Editor: Alastair Nixon, 7 Bramblegate, Edgcumbe Park, Crowthorne, Berks, RG45 6JA. Tel: +44 (0) 1344 775378
Email: [email protected]
Web site: http://ukmeterfranking.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/
Meter of the Month
Alan Godfrey kindly sends this month’s Meter of the Month. It comes from a trial conducted
back in 1989-90 at Loughborough University. The full story was covered at the time in the
Postal Mechanisation Study Circle (PMSC) publications, but I think it is worth re-visiting the
main points for those Meter News readers who are unaware of the trial – see page 63-5.
Editorial
The start of each year is a good time to look back at the main events of the previous year.
On page 63-3 I have again produced a statistical summary of the number of new machines
produced by each manufacturer that appeared during 2005 – a task that I would be unable to
do without your reports of ‘Latest Numbers’ each month.
2005 was, to be honest, a fairly dull year as far as major news items were concerned. With
the possible exception of the one-off FU3110210 machine, there were no new machines
produced by any of the manufacturers during the year. Is this the first time that this has
happened, I wonder? Indeed, only 4 new series appeared during 2005, i.e. the T400 and
FU311 series from Francotyp-Postalia and the N125 and N135 series from Neopost. I shall
assume that these are machine variants (e.g. speed of processing) and not new machines.
In spite of the lack of significant news last year, I managed to produce a record number of
pages for Meter News (86 in total) – mostly thanks to the huge volume of emails from my
regular contributors. One thing that has occurred to me recently is how much I would miss
your contributions – my own knowledge of what is happening would be diminished without
them. I guess that most of us took up our interest in meter franking from the philatelic world.
However, collecting meters is different from collecting stamps (and in my opinion it makes it
more interesting) in as much as nobody can ever have a ‘complete’ collection of meters –
everyone collects different things and finds different aspects to interest them.
The main items that I found interesting last year were the appearance of the Hasler ‘Z’ series,
the discovery that users can manually reset the item count on Francotyp-Postalia machines,
and the P.O. report of 1945 giving details of machines used in Jersey during the German
occupation. No doubt, you will have your own favourites – please let me know.
Acknowledgements
My thanks to Alan Godfrey, David Hardwick, Jim Ashby, Ole Constantine, Peter Mantell,
Patrick Awcock, Peter Wood, Robert Rowe and Tom Norgate for their reports and
communications this month.
Meter News
Page 63-1 of 8
Jan 2006
Latest Numbers
Below is a list of ‘Latest Numbers’ as at 28th Jan 2006 – with updates shown in red. Please
could I have next month’s updates by 26th February, thanks.
Frama (UK)
EPSTSF251
Sensonic 2000
Mailspirit
Mailspirit?
Sensonic 2000?
FSC 225304
FSC 293691
FSC 701320
FSC 790002
FSC 904639
02.09.05
10.10.05
10.10.05
11.03.05
13.12.05
Static for 4 months
Static for 3 months
Static for 2 months
Static for 9 months
Optimail
Optimail
JetMail
JetMail
Mymail
Ultimail ??
Ultimail 60
Ultimail 90
T 400728
T 709963
FJ0710669
FJ1500003
FM2502835
FU3110120
FU8001088
FU9000337
06.10.05
26.05.05
22.12.05
12.08.05
17.11.05
01.06.05
13.12.05
14.11.05
Static for 2 months
Static for 6 months
[PW]
Static for 3 months
IJ25
IJ65, 75, 85?
IJ80/90/110?
IJ40, 50
IJ80/90/110?
N1145678
N1207446
N1250436
N1315097
N1354368
14.12.05
22.12.05
23.01.06
07.12.05
14.12.05
[PW]
[PM]
[PM]
[PW]
[PM]
PBP83846
PB129100
PB141025
PB269214
PB311091
PB325287
PB380044
PB458043
PB508541
PB760377
PB815084
04.01.06
10.01.06
11.01.06
10.11.05
19.01.06
18.07.05
19.07.05
14.12.05
11.01.06
18.11.05
19.01.06
[PM]
[AN]
[PW] First for 5 months
Static for 2 months
[PW] First for 5 months
[PM] High no, earlier date
Static for 3 months
[PM]
[PM]
Static for 2 months
[AN]
Francotyp-Postalia
Static for 7 months
Static for 2 months
Neopost
Pitney Bowes
Paragon
DP200?
DP400?
Personal Post
DM 200?
DM 250?
DM 225, 300
Personal Post
DM 400 etc
Post Perfect
DM100
This month I have relegated the FM211 and PB147 series to the ‘Dead Series’.
My thanks also go to Alan Godfrey, David Hardwick, Patrick Awcock, Robert Rowe and Tom
Norgate for their reports of latest numbers.
Meter News
Page 63-2 of 8
Jan 2006
Statistics - 2005
January is my month for analysing franking machine sales for the UK. Again, I recognise
that the figures are only approximate, but it does appear that sales were fractionally down
compared with 2004. However, the market share between the manufacturers appears to
be fairly constant compared with 2004, i.e. to within ± 1% generally. The estimates, as
always, take account of (i.e. exclude) overseas allocation.
* = new series in 2005.
Dec 2005
Dec 2004
FSC 225304
FSC 293691
FSC 701320
FSC 904639
225256
285162
701148
902524
Difference
Estimate (UK)
Frama
EPSTSF251
Sensonic 2000
Mailspirit
Sensonic 2000?
48
8529
172
2115
Total in 2005 (2700 in 2004):
Francotyp-Postalia
Optimail *
Optimail
JetMail
MyMail
MyMail
Ultimail ?? *
Ultimail 60
Ultimail 90
T 400728
T 709963
FJ0710669
FM2111725
FM2502825
FU3110120
FU8001088
FU9000337
2630
708422
0709271
2111633
2500292
8000436
9000146
728
1541
1398
92
2533
1
652
191
Total in 2005 (4700 in 2004):
Pitney Bowes
Paragon
DP 200?
DP 400?
DP 400?
Personal Post
DM 200, 250
DM 200, 250
DM 225, 300
Personal Post
DM 400 etc.
Post Perfect
DM100
PBP83839
PB129100
PB140935
PB147561
PB269214
PB311091
PB325287
PB380044
PB458043
PB508289
PB760377
PB814820
Total in 2005 (35700 in 2004):
Meter News
Page 63-3 of 8
50
1700
180
700
730
500
300
20
1500
1
650
200
3901
83400
127832
140676
147559
264966
310646
325060
379512
443951
505313
758403
804946
439
1268
259
2
4248
445
227
532
14092
2976
1974
9874
440
400
300
0
4250
450
230
540
14100
2980
1980
9880
35550
Jan 2006
Dec 2005
Dec 2004
N1145626
N1207446
N1250386
N1315097
N1354368
1140338
1206278
Difference
Estimate (UK)
Neopost
IJ25
IJ65, 75, 85?
IJ80/90/110? *
IJ40, 50
IJ80/90/110? *
1313371
5288
1428
400
1726
4368
Total in 2005 (13000 in 2004):
5300
1170
400
1730
4370
12970
In summary:
Total in 2005
Percentage
Frama
2630
4.8%
(4.8%)
Francotyp-Postalia
3901
7.1% (8.4%)
Neopost
12970
23.6% (23.2%)
Pitney Bowes
35550
64.6% (63.6%)
Total sold in 2005
55051 (down from 56100 in 2004)
Smart Mail Trial at Loughborough University
Further to page 63-1, here is the story of the Smart Mail Trial, compiled from several different
sources.
In May 1989 a new type of automatic postage dispenser developed by Pitney Bowes was
installed in the Student Union building at Loughborough University. The complete frank (with
text slogan advertising the trial) is shown below. It is similar to the Meter of the Month
example above, but showing a First -class Rate (20p) value:
The machine accepted a Midland Bank (now HSBC) ‘Meritcard’ (developed by GEC Card
Technology) which was a ‘smart card’ containing a microchip. When charged with funds up to
£20 the card could be used to purchase goods and services on the Loughborough campus.
On inserting a Meritcard into the machine, keying in the desired postal rate (the machine was
pre-set to 20p) and having entered a PIN number, the amount was deducted from the ‘smart
card’. The letter for franking was then inserted into a slot gripped by the machine and
franked. The envelope could then be withdrawn from the machine and placed into an
adjacent posting box.
Meter News
Page 63-4 of 8
Jan 2006
Smart Mail Trial at Loughborough University cont.
The machine was installed on a table-top version (below left) but in early October 1989 it was
changed for a more secure model in a lockable cabinet (below right).
The meter within the machine produced the serial
number PGB 12187 and the frank was applied in green
ink. The PGB series was normally allocated to the
Pitney Bowes System 6900 machines. There was no
date in the town die and often these items would go
through the post without any date information.
However, some items got back-stamped ‘LEICESTER’
using a stamp-cancelling machine that incorporated the
date.
It is not known exactly how long the trial lasted but it is
believed that it was less than one year. No other similar
trial has taken place since, so it can only be assumed
that it was not successful. Presumably, the main
reasons why it was discontinued were no date facility,
high overhead costs, security issues, or simply lack of
use.
The front page of the leaflet advertising the Meritcard is
shown here reduced. The leaflet indicates that the card
was exclusive to Loughborough University.
Meter News
Page 63-5 of 8
Jan 2006
1947 British Industries Fair Exhibition
Jim Ashby kindly sends illustrations of two meter franks that were probably only used on
demonstration machines at the 1947 British Industries Fair Exhibition:
PPI News
For some years now pre-loaded slogans have been a common feature of modern franking
machines, with messages such as “Private & Confidential”, “Urgent” or “Good News” etc.
However, on PPIs they are fairly unusual but here is a “Good Morning” example:
For reference, here is an
equivalent Neopost meter
example (taken from page
26-1 of Meter News).
Meter News
Page 63-6 of 8
Jan 2006
Thematic Slogans
My thanks to Peter Mantell for supplying all the thematic slogans this month.
Going back in time, I couldn’t resist this nice piggy bank from Midland Shires Farmers Ltd.
Staying with the animal theme, here is one from the Hedgehog Preservation Society.
Here’s one that’s a bit different – a hot air balloon in the form of a house! The user is
unknown, but possibly an estate agent?
This one shows the London skyline, with a reflection in the river.
Meter News
Page 63-7 of 8
Jan 2006
Thematic Slogans Cont.
Here is an attractive coat of arms from King’s College School, Wimbledon.
One of your Editor’s collecting interests is the theme ‘Sign Of Our Times’ – trying to get an
example for every year since 1950. Here is a very appropriate ‘Terrorism’ one for 2005.
Next, some flowers from South Dartmoor Community College.
Finally, a German slogan for a change - showing a ‘Eurowings plane.
Meter News
Page 63-8 of 8
Jan 2006