![]() I could not truthfully claim that hopping on a train in order to run three miles to a pillar box was a necessary journey. The Covid lockdowns of 2020 to 2021 rather put a dent in my progress. So far, I have made it to 26, many on the roads of 1930s suburban villas, the Metroland that John Betjeman adored. A task complicated by the fact the Royal Mail refuses to publish their location, worried thieves might steal them. I then vowed that I would attempt to run to every other Edward VIII letter box in Britain. I experienced the same thrill of discovery that, I imagine, Howard Carter felt on entering Tutankhamun's tomb. Until, one day, I spotted one, by sheer chance, on an early-morning run while staying with my sister-in-law in Stockport, Greater Manchester. I cannot remember where or when I discovered this fact, but like all good bits of trivia it lodged in my brain, undisturbed like a dusty piece of Lego under the sofa. There are 115,500 postboxes in the British Isles and you have probably noticed that on the front of nearly every single one is a royal cypher, the monogram of the king or queen, embossed in cast iron - a symbol that immediately dates the postbox and roots it to a particular reign. ![]() There just weren't that many coins, beer tankards or medals manufactured in his honour, given that he was on the throne for only 326 days in 1936 and never actually crowned before he abdicated.Ī mere 130 or so boxes with his distinctive William Morris-style EVIIIR cypher remain in existence, which means they represent 0.1 per cent - or one in a thousand - of all postboxes. As can George VI's heart-like monogram, and that of his wayward brother Edward VIII, whose pillar boxes are a rare find indeed, like all things associated with this King Emperor's reign. The interlocking curlicues of her son, Edward VII's cypher, and the solid, simple GR of her grandson George V can be spotted if you know where to look (for my sins, I do). Surprisingly, there are still boxes from Victoria's reign - ones with a spidery VR emblem. Over two-thirds of postboxes carry the emblem of the late Queen - Elizabeth Regina or in cypher parlance: EIIR. ![]() They are Edward VIII postboxes, pictured, and very much the Himalayas of Britain's street furnitureīut for now, there are just six different possibilities. But not just any old letter box, a very particular type that sets my pulse racing and lifts my spirits as only the highest mountain peaks can. The mint pane of 50 is a great buy in the $50-to-$75 price range.I am obsessed with the postboxes of Britain. Specialized catalog values a mint never-hinged single at $1.20. In particular, mint panes of 50 of the dry printing 25¢ blue airmail stamp (Scott C36a) are in great demand and in very short supply. With some comparison and experience, the differences in thicker paper, brighter appearance and gum color make them easy to tell apart from the earlier wet printing stamps.įull mint panes of 50 of the dry printing issues are much less common and can be identified by the much later plate numbers which begin with “265.” The airmail stamps produced by the dry printing method are fairly common as single mint stamps and even as plate number blocks. The ‘dry’ printings show whiter paper, a higher sheen on the surface, feel thicker and stiffer, and the designs stand out more clearly than on the ‘wet’ printings.” “The new process required a thicker, stiffer paper, special types of inks and greater pressure to force the paper into the recessed plates. Green Valley, AZ 85614īrowse our wide-ranging collection of auction catalogues previewing the rare stamps and lots being offered at upcoming sales. Your 200 different foreign plus SAES for my 200 different. LARGE SCOTT SPECIALITY 3-RING BINDER - TOP SELLER!
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