Editor: Alastair Nixon, 7 Bramblegate, Edgcumbe Park, Crowthorne, Berks, RG45 6JA. Tel: +44 (0) 1344 775378
Email: [email protected]
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.
Meter News
Page 15-1
Jan 2002
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
Sensonic 2000
Mailspirit
FSC 220966
FSC 265870
FSC 700162
15.01.02
05.12.01
17.10.01
EFS 546012
T 542430
FJ0542596
05.12.01
09.11.01
30.10.01
Smile
300 Series
HS 44412S
HT 27673S
12.12.01
05.09.01
SM 22,26
5450, 5460
8500, 8550/8750
SM 75,85,95
IJ25
IJ65
4NE 19701
5NE 16606
8NE 43758
9NE 50831
N1106141
N1202363
07.11.01
23.10.01
21.12.01
06.09.01
16.01.02
11.01.02
PBP 04370
PBP 81105
PB247755
PB305725
PB373978
PB752552
PB928591
02.11.01
03.01.02
14.01.02
04.12.01
02.10.01
23.11.01
01.08.01
ASA 90470
ASM 82261
09.04.01
19.09.01
Francotyp-Postalia
EFS 2000/3000
T1000
JetMail
Static for 2 months
Static for 2 months
Hasler
Static for 2 months
Neopost
Pitney Bowes
Paragon
Paragon?
Personal Post
DM 200, 250
DM 225, 300
Post Perfect
B921
Static for 2 months
*
Static for 4 months
*
*
Static for 3 months
Static for 5 months
Secap
Alpha
Minipost
*
Static for 8 months
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 News
Page 15-2
Jan 2002
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:
InteliPost 54:
Meter News
A202....
A203....
Page 15-3
Jan 2002
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)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
On good quality white paper (not grey, cream or manila) and not creased.
Complete cut-outs (i.e. not less than 150mm x 40mm) and not torn.
Clear complete print (i.e. legible serial number, date, town mark and slogan).
Free from postmark, address, and other markings that could distract.
Centred vertically and right-justified horizontally (about 1cm from the RH edge).
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' cutouts 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 15-4
Jan 2002