Editor: Alastair Nixon, 7 Bramblegate, Edgcumbe Park, Crowthorne, Berks, RG45 6JA. Tel: +44 (0) 1344 775378
Email: alastair@nixon48.freeserve.co.uk
Web site: http://www.meterfranking.co.uk
.
Meter of the Month
Ray Woodward-Clarke kindly sends this very early slogan from Barlows of Birmingham,
advertising their sole agency for Universal Postal Frankers. The machine is a Midget
machine, serial M11, dated 7th Oct 1926. Midget machines were first introduced in the UK
six months earlier in April 1926. Machine numbers for the ‘M’, the ‘NZ’, and the early ‘N’
series were numbered from 1 independently in each town. The item is shown in full below:
Pitney Bowes DM400C Model
Last month your editor reported the first
PB6 series. It is thought that this is the
new Mid-volume DM400C model, first
announced on the Pitney Bowes UK web
site in July and illustrated here.
However, up to now, all Mid and High
volume machines have been allocated the
prefix ‘PB5’ – see page 82-3, so there is
some doubt about this PB6 prefix. This
series has been seen on Irish meters for
some time now – see page 65-1.
Acknowledgements
My thanks this month go to Patrick Awcock, David Aspinwall, John Fowler, Richard
Goring, Peter Mantell, Robert Rowe, Peter Wood and Ray Woodward-Clarke for their
reports and communications.
Meter News
Page 82-1 of 8
Aug 2007
Latest Numbers
Below is the list of ‘Latest Numbers’ as at 30th August 2007 – with updates shown in red.
Please could I have next month’s reports by 26th September, thanks.
Frama (UK)
EcoMail
MailMax
FSC 346946
FSC 907097
21.08.07
03.08.07
Reported by AN
Reported by PM
Francotyp-Postalia
Optimail
Optimail 30
JetMail
Mymail
Mymail
Ultimail 60
Ultimail 90
T 401956
F04110499
FJ0710961
FM2115785
FM2504785
FU8002246
FU9001018
27.03.07
08.08.07
26.06.07
22.05.07
27.04.07
09.08.07
06.06.07
Reported by PM
Reported by AN
See MN 81
See MN 81
See MN 79
Reported by AN
See MN 80
N1156829
N1240132
N1252572
N1290014
N1316932
N1359917
N1370550
N1381197
26.07.07
26.06.07
16.08.07
02.03.07
21.06.07
12.07.07
11.07.07
08.08.07
Reported by DA
See MN 81
Reported by DA
See MN 81
See MN 81
See MN 81
See MN 81
Reported by PM
PBP84065
PB012851
PB143116
PB276404
PB311451
PB478603
PB523159
PB610508
PB762973
PB830172
04.06.07
19.07.07
01.08.07
01.08.07
16.04.07
18.05.07
10.08.07
29.08.07
14.05.07
22.08.07
See MN 80
Reported by PA
Reported by PM
Reported by PM
See MN 81
See MN 81
Reported by PM
Reported by AN
See MN 80
Reported by PM
Neopost
IJ25 Autostamp
IJ-40e?
IJ-50e?
IJ-90e?
IJ40 / IJ50
IJ-110e?
IJ-70e?
IJ-80e?
Pitney Bowes
Paragon
DM50, 55
DP400?
Personal Post
DM 200?
Personal Post
DM 550 etc
DM 400C / 450 C
Post Perfect
DM100i
Dead Series Update
Further to page 81-3 and earlier, Peter Mantell reports another update to the T71 series as
shown in red in the table below.
Manufacturer
Series
LRN
EKD
Francotyp-Postalia
T70 (2004)
T708308
28.07.04 T710385
Meter News
Page 82-2 of 8
HRN
HRN Date
27.03.07
Aug 2007
Pitney Bowes Mid/High Volume Models (PB5 Series)
In August 2002, information obtained from Pitney Bowes Ltd. revealed that the ‘PB5’ prefix
was being used on all the mid/high-volume ‘Digital Mailing’ DM series models, i.e. DM400,
DM500, DM550, DM800/825, DM850/875, DM900/925 (see page 22-3). It is believed that
this continued to be the case until about a year ago when the series reached PB510376 and
then stopped.
About this time, the PB52 prefix started and this almost certainly indicates that the ‘Dimensionon-the-Way’ (D-o-W) facility is fitted to the machine. This D-o-W facility was introduced by
Pitney Bowes to assist users with the Pricing-In-Proportion (PIP) scheme introduced by Royal
Mail in August 2006. The non D-o-W machines are still being advertised on the Pitney Bowes
web site, but probably few (if any) are currently being sold.
Since 2002, some of the mid and high-volume models have been re-named or are now no
longer manufactured. These changes are summarised below.
The DM400 mid-volume model (speed 90 i.p.m.) is no longer manufactured and has essentially
been replaced by the new DM400C/450C (95/120 i.p.m.) models – possibly indicated by the
prefix PB61, see page 82-1. D-o-W is not fitted on these models, although an optional
‘integrated weighing platform’ is provided.
The DM500 mid-volume model (135 i.p.m.) is no longer manufactured and has essentially been
replaced by the DM550/575 (160 i.p.m.) models. The DM575 model with D-o-W option fitted
was launched on 25 Sep 2006. When D-o-W is being used, the speed is 50 i.p.m.
The DM800/825 (180 i.p.m.) and DM850/875 (210 i.p.m.) high-volume models have been
replaced by the DM800i series models, namely DM810/835 (190 i.p.m.) and DM860/885 (210
i.p.m.) - the DM835 and DM885 being the ones fitted with D-o-W. When D-o-W is being used,
the speeds for these machines are respectively 70 i.p.m. & 90 i.p.m.
The DM900/925 (240 i.p.m.) have essentially remained unchanged, although the DM925 model
now has the D-o-W facility fitted (110 i.p.m. when used).
Finally, in 2004, a new high-volume model, the DM1000 (260 i.p.m.) was introduced. It was this
machine that was used in conjunction with the Royal Mail ‘Swindon Postmark’ trial – see page
41-4. From August 2006, all DM1000 machines have been fitted with the D-o-W facility (130
i.p.m. when used).
Pitney Bowes Mid-Volume Model DM300C
According to a Press Release on the Pitney Bowes web site, a Mid-volume model DM300C
(speed 65 i.p.m.) was launched on 23 Jan 2007. However, it is not currently known what
series prefix is being used in conjunction with this model.
It is perhaps worth noting that the illustration in the brochure for the DM300C shows a machine
that looks like a simplified version of the new DM400C and DM450C models. Your editor
would appreciate any information with regard to the serial number prefix being used with the
DM300C.
Meter News
Page 82-3 of 8
Aug 2007
Forces Meter Machines
Richard Goring kindly sends an illustration of
a BFPO meter, serial 2NE20851. The meter
has not previously been recorded and the
location of use is unknown. The example
shown has been printed on a label where the
words “PRINTED IN UK” appear every 6th
appearance of ‘ALCATEL’. Your editor
assumes this is standard on such labels, but
has never noticed it before!
This discovery allows us to add a new entry to the table shown on page 55-4, as follows:
Manufactured Serial
1993
BFPO No. or Place
2NE20851 BRITISH FORCES
POST OFFICE
ERD
LRD
Notes
4-Mar-93
ADVANCED MAIL USERS
Further to page 71-5, here is another example of the Francotyp-Postalia machine, F1500003.
Once again blue has been used - probably indicating that, on occasions, the machine is used
in conjunction with Royal Mail’s Advanced Mail service.
This particular item is dated 3.7.07 and has an item count of 00372498, whereas the example
on page 71-5 is dated 5.9.06 and has an item count of 00196330. That means that over a
period of 300 days, 176168 items have been posted, which works out at an average of 585
items per day (including weekends). Your editor has briefly analysed a further 4 examples
from the FJ series and has found that, on average, 678 items were processed by those users
each day. In a future issue of Meter News, your editor hopes to include a similar analysis for
other machine series that include an item count in the frank.
Richard Goring sends this Advanced Mail item, with a return address of FY8 4TT on the
reverse. A web search reveals that the user is The Guardian Royal Exchange Plc.
Meter News
Page 82-4 of 8
Aug 2007
ADVANCED MAIL USERS Cont.
On page 79-5, it was stated that 176 users had registered for Royal Mail’s Cleanmail Advance
service by 18th May 2007. It is believed that the majority of these are PPI users, with only a
handful of meter users. Your editor would like to record all uses of blue ink on meter franks.
Below is one such example from B. Braun Medical Ltd. of Sheffield.
The following table lists the ‘blue ink’ meters recorded since the Cleanmail Advance service
went live in April 2007.
Serial
Account Id
ERD
LRD
User
FJ1500003
-
03.07.07
N1252368
AAAA-BK (2nd)
23.04.07
N1252388
AAAA-BK (2nd)
01.05.07
PB508066
AAAA-SS (1st)
20.07.07
PB509923
-
29.05.07
PB520244
-
02.08.07
PB521241
AAAA-AB (1st)
AAAA-AC (2nd)
19.05.07
03.05.07
PB522156
AAAB-GK (2nd)
04.07.07
Pitney Bowes Ltd.,
Harlow
PB522418
AAAA-AC (2nd)
01.06.07
Pitney Bowes Ltd.,
Harlow
PB522778
-
07.08.07
Unknown
Birmingham
Francotyp-Postalia Ltd.
Dartford
29.05.07
Neopost Ltd.
Romford
Neopost Ltd.
Romford
Guardian Royal Exchange Plc,,
Lytham-St-Annes
03.08.07
Siemens Ltd.
Nottingham
B. Braun Medical Ltd.,
Sheffield
08.08.07
Pitney Bowes Ltd.,
Hemel Hempstead
This table will be updated on an occasional basis. The users involved in the Advance Mail trial
prior to April are listed on page 79-4.
Meter News
Page 82-5 of 8
Aug 2007
RECENT INTERESTING ITEMS
The IJ65 (N12 series) first made an appearance in April / May 2000. Below is an example
from the first machine of this series, i.e. N1200001 (user unknown). The average age of a
meter machine is probably about six years, but this particular one is obviously still going strong
after seven years of use.
Peter Mantell sends this interesting item printed on a label. The user appears to have had the
labels pre-printed in colour prior to the application of the meter frank. Great idea!
Peter Mantell has noticed a strange effect on two
different PB5 meters where a small vertical bar
appears to the left of each number in the date.
Meter News
Page 82-6 of 8
Aug 2007
Interesting Meters From The Past
Ray Woodward-Clarke kindly sends this unusual Registered Letter from 1928 with a 1p up-rate
applied by a meter frank. Ray says that he has seen printed stationery registered envelopes
up-rated by stamps, but this is the first he has seen where the up-rate has been applied by a
meter frank. It is not known whether the frank has been applied by the user or by the Post
Office. Any thoughts or opinions would be welcome.
Meter Thematics
Places of worship is the theme for this month – kindly provided by Peter Mantell:
Meter News
Page 82-7 of 8
Aug 2007
Meter Thematics Cont.
Here are four Cathedrals using meter franking machines from earlier this year, again
supplied by Peter Mantell:
- - - End - - -
Meter News
Page 82-8 of 8
Aug 2007