR THE GANNETS”.
Staying with seabirds, the following golf thematic also depicts what appears to be a chough – a member of the crow family. This unusual bird is resident on the western coastlines of the British Isles and can be distinguished by its red bill and red legs.
Meter Thematics Continued
Further to page 115-8, David Jones kindly reports another in the series ‘Promoting World Cultures’. This exhibition is scheduled to run until 3 July 2011 and is entitled “Afghanistan – Crossroads of the Ancient World”.
Heraldic designs are popular choices for schools and colleges and here are two attractive examples, courtesy of Peter Mantell. The first one is from Jesus College Cambridge, and the second one is from the Blue Coat School in Liverpool.
My Meter Thematic of the Month is awarded to Peter Mantell for this stunning image of a kingfisher from the Alderley Group based in Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucestershire. The company supplies equipment to the oil, gas and petrochemical industries.
Meter News Page 127-8 of 8 May 2011