0193 Collector’s Guide - Meter Stamp Society 2016 METER STAMP SOCIETY Collector’s Guide Page 4 Term Definition Bank a wheel with numbers on the rim which is rotated to impress

Page METER STAMP SOCIETY Collector’s Guide Spring 2016MSS Website Edition

Collector’s GuideThe Meter Stamp Society

Est. 1948

0193

What Is a Postage Meter?

The Postage Meter has a long history aroundthe world. The United States has a slightly differ-ent story. While the focus for this Guide is on theU.S.A stamps, the guidelines, suggestions, andexamples shown here areuniversally applicableand are designed toserve collectors no mat-ter what areas of theworld they collect. ThisGuide will be revisedand reprinted as neces-sary so any suggestionsand additions are wel-comed.

Quoted from a Pitney-Bowes Booklet, “Thepostage meter is a gov-ernment-licensed mail-ing machine that printspostage as required, di-rectly on the envelope(or on an adhesive tape)for any type of mail -first, second, third, orfourth class; air mail,registered mail, specialdelivery, or other special services. In a single op-eration, it prints a prepaid postage meter stamp,including dated postmark, of any value needed.Most models also seal an envelope, or moistenthe gummed tape at the same time the meter isbeing printed.

The postage meter’s stamp is non-negotiable,and requires no cancellation in most countries. Itcan be used only by the licensed user whose as-signed meter number appears in the meter stampitself. The meter does its own bookkeepingthrough sealed but visible registers, which showpostage used and postage on hand, in dollars andcents.”

Except for the smallest desk models, the post-

age meter is a detachable unit of a larger mailingmachine. The meter contains the postage print-ing die and the recording mechanism. Wheneverthe private user needs to ‘fill’ the meter, he used

to take it to the post officeto be ‘set’. Today mostmeters are set over thephone or the internet.Postage is paid for in ad-vance, and need not beentirely used before themeter is reset. But if post-age is allowed to run out,the meter automaticallylocks against further use.

Because meters printpostage and collect Gov-ernment revenue underofficial lock and seal, inthe United States they canonly be leased from thevendor. However they canbe owned in some coun-tries. These vendors areheld responsible for theproper operation, service,location, and replacement

of all of their meters in service.The mailing machine, as distinguished from

the meter, has nothing to do with the collectionof postage revenue. The complete mailing ma-chine can be quite large and can prepare themail, insert it into the envelope, print the ad-dress and advertisement (some models in color)and finally print the postage. They were availa-ble in a wide range of hand and electrically driv-en models, for large and small firms, and areusually sold outright. Today they are fully digi-tal.

OK, so what exactly are meter stamps? This isnot as obvious as it sounds. They are used to

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Spring 2016 METER STAMP SOCIETY Collector’s Guide Page 2

What is a Postage Meter?.................................................... 1

Meter Stamp Evolution…………………………..……………. 3

Glossary, Abbreviations and Symbols ofTraditional Postage Meters…………….……….... 4

Glossary, Abbreviations and Symbols of CVPMeters………………………………………………….... 6

Early History of Traditional Meter Stamps………………... 8

General Types of Postage Meters…………………………... 11

What to Collect………………….…………………………….. 12

Sources…………………….…………………………………... 12

How to Collect…………………………………………………. 13

Collection Organization……………………………………... 13

How to House a Collection…………………………………. 14

US Variable Denomination Stamps –.FAQs……………... 15

U.S. Postage Alternatives…………………………………... 18

Postage Meter Country Identifier……………………………. 21

References………………………………………………………. 26

Inside the Collector’s Guide

President : Richard Stambaugh100 Elder Court

Prescott AZ 86303email: [email protected]

Past President: Joel Hawkins3102 North 150th Lane

Goodyear, AZ 85395email: [email protected]

Secretary Treasurer: Harold Effner27 Pine Street

Lincroft, NJ 07738email: [email protected]

Vice President : Stephen P. Kaplan3659 S. Green Road, Suite 100

Beechwood, OH 44122email: [email protected] Bulletin Editor: David Crotty

1305 Old State RoadPark Hills, KY 41011-2750email: [email protected]

Proofreader: Richard StambaughAuctions Chairman: Rick Stambaugh

Annual dues:First Class USA: $24 one year, $45 two years.International Airmail: $45 one year, $85 two years.Web Delivery $10 per year (Provide email)

(Contact Secretary Treasurer)Dues may be paid by PayPal w/voluntary $1 extra.

Send money using PayPal to [email protected].

The Meter Stamp Society is a non-profit organizationunder Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.Send financial donations to the Secretary Treasurer.

Meter Stamp Society Website:www.meterstampsociety.com

Includes Complete Indexes 1948 to Present

Meter Stamp Society Data Center:www.draves.com/mss

Maintained by Alan Draves

Meter Stamp Society Discussion Group:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/meterstampsociety

Any related topic. Open to nonmembers.To join send an email to:

[email protected]

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collect postage revenue just like other stamps,but what makes them DIFFERENT from otherstamps?

Some people call non-metered stamps “adhesives”, but this distinction is meaningless sincemeters are often printed on gummed paper. Per-haps we can say that meters are different be-cause they can be printed directly on the enve-lope while other stamps are stuck down, but thisignores postal stationery stamps which certainlyare printed directly on the envelope. Anotherdistinction often made is that meters have atown/date mark while other stamps don’t. Meterstamps are usually dated for the day of use butsome classes of mail are supposed to be undated,and prepaid return mail is usually undated. Inearly models the date was inserted by hand andwere often forgotten, inserted in odd order orinverted. Some countries, like New Zealand,never had a date as part of a meter imprint.

Sanction was given for the worldwide introduction offranked mail on 30 November 1920 at the 7th UniversalPostal Union Congress in Madrid: ‘ARTICLE 13. Pre-payment; reply coupons; exemptions from postage. 1.Prepayment of postage on every description of articlecan be effected either by means of postage stamps validin the country of origin for the correspondence of pri-vate individuals, or by means of impressions of stamp-ing machines, officially adopted and working under theimmediate control of the Administration.’ Detailed Reg-ulation VI: ‘Impressions produced by stamping ma-chines must include an indication of the country oforigin. They must be bright red in color, whatever thevalue represented by them. . . The impressions of stamp-ing machines must also be applied in that place [topright-hand corner]’. (Window envelopes were also ap-proved at this Congress.) The UPU regulation came intoforce on 1 January 1922: “ARTICLE 30. Duration of theConvention. The present Convention shall come intoforce on the 1st of January 1922, and shall remain inoperation for an indefinite period.”

The definition of a “meter stamp” has blurredin recent years. In the U.S. the USPS has extend-ed the definition of “metered mail” to a ratherbewildering array of postage devices. This willinclude the traditional office postage meter, andwhat the USPS calls “PC Postage” (see Glossa-ry). PC Postage is considered by the USPS to be

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Page 3 METER STAMP SOCIETY Collector’s Guide Spring 2016

While the collection of postage meter stamps wasoriginally simply a problem of determining the coun-try, maker and meter type of a particular item inhand, today the meter world is much more complex.In 1988 the U.S. Postal System (USPS) opened aPandora’s box by allowing several new types of“stamps” that could pay postage. The full story waswritten up in the MSSQB issue 289 Autumn, 2010.There are three types of meters, if you allow us alittle freedom of expression.

Traditional Postage Meter . The postage meterstamp from the beginning was dated and generallyhad to be used on that date (there are a few excep-tions to this). The meter stamp must show theamount of postage paid. Generally the stamp alsoindicates the country of origin as well as the makerof the postage meter. The postage meter itself is amachine that is capable of printing the meter stampand keepingtrack of(meter) theamount ofpostage paidfor and theamount ofpostage usedup to thatmoment.

This typeof postagepayment de-vice is cata-loged by theInternationalMeter Post-age StampCatalog byHawkinsand Stam-baugh and iscurrently provided online at www.wiki books.org.

Personalized or Custom Postage was originallydesigned by the USPS in the years leading up to thefirst days of use in1988. These types ofpostage were generallyprinted in sheets byone of several desig-nated vendors (todaythere are three withmany sub-licensees).The sheets were thenmailed to the user. Theuser could often pro-vide his/her own image for the stamps although mostvendors also provide a range of stock images. Thestamps are generally not dated and can be used at

Meter Stamp Evolution

any time, very muchlike traditional postagestamps. These are oftencalled Photo Stamps.The term “PhotoStamp”is a registered trade-mark of one of the ven-dors. There is tremen-dous variation in theseitems and catalogs likeScott Specialized triedto keep up. Scott aban-doned this type of postage payment in about 2006.The only catalog for U.S. Personalized Postage is anincomplete one mounted on the web at:www.meterstampsociety.com/custompostage/cataloghome.html.

Computer Vended Postage (aka Variable Denomi-nation) is postagethat is printed byan automaticvending ATM (akaautomat) or on apersonal comput-er. The denomina-tion is variable tosuit the needs ofthe user at thetime of printing.Kiosks that vendthis type of post-age are usuallyfound in U.S. Postoffices but PitneyBowes has placedits own kiosks oncollege or officecampuses. Thesestamps largelyhave been b/wprints but latelyhave been in col-or. The USPS kiosks also have largely been b/w butnow some stamps are printed on preprinted paperstock with color images.

The Pitney Bowes CPV stamps have been printedin full color by the kiosk. The stamps printed by theunit is usable at any time or place inside the U.S. orat an APO. These CVP postage items continue to becataloged by the Scott Specialized Catalogue of U.S.Stamps and Covers. Karim Roder, a member of theMSS has produced three editions of his catalog, thefirst in German. The second and third editions are inEnglish. The current edition USA: Variable Denomi-nation Stamps (1989=2015) is available fromwww.Createspace.com a division of Amazon.com.

Early and Current Postage Meter Stamps

Personal Postage withA Stock Image

Recent USA Computer Vended Postageof Charlie Brown from the SSK Kiosks

Personal Postage withUser’s Image

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Term Definition

Bank a wheel with numbers on the rim which is rotated to impress part of thepostage amount on Multi Value meters.

Denomination: the amount of postage shown by the Value Figures.Die: the solid print head of a non-digital meter.Digital: a meter that uses thermal, laser or some other digital technology in-

stead of a die to apply the Stamp.Fixed Value: a meter with Frame and Value Figures carved out of a single die. A

Fixed Value meter can print either a single denomination stamp or hasa small set of different denomination stamps.

Frame: that portion of the Frank surrounding the Value Figures.Frank: Noun: that portion of the Meter Stamp showing the Denomination and

(nearly always) the country name. Often a currency name or symbol isshown along with “POSTAGE PAID” or similar statement.Verb: to apply a postage stamp to a piece of mail.

Greater Border: a frame surrounding a large portion of the Impression such as theStamp, Town Mark and Slogan. This is a feature found on many earlyItalian stamps but is otherwise quite uncommon.

Identification Number: meter identification number assigned by the postal authority or vendorImpression: the entire imprint including the Stamp (Frank, Town/Date Mark), and,

if present, Serial number, Slogan, Slug, Greater Border, etc.Indicia/Indicium: same as Frank.Key Letter: same as Prefix.License Number: a number the postal authority assigns to the mailer (rather than to the

meter).Limited Value: a meter that has one Frame die with a slot into which several Denomi-

nation dies can be rotated.Mailing Machine: a device which processes outgoing mail. It can contain a feeding mech-

anism, an envelope sealer and a sorter as well as a postage meter. Somecan print the contents, stuff the envelope and print postage.

Meter: for the purposes of this book, same as Postage Meter Stamp Some col-lectors manage to find a few actual postage meter machine that printedthe meter stamps. Some countries allow ownership, some do not.

Meter Number: an identification number assigned by the meter manufacturer.Meter Stamp: a postage stamp impressed by a Meter.Multi Value: a non-digital meter that can print any postage value within a specified

range. The machine uses Banks of number wheels that are rotated tomake the correct postage value appear in the Die.

Panel An area within a frank bordered by an outer frame line on two or threesides and an inner frame line on the fourth side.

Glossary, Abbreviations and Symbols for Traditional Postage Meters


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Permit Imprint on bulk mail items indicating prepayment of postage based onnumber and weight of mail item. Permit imprints usually a square boxwith the words postage paid. Some permit imprints resemble postagemeter stamps.

Permit Number: same as License Number.Postage Meter: a machine that prints a postage stamp and maintains a record of the

amount of postage generated.Prefix: a character or characters (usually alphabetic) preceding a Meter Num-

ber, Identification Number or License/Permit Number.Relief Machine: a Postage Meter lent by the distributor or dealer to a customer while

the customer’s machine is being serviced.Serial Number: a counter of Impressions made by the Meter.Slogan: a verbal or pictorial message of a non-postal nature printed by the me-

ter. A slogan typically promotes a product or cause supported by themailer.

Slug: similar to a Slogan but the message is for postal purposes. Examplesare FIRST CLASS, BULK RATE, PARCEL POST, AIRMAIL, RE-TURN SERVICE REQUESTED.

Spacing: the distance between the Town Mark and the Frank. It is usually meas-ured from the right edge of the Town Mark to the left edge of theFrank.

Setting Distance from the center of the Town Mark to the center of the Frankand/or the Value Figures.

Stacked a word or number with each letter or digit placed one above or belowthe other,

Stamp: the Frank plus the Town/Date Mark.Tape: a Meter Stamp impressed on an adhesive paper strip meant to be af-

fixed to a parcel or mail-piece that cannot be fed through a postage me-ter.

Town/Date Mark: that portion of the Meter Stamp that contains the post office namewhere the meter is licensed and (usually) the date of mailing.

Town Mark: same as Town/Date Mark.Value Box: a small rectangle immediately surrounding the Value Figures in some

Stamps .Value Figures: the numbers and symbols that make up the postage value.Vertical a word or number reading up or down.

AbbreviationsBIC: circular town mark with Broken Inner CircleDC: Double Circle town markFV: Fixed Value meter, single denominationFV-n: Fixed Value with ‘n’ stamp dies. FV-5 indicates an FV meter that can

print five different value stampsID number Identification NumberL# License numberLV-n: Limited Value meter with ‘n’ different denominationsM# Meter numberMV: Multi-Value meterS# Serial numberSC: Single Circle town markTM: Town Mark, Town/date MarkV/F: Value Figures (not “face value”)


Glossary, Abbreviations and Symbols for CVP Meters

ATM Automatenmarken (German) or Vending Machine Stamps (English), not to beconfused with the US term ATM which means “automated teller machines.”

ATM Stamps A USA term for preprinted definitive size stamps in an unfolded booklet form thatcan be sold by Bank ATM machines (some USPS APC machines still vend ATMstamps).

Automat (German) Vending Machine (English), that can range from stamp vending machines to ciga-rette and soft-drink machines; it is a general term.

Automatic stamps No such thing, some people use this due to confusion with “Automat” or“Automatenmarken”. There’s nothing “automatic” here.

Customized Postage See Personalized Postage.

CVP Computer vended postage, which applies to any postage stamp / label that is gen-erated through a computer and generally requires an internet connection. A“Frama” stamp is NOT a CVP stamp, as these were mechanically printed using animpact printer in the machine and used pre-designed label rolls. Aka Variable De-nomination postage.

Variable Denomination VDS Variable Denomination Stamps. See CVP Computer Vended Postage.

Frama A specific type (brand) of ATM stamp, but not every ATM stamp is a“Frama” (kind of like calling photocopies a “xerox” – that’s only true if it’s doneon a Xerox copier). Originally developed in Switzerland and now defunct (exceptin a few countries, such as Liechtenstein).

Klüssendorf A specific type (brand) of ATM stamp. A German manufacturer of postage vend-ing machines.

APC Automated Postal Center kiosk which dispenses ATM stamps usually located inUS post offices. Now known as Self Service Kiosk (SSK).

SSK Self-Service Kiosk (see APC above).

Personalized Postage Generally stamps that have to be ordered through the internet (not printed athome) and can have custom images and text (this includes “Photo Netstamps”).Most products have value preprinted on stamp but some products allow the valueto be printed at a home PC on specially designed sheets of peelable labels. See PCPostage.

Personalised Postage Worldwide term for a wide range of alternate postage products. Spelled with an‘s’.

Netstamps A particular brand name of CVP stamps for which special pre-printed sheets haveto be ordered and then the value printed by the end-user at home (these can beplain or also have stock images available, known as Photo Netstamps).

Internetmarke A German type of CVP by which the user can print postage at home (either onpaper, labels or envelopes and either with or without a selection of stock imagesor clipart).


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Post & Go UK-based machines that print thermally printed postage labels (on pre-printed la-bel stock).

Mail & Go Pitney Bowes trademark for its US-based kiosks that printed both thermally print-ed postage labels (plain) or inkjet printed full color stamps on die-cut self-adhesive labels. Mostly located at school and corporate campuses.

CPU Contract Postal Unit, a privately owned company authorized to do certain func-tions of a US Post Office. In 2007-2008 most were equipped by Pitney Bowesunits that print thermally printed postage label strips.

Briefmarke Individuell A German “custom / personalized” stamp that has to be ordered via DeutschePost’s website; which will print the customer’s design and mail them on sheets of10 or 20 to the customer. Similar to USA “personalized” / “customized” stampssuch as those offered by PictureItPostage (Endicia), Zazzle and“PhotoStamps” (stamps.com) .

Plusbrief Individuell German “custom / personalized” postal stationery envelope that has to be orderedvia the Deutsche Post website, which will print the customers design on envelope(various sizes are available).

PhotoStamps A specific brand name of stamps (from stamps.com) that are ordered via the inter-net and printed by stamps.com using the customer-supplied image.

Zazzle Stamps A specific brand of “photo stamp” (ie: NOT “PhotoStamp by stamps.com) or-dered via the internet and printed by Zazzle and mailed to the customer.

PictureItPostage A specific brand of “photo stamps” / custom postage that is ordered via the inter-net and printed by Endicia and mailed to the customer.

Dymo/Endicia A specific brand of “internet postage”

PC Postage As defined by the USPS DMM (Domestic Mail Manual), “PC Postage productsallow customers to purchase and print postage with IBI (Information Based Indi-cia) or IMI (Intelligent Mail Indicia) indicia directly onto mailpieces, shippinglabels, and USPS-approved customized labels (usually peel off labels designed tobe used for PC Postage). USPS-approved commercial providers offer PC Postageproducts for customers through subscription service agreements.” These indiciainclude all postage products other than traditional postage stamps and stand alonepostage meters.

PVI Postage validation imprint (although some people think it means “postage valueindicated”). A term used by the USPS to describe a security meter-like strip (self-adhesive) generated by a postal clerk’s counter meter and immediately applied toa mail piece. Many countries have picked up on this type of counter meter.

mPOS A type of PVI postage strip issued by a postal clerk using a hand held “mobile de-vice” that then prints a postage label.


Soon after the introduction of adhesivestamps in 1840, suggestions were made andpatents taken out in an attempt find betterways to pay postage, especially for businesses.It was recognized that a system involving thepurchase, moistening and affixing of smallpieces of gummed paper to mail for subsequentcancellation by the Post Office might well bereplaced by some mechanical means wherebyprepayment of postage might be made by theapproved use of a machine to imprint the"stamp" and at the same time to keep a registerof the postage used.

Carle Bushe of Paris appears to have patent-ed the first postage meter. He took out a Brit-ish patent in August 1884, covering an appa-ratus for impressing and registering stamps.But he may not have actually built one. AnItalian inventor, Count Detalmo di Brazza,placed about four coin operated meters thatplaced registration marks as shown here, onmail in New York in 1897 for a few months. AHungarian inventor, Antal Fodor, built anothermeter to put a registration mark on mail andplaced it in front of a Paris post office in 1909for a few months. Other postage meters weretested and used around the world.

NORWAY . A machine, invented by CharlesA. Kahrs, was installed in the lobby of theGeneral Post Office, Kristiania, (Oslo), on Au-gust 24, 1900. This was a coin-feed model(used by the public for franking their own mailby insertion of the required coins). The franksproduced were considered only as receipts forprepaid postage and the Postal authorities af-fixed adhesive stamps to the letters bearingthem, usually over the meter impressions. Themachine was withdrawn on September 14,1900.

To Karl Uchermann goes the honor of hav-ing originated the franking system as we knowit today for use by private firms. His machineswere constructed by Krag Maskinfabrik, ofKristiania. The frank dies were supplied by thePostal authorities and the design is one of themost attractive ever to have been used. TheKrag/Uchermann machines produced both the5 and 10 Ore stamps, but only the 5 ore valueimpressions are known used on covers. Themachines were first used on June 15, 1903 andthe latest date of use known is January 2,

1905.UNITED STATES OF AMERICA . The

forerunner of the meter machines used in theUnited States was the invention of Arthur H.Pitney, co-founder of Pitney-Bowes, Inc. Themachine was designed and built by Eugene A.Rummler. The printing unit was contained in arectangular box-like structure. The first com-pany for its promotion, Pitney Postal MachineCo., was organized in 1902. The machine wasfirst demonstrated by Mr Rummler in the PostOffice Department in Washington D.C. inMarch 1903. From November 24, 1903 toMarch 1904, all official correspondence of theThird Assistance Postmaster General was han-dled by this machine under the supervision ofa committee of the P.O. Department appointedby Postmaster General Payne. The committeereported favorably on the machine but con-cluded that the Postmaster General did nothave the authority to adopt that style of post-age. Very few impressions from this machineare known. As only official mail was franked,

Early History of Traditional Postage Meters

Di Brazza Imprint 1897

Norway 1903Uchermann

Sample of First US Postage Meter Pitney BowesFirst used August 1920.

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the impressions produced bore no indication ofvalue but only a serial number and the usualpenalty clause applied to official mail (APENALTY OF $300 IS FIXED BY LAWFOR / USING THIS ENVELOPE TOAVOID PAYMENT OF / POSTAGE ONPRIVATE MATTER), and therefore they arenot actual postage meter stamps, but merelygovernment permits.

In May 1912, a five-day test of the first Pit-ney meter machine was conducted at Washing-ton D.C. Matter which was run through thispostage meter went through the mail and borea shield shaped impression, value 1-cent or 2-cents. In September 1912, the American Post-age Meter Co. of Chicago, Illinois was orga-nized as a successor to Pitney Postal MachineCo. On January 28, 1914, further experimentswere started at Chicago where at least eight (8)business houses used meter machines in con-junction with an envelope sealing machine, ca-pable of sealing, franking, and counting ap-proximately 250 pieces of mail per minute.Only third class mail (printed matter) wasfranked, with 1 cent or 2 cent values. This waspermissible without further legislation as thefrank was considered merely a permit, and thepermit system had been in effect for third classmatter since 1904. A total of over 850,000pieces of mail were franked by the machines

and mailed through the regular channels, butvery few have survived.

It was not until September 1, 1920 that thefirst postage meter designed for first class mailwas approved by the Post Office Departmentthrough a special act of Congress. The firstmail franked by this Pitney-Bowes PostageMeter Co was posted at Stamford, Conn. onDecember 10, 1920, at 6:00 P.M. The remain-ing history of United States meters is coveredin sufficient detail in other publications (SeeReferences).

NEW ZEALAND Ernest Moss of Christ-church presented a machine (Model 1) inMarch 1904. The first official reference to themachine is found in the report of the Postmas-ter General of June 21, 1904, which states that"quite recently no less than three 1d. Coin-in-the-slot stamp-vending machines have beenoffered to the department for trial. Only one ofthese has so far been sufficiently perfected tostand actual working tests. This machine, thework of a Christchurch inventor, was tried fortwo weeks in the portico of the ChristchurchOffice and for three weeks in Wellington" Theinsertion of discs, washers, etc, in place ofcoins led to the withdrawal of this machine.The Model 2 was introduced in 1905. Therewas only one die; the ld. Various models con-tinued to be used and New Zealand is creditedwith being the country with the longest contin-uous use of postage meters.

GREAT BRITAIN. As in the case of Nor-way Franking Machine in Oslo, an experi-mental unit was installed at the General PostOffice, London E.C. It was the invention of F.Wilkinson of Essex and manufactured by theAutomatic Stamp Selling Machines Ltd. It con-tained a coin-slot into which a penny wasdropped after insertion of the letter to befranked in another opening. By turning a han-dle the letter was then franked, drawn into thebox, and dropped into the box below. It was

Pitney Bowes 1903 Test

1904 Moss Meters in New ZealandPitney Bowes 1912 and 1914 Tests

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installed in King Edward General Post Office,London, January 25, 1912, in accordance witha notice in the P_O_ Circular of January 23_1050 letters and cards were posted on the firstday but the number soon dwindled to 20-30 perday and the machine was removed on August31, 1912.

GERMANY. The first experiments in Ger-many involving postal franking machines be-gan in 1921 and a few specimen impressionsfrom a machine invented by Erich Komusin areknown, but it was not until February 1923 thatthe first machines were used. They were ofthree types, lettered, A, B, and C, produced byUhrenfabrik verm. L. Furtwangler Sohne A.G.,Bafra A.g., and Ankerwerke A. G. respective-ly. Nineteen A machines were know to havebeen used, but only one each are known of themulti-value B and C machines. The later wereon trial in Berlin for a very short period oftime.

SWITZERLAND. Switzerland first author-ized the use of meter franking on March 18,1922 and its first use was at the end of March1923 when Franco machines supplied by Fran-co A.G., Lucerne, and manufactured by Elsterand Co., Lucerne, were put on the market.These were fixed value machines and the dieswere supplied by the Government. The firstHalser machine was authorized on September15, 1923 and first used on February 1, 1924.

FRANCE. France first used meter machinesin May 26, 1924 when L’Agence Havas intro-duced the Tiranty model, a single value ma-chine. Like early New Zealand machines, thismodel printed the impression through a ribbon.Some of these machines had the value dieschanged several times to keep pace with thedevaluation of the franc, and the increase in

postage rates.OTHER COUNTRIES/FIRMS Many other

firms entered the field of meter machines,most of them marketing their products in thecountry of origin, such as Timbrographe(Belgium 1926), Sima (Societa Italiana Mac-chine Affrancatrice, Milan, Italy -- 1927), Sa-tas (Societe pour l'Affranchissement et le Tim-brage Automatiques, Paris, France -- 1934), A/B Frankator (Sweden -- 1934), Krag MaskinFabrik A/S. (Oslo, Norway -- 1933), Portos(Aage Bencke, Copenhagen, Denmark --1941), Taxo-post (A/B Hadar Schmidt, Stock-holm --1943), Postalia (Friestempler G.m.b. H.Frankfurt am Main, Germany -- 1939), Postita-lia (S.A. Italiana Audion, Milan -- 1942), Ro-tex (C.R. Hawkins Ltd., Christchurch, NewZealand -- 1932), Taxotyp (Marton Kalman,Budapest, Hungary -- 1931), Safag(S.A.F.A.G., Biel, Switzerland 1928), Frama(Switzerland -- 1952).

Metered Tax Stamps. A number of coun-tries, including the U.S. and Canada, have usedmodifications of postage meters to collect avariety of taxes including document, real es-tate transfer and cigarette taxes.

Wilkinson coin operated MeterGreat Britain 1912

Germany UhrenfabrikFurtwängler 1923

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Tax Meter Stamps used for a variety of Tax Collections

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The meters from the world as cataloged can be classified based on how the meter prints the postageindicia and if the device meters the postage used by mechanical, electronic or digital means.

Fixed Value (FV, FV-n)The stamp from a FV machine is printed from a die containing theentire frank including the frame and value figure as fixed elements.Some FV meters contain a small selection of dies for different de-nominations of stamps. Such meters are designated FV-n with ‘n’ be-ing the number of different frank dies. The earliest meters are of thistype.

Limited Value (LV-n)LV-n machines contain a single frame die with a slot into which anumber (n) of different denomination dies can be brought into posi-tion. Because a denomination die is much smaller than a completestamp die, typically LV-n machines have a larger range of denomina-tions than a FV-n meter.

Multi Value (MV)MV machines contain a single frame die with a slot fitted with banks of num-ber wheels. The postage is set by rotating the wheels until the correct amountappears in the face of the die. Any denomination within a range determined bythe number of wheels can be printed.

Some multi-value machines are fitted with trailing fixed zeros to accommo-date inflation, currency changes, etc. In the descriptions for value figures, thiscatalog identifies all value places and does not differentiate between regularand fixed zeros. Some catalogs use the term Omnidenominational to indicatethat the meter prints all values between zero and some maximum like 9.99.

Digital (digital)The early Digital postage meters maintained postage records and operatedelectronically but printed with a metal die as did older meters. Modern com-pletely digital meters do not have a solid die but print the stamp with com-puter printer through a ink tape or more recently use ink jet or laser technol-ogy. All meters that were not fully digital were recalled as a result of theMeter Migration Mandate. In the US and Canada this was completed, after afew extensions, by 2007. Most counties now allow only fully digital postagemeters.

PC PostageAbout 1988 the US Postal Service began allowing several forms of user de-fined postage and took PC Postage as a trademark. This program opened theway for a number of “alternate postage” items. These include postage printedat a personal computer (which in some cases has a user supplied image) aswell as postage with a user supplied image that is printed by an authorizedvendor and shipped to the user. The USPS originally stated in earlier versionsof the DMM (Domestic Mail Manual) that all PC Postage are “meters” and notstamps. That statement is no longer found in the DMM.

Computer Vended Postage (CVP)Also known as Variable Denomination. A subset of PC Postage. Postage isvended by a computer housed in a postal kiosk or from a personal computer orfrom a machine that is similar to a digital postage meter. There is some overlapwith other types of postage. This type is available in the U.S. and around theworld.

General Types of Postage Meters

FV One Value possible per meter

LV Six Values possible per meter

MV Values 0.00 to 9.99 1/2

Electronic w/Mechanical Printer

Fully Digital Meter

CVP Postage

PC Postage withUser Image


On the topic of what to collect, the possibilitiesare almost endless and bound only by such factorsas interest, access to material, finances and inno-vation. The guidelines below are designed to helpcollectors who recently have become interested inpostage meter stamps and are looking for ideas ofwhat they might collect.GENERAL TYPE COLLECTION: Collecting thepostage meter stamps from all the different metertypes or models placed into use in a given country,area, or the world. This could be limited to majortypes only or could include varieties of the mainstamp types. Collecting U.S. meter stamps thisway, for example, would correspond to the organi-zation used in the Hawking/Stambaugh catalog(see References).SPECIAL TYPE COLLECTION: This is collect-ing by type, but limiting it to one meter manufac-turer or meter stamp group. Collecting this waycan be done in various degrees of depth. For ex-ample, one of these could include all major andminor varieties, experimental versions, essays,proofs and specimens, errors, different colors, dif-ferent denominations, and even different meternumbers.COLLECTIONS BY GROUP: A collection couldbe limited to a special group of meter stamps suchas: post office machines (regular and/or postagedue), those dispensed by vending machine, andthose used by the Military or by the Federal gov-ernment.

COLLECTIONS BY TOPIC: Just about any topicor theme can be collected through meter stampslogans. Topical collection (AKA Thematic) hasbecome a major collection method, blending nor-mal postage stamp subjects, envelope advertise-ments as well as meter stamps with slogans.POSTAL HISTORY: Collecting postal rates andservices is ideal with metered mail. In fact, somerates and services are unknown on anything butmetered mail. It is also possible to collect postaldirectives, e.g., “FIRST CLASS MAIL”, or“BOUND PRINTED MATTER - SHEET MUSIC”,a well as a wide range of other directives, appliedby meter.TOWN COLLECTIONS: Collecting by meterstamp town mark is very popular. This can be donefor all the towns in any country, state or province,or even all the known meter numbers used in anyone town.RELATED AREAS: Closely related to meterstamps are permit stamps, i.e., those postagestamps applied by permit printer machines. Permitstamps are as collectable and varied as meterstamps. Also popular to collect are CVP stamps(AKA as Frama stamps). These computerizedvending machine stamps are produced as meterstamps but are used as normal adhesive postagestamps.From about 1960 to the early 1990s United ParcelService (UPS) shipping tags were produced bypostage meters and these also make a good collect-ing area. ■

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What To Collect?

Sources

There are many sources where collectors mayacquire and accumulate meter stamps and in somecases, need be limited only by one’s own creativi-ty.

The first source is our own daily mail. This hasalways been an excellent way of acquiring material.Convincing your neighbors to save envelopes fromtheir mail for you is also an excellent source. Get-ting a local business to save envelopes for you iseven better, given their volume of mail. Thesesources don’t require a cash outlay and, for thosepeople just starting, are a good source of modernmeter stamps.

A second source is participating in the manyMSS auctions (minimum of one per year). Theseauctions often present opportunities to acquire, atfair prices, scarce material that may otherwise bedifficult to obtain in any other manner. Items of-fered range in price from $1.00 to several hundreddollars. Occasionally, meter lots are offeredthrough mail auctions, as postal history, by some

of the large mail bid companies.A third source is a dealer who stocks meters.

Admittedly, there are very few of them, but someadvertise in the MSS Bulletin and members are en-couraged to support them. With the increased inter-est in meters as postal history and the increasedinterest in meter slogans, dealers are becomingmore aware of collector needs. Local stamp dealersalso often have meters available as they get themin the course of acquiring stamp collections. And,don’t overlook the dealers at the stamp shows, whooften have small stocks of meters available.

A fourth source is through use of the “want ad”section of the MSS Bulletin (also posted on theMSS website) where members can advertise theircollecting interests. Members are given one free adper year.

Finally, the Meter Stamp Society DiscussionGroup on Yahoo Groups is a good place to meetothers who may have material to swap.


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How To Collect

There is no mandated, or even universallypreferred, size format when it comes to col-lecting meter stamps - this is ultimately dictat-ed by personal choice. However, the prevailingthinking on the subject today is that theyshould, whenever possible, be collected intheir original size. That is to say, a meteredcover should never be reduced to a cut or afront (except where very large envelopes makestorage and mounting clumsy). - full coversare better than fronts, which, in turn , are bet-ter than 2” x 4” cuts. By “better”, it is meantthat the item is more valuable as a collectableartifact in terms of postal significance and sal-ability. The postal history value of a covershould be considered before cutting it down.Special rates, special usages and importantevents should cause a cover to be saved intact.

Meters can be collected in many differentways and the most common are full cover,cuts, and tapes.CUTS 2 or 3 inches by x inches: The two orthree inch cut is the most practical. Cut to atleast 4 inches but never cut off a company slo-gan or a postal directive. If the company ad-dress is at the left corner consider keeping thattoo. Cutting the strip was very popular in theearly days. Its almost considered a crime today

by collectors seeking postal history items.TAPES Meter stamps on tape, of course, re-quire no trimming. They may conveniently bemounted on album pages with one wide hingeor two stamp hinges. (NEVER use cellophanetape). Many collectors mount their tapes onslips of plain paper cut to the same size as therest of the collection for ease of filing. Again,it is best to keep the entire, especially whenthere are other markings or stickers (such ascustoms forms) on the cover. For larger enve-lopes and boxes try to keep as much of thepostal history as possible. Older tapes could besoaked off of the envelope in cold water anddried between blotters or paper towels. Morerecently the glue used prevents removal.FULL COVER This is the preferred formatfor collecting. By collecting in this manner,all aspects of the piece are preserved(information on user and addressee, postalhandling marks, backstamps, annotations,etc). The small size covers can be mountedhorizontally and the large size can be mountedvertically. Only if a large piece is damagedand is your only example, for now, should itbe cut. In any case, try to salvage as much ofthe cover as possible. Scarce and unusualpieces or usages should never be cut.

Collection Organization

The answer to the question of how to organ-ize your collection depends entirely on whatyou collect and why. If you collect SLOGANSyou would most likely want to categorize themby topic. If you collect TOWNS you wouldprobably find it convenient to arrange themalphabetically under each state. If you collectby meter TYPE you would want to organizethem according to a logical structure such asthat found in the Simon-Walsh United StatesPostage Meter Stamp Catalog. The Simon-Walsh (S/W) system is not the only way, nor isit necessarily the best way for your special in-terests. Some TYPE collectors ignore the S/Wcategories of Post Office and Postage Due me-ters and include such examples as varieties ofthe basic meter type. Others focus on the typeof meter MACHINE and collect all meter

stamp types and varieties produced by that ma-chine. Such collections could contain Officialand Revenue meter stamps, which are design-different, as well as same-design commercial,Post Office, and Postage Due meters. Suchcollections could even include meter stampsfrom other countries as long as they are pro-duced by the same machine.

Years ago, collecting by METER NUMBERwas popular. Collectors would try to get exam-ple from every meter placed into service andwould organize them in numeric sequence. Inthe 1920s with only a few thousand meters inexistence this may have been a realistic chal-lenge, but today, with millions of meters inuse, such a collection seems very unrealistic.Collecting by number may still have some

Organize continued on page 16


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meaning when focused on meter types whichhad only a few machines were placed into ser-vice. An amazing meter number database forearly US postage meters is available for freedownload from the MSS website’s bookstore.Today some collectors work together to deter-mine the meter ranges for each type of postagemeter and manufacturer.

As some traditional philatelists focus on asingle Scott-listed stamp and try to collect all

varieties, errors, and uses associated with it,some meter stamp collectors do the same withan individual meter type. One could organizethe collection into sections such as (a) COL-OR, which would contain an example of everycolor ink used on a meter, (b) VALUE, con-taining all values the machine could produce,(c) TOWN MARK VARIETIES, (d) ERRORS,and (e) odd and unusual USES. No doubt thereare many other categories imaginative collec-tors will create.

How to House A Collection

There are generally two ways to house a col-lection: in boxes (to include any kind of contain-er) and in albums. Boxing covers is cheap andcan be efficient as long as the covers are kept insome kind of logical order (by type, by number,or by whatever method you collect) and are notjammed in tightly. It is also simple to insert newacquisitions in their proper order. The troublewith boxing is that it is not easy to peruse yourcollection or show it off with out manhandlingthe covers and, being unmounted, it is, of course,not exhibitable. If you have no intention of ex-hibiting and are careful when you go throughyour meters, boxing is a completely satisfactoryway to house a collection. One word of caution:cardboard boxes contain acid in the cardboard,so for long-term storage, line the boxes withneutral paper.

Mounting a collection in albums makes it easierto review and show others. It also helps preservethe covers since, once mounted, they do not haveto be touched to be seen. Additionally, a smallwrite-up can easily accompany each cover on thepage. Drawbacks include the inconvenience of in-serting new acquisitions in their proper place andthe high relative cost. Mounting in albums is moreexpensive than using boxes, both in money and intime.

There is a wide variety of choices for mountingcovers ranging from almost free to very expen-sive. Collections can be mounted cheaply in com-mon three-ring binders using stamp hinges andnotebook paper, or expensively in leather binders,with slip covers, and double-sided pocketed pagesfor protection.

Adding to the expense is the fact that no stampalbum publisher makes a pages for covers over 7or 8 inches wide. Since most meters are found onstandard business size envelopes (#10), conven-tional album pages are usually too small for hori-zontal mounting. Mounting vertically will allowyou to use the cheaper standard size pages, but

this can be ultimately more expensive since thereis room for only one cover per page. A few pagepublishers make plain unpocketed pages largeenough to hold two or three business size coversper side, but to use these pages one is still facedwith the problem of how to mount the covers.Hinges and photo corners are available for this buthave drawbacks. Only one manufacturer currentlymakes binders and pocketed pages designed tohold covers up to nine and even eleven incheswide, but a single album of this size with room for240 covers is very expensive.

As a technical data note regarding album pages,a Chicago firm published the results of a study of64 different brands/types and found that MOSTcontain acid and will harm anything mounted onthem, over time. Current technology requires ar-chival paper, i.e. paper that provides resistance tothe effects of natural aging, to be acid free with aminimum pH of 7.0. The pH is a measure of theacid/alkaline content of an item. A pH of 7.0 isneutral, below 7.0, the item is acidic and higherthan 7.0, it is alkaline. Since this is a logarithmicscale, an item with pH of 5.0 is ten times moreacidic than one with pH of 6.0. Of the 64 pagestested, 47 were acidic and only 17 were acid free.What is exceptionally disappointing is that someof the worse papers are marketed by philatelicsupply houses with the most prestigious names(and highest prices). The point is that collectorsshould be aware of the long-term effects of paperand various adhesives and that some mountingtechniques and methods should be avoided. It isalso pointed out that the material in the windowsof “TRANSO” envelopes will stain anything theytouch and gum and tape on the backs of certainenvelopes can also stain other envelopes theycome in contact with. -- don’t store these in con-tact with other covers. Postage Validation Im-printer (PVI) postage meters are very light-sensitive so store them in a cool dark place or theywill fade. This is also probably true with Intermecand Canadian Nixdorf postage meters.

Organize continued from page 15


US Variable Denomination Stamps - FAQs

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What are variable denomination stamps (VDS)?They are stamps printed and dispensed from public vend-ing machines (eg self-service kiosks in post offices), orwith the use of personal computers. They can be used any-where and anytime, just like traditional postage stamps.The public generated issues are called computer vendedpostage (CVP), Automat stamps or ATM stamps (Germanfor ‘Automaten-marken’),The personal computer printed postage issues are referredto as Internet Postage stamps.What do variable denomination stamps look like?The major types of US variable denomination stamps aredepicted in following pages. All VDS issues since 1999have in common that they show a 2D-barcode, which indi-cates postage payment, eases mail sorting and preventspostage fraud.Where can you purchase variable denominationstamps?(a) Computer vended postage stamps:They can be purchased from self-service (In the U.S.APC/SSK) kiosks in larger post offices. In the US, morethan 2,600 self-service kiosks are operating. The locationof these kiosks can be found on the USPS website:https://tools.usps.com/go/POLocatorAction!input.actionAdditionally, some one hundred mail & goTM postal ki-osks manufactured by Pitney Bowes are operating on uni-versity campuses, military facilities and in corporations.(b) Internet postage stamps:To print stamps on a personal computer, one has to firstregister with one of the three PC postage providers in theUS (Stamp.com, Endicia or Pitney Bowes) online (or theiraffiliates). Next, specially designated sheets or label rolls

are purchased from the PC postage provider. Upon receiptof sheets or label rolls and purchasing postage online, con-sumers can print real postage stamps on sheets or labelrolls using a personal computer and an inkjet, laser or ther-mal printer.Is it possible to obtain variable denomination stampsfrom the USPS Stamp Fulfillment Center (“TheCave”)?Unfortunately, neither the USPS nor any PC postage pro-vider offers variable denomination stamps to collectors. Inaddition, almost no information about new issues/changesin the paper/imprint/etc. is released by these companiesmaking it very difficult and challenging to collect VDS!Are US variable denomination stamps listed in cata-logs?Yes, the ‘Scott Specialized Catalogue of United StatesStamps & Covers’, 93rd Edition (2015), by Charles Sneeand James E. Kloetzel lists most major types.

For collectors who are interested in a more detailed list-ing of major/minor types and information about these is-sues, the handbook ‘USA: Variable Denomination Stamps(1989-2015)’ by Karim Roder, a member of the MSS, isrecommended:https://www.createspace.com/5554174Where else can I find information about older and fu-ture variable denomination stamp issues?A membership in the MSS is highly recommended to learnmore about these issues. It is really easy and cheap to jointhe MSS and you can learn a wealth pf onformation aboutvariable denomination stamps, meter postage and custom-ized postage as well as other modern types of postagefrom the US and the rest of the world.

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a meter, not a “Stamp”. This includes several va-rieties of postage indicia that may or may not in-clude an image provided by the vendor or an im-age provided by the user. Most of these postagepayment methods are handled by vendors in theU.S. (See page 4).

Many countries now have some form of Per-sonalised (as the rest of the world spells it) post-age that can be ordered from the central post of-fice. Virtually all countries that provide Person-alised stamps handle sales and printing throughthe country post office. A partial list of countriesthat provide at least one form of Personalisedpostage is maintained at http://meterstampsociety.com/WorldPersPost.html.Some allow a user supplied image inside thestamp and some allow the image on a tab next toa stamp. At this writing only the U.S. allows

third party vendors to sell products directly tothe user. Many countries now have websites thatallow a postal patron to pay the postage for a let-ter or package over the internet and print the la-bel from a computer printer.

These postage payment methods as used out-side the U.S. generally are not considered “meterstamps” by the postal administrations. They areconsidered “stamps” just like their other items.

Several catalogs have been prepared just forU.S. “meter stamps” based on the definition thatthe authors choose. Collectors around the worldhave enthusiastically embraced Computer Vend-ed Postage (CVP), most of which are vended bymachines outside each country’s post offices.U.S. CVP and Personalized stamps were listed byScott until about 2006. After 2006 only U.S.CVP stamps are listed by Scott.

Variable continued on page 16




U.S. Postage Alternatives

The invention of the Postage Meter provided the first ma-jor alternative to the use of postage stamps. Then after about1989 when the USPS invented the concept of PC Postagethings got very complex. We have attempted to provide aguide here for the many postage alternatives that have beenavailable. Most of the alternatives were short lived butstamps produced by them are very collectable. It should benoted that the USPS registered the term PC Postage as itstrademark. However, we have the choice of naming and cate-gorizing as we please.

Essentially this list is of three categories, Traditional Post-age Stamps, Traditional Postage Meters, and PC-Postage(including the experiments leading up to PC-Postage). Due tothe many forms of PC Postage the list below certainly doesnot seem quite that simple. This outline shows a few exam-ples of each type of PC Postage available. These were soldby a number of authorized vendors.

A. Unmetered: Traditional postage stamps, fixed denomina-tion postage produced before it is sold. Definitives, com-memoratives, semi-postals, airmail, tax, postage dues.Used anytime after sale. Sold by USPS over the counter,through vendors, by mail or from vending machines.

B. Metered: postage generated/produced and controlled by amechanism (mechanically or algorithmically) matchingthat postage to the credit available. Credit used to be add-ed when the meter was taken to the local post office. Latertelephone connections handled credit. In the digital agethe internet is used.B1. Generated by rented postage meters, used on the

date of saleB. Metered: postage generated/produced is con-trolled by a mechanism (mechanically or algorith-mically) matching that postage to the credit availa-ble.

B1. Generated by rented postage meters, useddate of sale

B1a. Stand-alone unitsTraditional Postage Meters(mechanical, electronic, digital)\

Mechanical Meter

Electronic Meter

Fully Digital Meter

B1b. Units attached to a personalcomputer (special printer or vault)

E-Stamps 1998-2000Neopost PC Stamp/Simply PostagePCmail1998-2000NeopostSimply Postage/

SimplyPostage PROmail 2000-2003PB ClickStamp Plus 1999Stamp Expressions

E-Stamp Experiment

B2. Post Office Counter Units, used date of saleB2a. Traditional Postage Meters, used at thepost office desk

Post OfficeMeter

B2b. PVI Meters. Used date of sale

MOS Units

ToshibaUnits

mPOS (point of sale) handheld units

PB Mailomat


B4a. USPS Click-N-ShipOnline Postage

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B3. Generated by vending machinesB3a. Stamps valid only on date vended

Vending ExperimentsDi Brazza 1898NCR Austin 1971PPMF 1973Pi Elec. Zipster Plus 1992ASM 1992PB NPM Postcard 1993

VendingPB Mailomat 1936-1970

B3b. Stamps valid on any dateVending Experiments

Autopost 1989Postal Buddy 1990-93PMC Coils 1992-2002APC 1999-2004Neopost Kiosk Test 2000-2002IBM(Schaumburg) 2008-2009

VendingAPC 2004 SSK 2014PB Mail&go Kiosk 2005

B3b. Early APC Stamps (thermal printing)

B3b. SSK Stamps (Thermal on Preprinted color stock

B3b PB Mail&Go StampsThermal B/W and Inkjet Color

B3b. APC Parcel Shipping Label

B3b. IBM (Schaumburg) Experiment Stamps

B4. Generated onlineB4a. Stamps valid only on date generated

Stamps.com 1998Neopost Postage Plus/SimplyPostage

EZmail1999-2000PB ClickStamp Online 1999-2004PB Shipstream Manager 2010-2012PB iSend/pbSmartPostage 2012Endicia Internet Postage 2001USPS Click-N-Ship 2002eBay/Paypal shipping assistants


B4b. PBSmartPostageWith user image.

B5a. Zazzle Personal (Custom)Postage w/ User Image

B5b Affiliate “Your Postage”Postage w/ User Image

B4b. Dymo PostageW/o user image.

B4b. Stamps valid on any dateSnapStamps 2000-2001NetStamps 2002InstaPostage/Dymo Postage 2005Avery Stamps 2009pbSmartPostage 2011Dymo PostageUSPS Priority Mail Forever Packaging 2011Designs-on-Demand NetStamps 2012

B5. Personalized postage (postage containing designelement chosen by patron), Valid any date.B5a. PC Postage Providers:

Pitney Bowes Expressions SEStamps.com PhotoStamps 2004Endicia PictureItPostage 2005Zazzle.com ZazzleStamps 2005

B5b. PC Postage Affiliates:Xpress It Postage 2006PremierPostage LLC 2006Fujifilm: YourStamps 2007And many more

B5c. PostcardsPhotoCard 2009An affiliate vendor sends photo post cards eitherby eMail or Post Office. If by Post office printsan image of a PC Postage stamp on the postcard. ■

B4a. Endicia Postage


Postage Meter Stamp Identifier

Text in the Stamp See:ABU DHABI .................................................................... UNITED ARAB EMIRATESACORES.......................................................................................................AZORESADEN............................................................................................................ YEMENA.E.F. .................................................................... FRENCH EQUATORIAL AFRICAAFARS & ISSAS ........................................................................................ DJIBOUTIAFRIQUE EQUATORIALE FRANCAISE ................. FRENCH EQUATORIAL AFRICAAFRIQUE OCCIE FRANCAISE ............................................ FRENCH WEST AFRICAALGERIE or ALGERIENNE ........................................................................ ALGERIAAMSTERDAM / TE BETALEN .......................................................... NETHERLANDSANDORRE................................................................................................ ANDORRAA R E ............................................................................................................. EGYPTB H ............................................................................................................... BELIZEBASUTOLAND .......................................................................................... LESOTHOBECHUANALAND .................................................................................BOTSWANABELGIQUE BELGIE or BELGIE BELGIQUE .............................................. BELGIUMBIAFRA ...................................................................................................... NIGERIABÖHMEN UND MÄHREN ...........................................................CZECHOSLOVAKIABOPHUTHATSWANA....................................................................... SOUTH AFRICABR. SOLOMON IS. ................................................................... SOLOMON ISLANDSBR. VIRGIN IS. ............................................................. BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDSBRASIL .........................................................................................................BRAZILBRITISH GUIANA ...................................................................................... GUYANABRITISH HONDURAS ................................................................................... BELIZEBRITISH SOLOMON ISLANDS ................................................. SOLOMON ISLANDSBS.AS.REP.ARG. .................................................................................. ARGENTINABURMA................................................................................................... MYANMARCCCPUNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS (also ESTONIA, LATVIA, LITHUANIA)C F A .........................................................................................................REUNIONCABO VERDE ...................................................................................... CAPE VERDECAMBODGE........................................................................................... CAMBODIACAMEROUN.......................................................................................... CAMEROONCAYMAN W.I. ........................................................................... CAYMAN ISLANDSCESKA REPUBLICA..................................................................... CZECH REPUBLICCESKOSLOVENSKO ..................................................................CZECHOSLOVAKIACEYLON .................................................................................................SRI LANKAChra./Aut. No. 1 .......................................................................................... NORWAYCISKEI ............................................................................................. SOUTH AFRICACOMORES................................................................................ COMOROS ISLANDSCONGO/ BELGE / BELGISCH............................. CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICCONGO (alone) ................................................... CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICCONGO, REPUBIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE ............ CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICCONGO, REPUBLIQUE DU ........................................ CONGO, PEOPLES REPUBLICCONGO, REPUBLIQUE PPAIRE/ REP POP ................. CONGO, PEOPLES REPUBLICCORREIOS DO ESTADO DA INDIA .........................................PORTUGUESE INDIACOTE D’IVOIRE................................................................................. IVORY COASTCOTE DU SOMALI .................................................................................... DJIBOUTICOTE FRANCAISE DES SOMALIS ............................................................ DJIBOUTICURACAO ..................................................................... NETHERLANDS ANTILLESDAHOMEY..................................................................................................... BENINDAI NIPPON TEIKOKU YUBIN .............................................................. INDONESIAD’ANDORRE ............................................................................................ ANDORRADANMARK .............................................................................................. DENMARKDEUTSCHE BUNDESPOST ....................................................................... GERMANYDEUTSCHE POST..................................................................................... GERMANYDEUTSCHE REICHPOST .......................................................................... GERMANYDEUTSCHES BUNDESPOST/ SAARLAND ................................................ GERMANY


DEUTSCHES REICH................................................................................. GERMANYDEUTSCHES REICH or REICHPOST with Austrian town mark ..................... AUSTRIADEUTSCHLAND ...................................................................................... GERMANYDUBAI ............................................................................ UNITED ARAB EMIRATESEESTI ........................................................................................................ ESTONIAEGYPTE ......................................................................................................... EGYPTEIRE or EIREANN ...................................................................................... IRELANDEMPIRE CENTRAFRICAIN ..................................... CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLICESPANA.......................................................................................................... SPAINESPANOLA ..................................................................................................... SPAINESTADO DA INDIA ................................................................. PORTUGUESE INDIAFEDERATED MALAY STATES ............................................................... MALAYSIAFØROYAR...................................................................................... FAROE ISLANDSFRANQUIA ............................................................................................. PORTUGALFUNCHAL ................................................................................. MADEIRA ISLANDSGABONAISE ................................................................................................. GABONGEBÜHR BEZAHLT ................................................................................. GERMANYGENERAL-GOUVERNEMENT ..................................................................... POLANDGOLD COAST ............................................................................................... GHANAGRØNLAND ......................................................................................... GREENLANDGUINE-BISSAU...............................................................................GUINEA BISSAUGUINEA ECUA .....................................................................EQUATORIAL GUINEAGUINEE ....................................................................................................... GUINEAHARARE ................................................................................................ ZIMBABWEHAUTE VOLTA................................................................................BURKINA FASOHELLAS ....................................................................................................... GREECEHELVETIA ........................................................................................SWITZERLANDHRVATSKA ............................................................................................... CROATIAHYDERABAD ................................................................................................. INDIAINDOCHINE ............................................................................ FRENCH INDOCHINAISLAND ..................................................................................................... ICELANDITALIANE ....................................................................................................... ITALYJAMAHIRIYA .................................................................................................LIBYAJAMAICA with GRAND CAYMAN W.I. in the town mark............. CAYMAN ISLANDSJUGOSLAVIJA or JUGOSLLAVIA .......................................................YUGOSLAVIAK S A ............................................................................................... SAUDI ARABIAKATANGA ......................................................... CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICKENYA UGANDA ......................................................EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITYKENYA UGANDA TANGANYIKA ..............................EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITYKENYA UGANDA TANZANIA ...................................EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITYKGL. POST… ØRE PORTO ...................................................................... DENMARKKIBRIS ........................................................................................................ CYPRUSL A R ..............................................................................................................LIBYALAO ................................................................................................................. LAOSLATVIJA or LATVIJAS ................................................................................ LATVIALIBAN ...................................................................................................... LEBANONLIETUVA or LIETUVOS......................................................................... LITHUANIALUXEMBURG ................................................................................... LUXEMBOURGMACAU ........................................................................................................MACAOMAGYAR POSTA ..................................................................................... HUNGARYMAGYARORSZAG ................................................................................... HUNGARYMAKEDONIJA ..................................................................................... MACEDONIAMALAGASY...................................................................................... MADAGASCARMALAYA ................................................................................................ MALAYSIAMALGACHE...................................................................................... MADAGASCARMAROC ................................................................................................... MOROCCOMAURITANIE ..................................................................................... MAURITANIAMOCAMBIQUE ..................................................................................MOZAMBIQUENATIONES UNIES ....................................................................... UNITED NATIONSNED-INDIE or ned.indie ......................................................................... INDONESIA


NEDERELANDSE ANTILLEN ......................................... NETHERLANDS ANTILLESNEDERLAND ................................................................................... NETHERLANDSNEDERLANDS-NIEUW-GUINEA ............................................................ INDONESIANEW HEBRIDES....................................................................................... VANUATUNIPPON .......................................................................................................... JAPANNlle CALEDONIE ......................................................................... NEW CALEDONIANOREG or NORGE .....................................................................................NORWAYNORTH BORNEO ....................................................................................MALAYSIANORTHERN RHODESIA .............................................................................. ZAMBIANYASALAND ............................................................................................. MALAWIN Z ................................................................................................... NEW ZEALANDOFFENTLIG SAK .......................................................................................NORWAYOSLO .........................................................................................................NORWAYÖSTERREICH ............................................................................................. AUSTRIAP. I. POSTAGE...................................................................................... PHILIPPINESPAKKEPOST/ PORTO BETALT...................................................................NORWAYPAKKETPOS/ PARCEL POST ...........................................................SOUTH AFRICAPILIPINAS............................................................................................ PHILIPPINESPOCZTA ...................................................................................................... POLANDPOLSKA ...................................................................................................... POLANDPOLYNESIE FRANCAISE ........................................................ FRENCH POLYNESIAPOST NA MBEART..................................................................................... IRELANDPOSTAS IOCTHA ....................................................................................... IRELANDPOSTES FRANCAIS with Algerian town mark ..............................................ALGERIAPRINCIPAUTE D’ANDORRE or PTE D’ANDORRE.................................... ANDORRAR A E.............................................................................................................. EGYPTR A U ............................................................................................................. EGYPTR D C ................................................................. CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICREFUGEE/ RELIEF .......................................................................................... INDIAREPUBLICA DOMINICA ..................................................... DOMINICAN REPUBLICREPUBLICA PORTUGUESA/ CORREIO DE ANGOLA................................. ANGOLAREPUBLIQUE CENTRAFRICAINE ........................... CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLICREPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO ............. CONGO, PEOPLES REPUBLICREPUBLIQUE DU CONGO.......................................... CONGO, PEOPLES REPUBLICREPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE ......................................................................... FRANCEREPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE ALGER or ALGERIE ........................................ALGERIAREPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE C F A.............................................................. REUNIONREPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE POSTES with Algerian town mark .....................ALGERIAREPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE with ANDORRE LA VIEILLE in the town mark ANDORRAREPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE with MAYOTTE in the town mark .................. MAYOTTERHODESIA ............................................................................................. ZIMBABWEROMANA ................................................................................................. ROMANIAR M ....................................................................................................... MOLDOVAR M I ...................................................................................... MARSHALL ISLANDSR.O. del U. .............................................................................................. URUGUAYR O P............................................................................................................. PALAURWANDAISE..............................................................................................RWANDAS.A.D.C. .............................................................................................. SINGAPORES. MARINO ......................................................................................... SAN MARINOSAAR .......................................................................................................GERMANYSAARGEBIET ...........................................................................................GERMANYSAARLAND..............................................................................................GERMANYSABAH MALAYSIA ................................................................................MALAYSIAST. CHRISTOPHER NEVIS ANGUILLA ............................ SAINT KITTS AND NEVISST. KITTS NEVIS ANGUILLA .......................................... SAINT KITTS AND NEVISSALISBURY ........................................................................................... ZIMBABWESAMOA ....................................................................................... WESTERN SAMOASAORSTAT EIREANN ................................................................................ IRELANDSARAWAK ..............................................................................................MALAYSIASERBIEN .......................................................................................................SERBIA


SERPOST ......................................................................................................... PERUSERVICO POSTAL MILITAR .................................................................. PORTUGALSIAM ...................................................................................................... THAILANDSLOVENIJA ............................................................................................. SLOVENIASLOVENSKO ...........................................................................................SLOVAKIASOUTH ARABIA, FEDERATION OF .............................................................. YEMENSOUTH WEST AFRICA or SOUTHWEST AFRICA ...................................... NAMIBIASOUTHERN RHODESIA ......................................................................... ZIMBABWESOUTHERN YEMEN, PEOPLES REPUBLIC ................................................... YEMENSPEED POST/ RUPEES .................................................................................... INDIASPLAJ .............................................................................................................LIBYASTRAITS SETTLEMENTS ....................................................................... MALAYSIASUIDAFRIKA or SUID AFRIKA........................................................ SOUTH AFRICASUIDWESAFRIKA or SUIDWES AFRIKA ................................................... NAMIBIASVERIGE .................................................................................................... SWEDENSYRIAN AR .................................................................................................... SYRIASYRIENNE ...................................................................................................... SYRIATANGANYIKA ...........................................................EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITYTANZANIA UGANDA KENYA ...................................EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITYTAXE PERCUE / CHENGDU........................ CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC (mainland)TCHAD ............................................................................................................CHADTE’BETALEN/ PORT ........................................................................ NETHERLANDSTER FRs AFARS ET ISSAS ........................................................................ DJIBOUTITOGOLAISE..................................................................................................... TOGOTRANSKEI ....................................................................................... SOUTH AFRICATUNISIE ..................................................................................................... TUNISIATURK POSTALARI ..................................................................................... TURKEYTURKIYE .................................................................................................... TURKEYU A E .............................................................................. UNITED ARAB EMIRATESU A R ............................................................................................................. EGYPTU.S. POSTAGE ......................................................... UNITED STATES OF AMERICAVATICANE .......................................................................................VATICAN CITYVENDA ............................................................................................ SOUTH AFRICAVEREINTE NATIONEN ................................................................ UNITED NATIONSVIRGIN ISLANDS (BRITISH) ..........................................BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDSVOLTA ............................................................................................BURKINA FASOVOLTAIQUE ....................................................................................BURKINA FASOWINDHOEK ............................................................................................... NAMIBIAYKPIHI ......................................................................................................UKRAINEZAIRE ................................................................ CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICZENTRALER KURIERDIENST ................................................................. GERMANY

Frank without country name. With “ALGER” in town mark ............................ ALGERIAFrank without country name. With “БЪПГАРИЯ” in town mark .................. BULGARIA Frank without country name. With “COфИЯ” in town mark......................... BULGARIA Frank without country name. With “TCHAD” at bottom of town mark ..................CHADFrank without country name. With Congolese town (e.g. “LUBUMBASHI”) in town mark CONGO,D.R.Frank without country name. With crown ...........................................GREAT BRITAINFrank without country name. With “DJAKARTA” in town mark ................. INDONESIAFrank without country name. With “POЧTA”KAZAKHSTAN, MOLDOVA, RUSSIA, or UKRAINE Frank without country name. With flying “ptt” symbol at bottom.............. MACEDONIAFrank without country name. With date above “Franqueadora National” at top ..MEXICOFrank without country name. With “CASA-POSTES” in town mark .............. MOROCCOFrank without country name. With “K” in box at lower right ....................... MYANMARFrank without country name. With “NAMIBIA” in town mark ........................ NAMIBIAFrank without country name. With “BUCHURESTI” in town mark................. ROMANIAFrank without country name. With “R.S.M.” in town mark ...................... SAN MARINOFrank without country name. With “SINGAPORE” in town mark ................ SINGAPOREFrank without country name. With solid panel at top of frank, “ptt” logo at bottomSLOVENIA


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Frank without country name. With “TANZANIA” in town mark ................... TANZANIAFrank without country name. With “WESTERN SAMOA” in town markWESTERN SAMOAFrank without country name. With “LJUBLJANA” in town mark ............ YUGOSLAVIAFrank without Western country name, with Arabic script only ............................ EGYPTFrank without Western country name, with Burmese script only...................MYANMARHorizontal lines with value figures, no country nameBERMUDA, CHINA (mainland), CZECHOSLO-VAKIAMeter no. N27, “POSTAGE” and “REVENUE” vertical at sides, blank panel at topGREAT BRITAINOctagonal frank without inscription, “TAPTY” in town mark.......................... ESTONIAOval frame, blank at top, “Rpf” at bottom, RIGA in the town mark ................... LATVIAShield shape containing “Washington, D.C.” or “CHICAGO, ILL” ...... UNITED STATESUnengraved frank appearing solid around the value figures. TM reads “HALFWAY HOUSE”........................................................................................................SOUTH ARFICA

Upright rectangle with wavy border and diagonal panel containing town nameNEW ZEALANDFrameless text on cash register style tape, inscribed “KИEB”, often with “KACCA”UKRAINE

БЕЛАРУС ................................................................................................. BELARUS НРБ ........................................................................................................ BULGARIA БЪПГАРИЯ ............................................................................................. BULGARIA ПЛАТЕНО .............................................................................................. BULGARIA EΛΛAΣ ....................................................................................................... GREECE KA3AHb .......................................................................................................RUSSIAPOCCИA, POCCИИ or POCCИЯ ...................................................................RUSSIA Pф ................................................................................................................RUSSIA PЯЭЗAH ......................................................................................................RUSSIA ROSSIJA .......................................................................................................RUSSIACPБИJA .........................................................................................................SERBIA YKPAÏHИ, YKPAÏHA or YPAÏHИ .............................................................. UKRAINE

.............................................................................................................. IRAN

...................................................................................................... ….ISRAEL

政郵華中 ....................................................................................... CHINA (Taiwan)

政郵國民華中 ............................................................................. CHINA (Taiwan)

政郵東華 ................................................................................... CHINA (mainland)

政郵民人 ................................................................................... CHINA (mainland)

政郵民人國中 .......................................................................... CHINA (mainland)

中国人民邮政 .......................................................................... CHINA (mainland)

中国邮政 ................................................................................... CHINA (mainland)

国内邮已付 ................................................................................ CHINA (mainland)

邮览已付 ................................................................................... CHINA (mainland)

日本郵便 .................................................................................................... JAPAN

대 한 민 국 우 편 가 ............................................ KOREA

NOTE: Frameless designs with value figures and town mark only are known from several countries. Of-ten these reflect inappropriate use of decertified meters or are receipts rather than stamps. Only thosewith confirmed legitimate use are listed in the catalogs.


MSS participates in eBay GivingWorks. A portion of an eBay sale canbe donated to the non-profit MSS as atax deductible donation. Contact theEditor David Crotty for details.

References

1. The Meter Stamp Society Quarterly Bulletin (MSSQB). The Bulletin is provided as part of the MSS membership andarrives quarterly at your mailbox. It is also available by web-delivery to your email address. Members can choose toobtain the mailed edition or the web edition. The mailed edition includes free access to the web edition.

2. The Meter Stamp Society Literature CD Disk. Contains every issue of the Bulletin from the beginning in 1948 plusother publications. It also has an article index from all MSSQB issues. The price is $50 postpaid worldwide.

3. The MSS website, www.meterstampsociety.com, is a repository of a lot of information. The site has a bibliographyand a library of free and for purchase materials. The MSSQB article index is also on this website.

4. The International Postage Meter Stamp Catalog, Hawkins/Stambaugh, 2005. This was the first publication since1952 to include virtually all postage meter stamps used worldwide. This catalog is now on the web as a wikibook:http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/International_Postage_Meter_Stamp_Catalog. This catalog is dedicated to traditionalpostage meter stamps that are normally dated for use that day.

5. Other catalogs have been prepared for Computer Vended Postage (CVP) for the US and other countries, customizedPC Postage stamps. The most recent such catalog available early 2015: Karim Roder, USA: Variable DenominationStamps (1988-2015), www.Createspace.com/5554174, about $70.

6. A number of specialized catalogs have been published for individual countries and for individual topics. The MSSwebsite contains a bibliography of all known catalogs and other works related to postage meters. Most of the workslisted in the bibliography are kept by the APS American Philatelic Research Library (APRL) and other librariesmentioned on the MSS website Bibliography page. Some catalogs are listed below.

7 U.S. Computer Vended PostageUSA: Variable Denomination Stamps (1989-2015) 2nd Edition. Now 500 pages, all color images.New December 2015.Karim Roderwww.CreateSpace.com, about $73

8 U.S. Customized PostageUnited States Customized PostageCharlie Gore, Otto Bergman, Joann Lenzwww.meterstampsociety.com/custompostage/cataloghome.html .Free

9 U.S. Postage Meter Stamp CatalogJoel Hawkins and Richard Stambaugh (1994) Out of print but found oneBay occasionally. An on-line edition is in the works.

10. Worldwide Traditional Postage MetersThe International Postage Meter Stamp CatalogJoel Hawkins and Richard Stambaughen.wikibooks.org/wiki/International_Postage_Meter_Stamp_Catalog , Free

11. UK CVP and ATM CatalogueUK Wincor Nixdorf Hyteck ATM BookJohn McCallum https://sites.google.com/site/atminformer/wincor-and-hytech-book, Free

12. MICHEL-ATM-Specialised Whole World 2013/2014http://www.schaubek.de/MICHEL-catalogues-Germany, €64.00

13. U.S. CVP and Personalized StampsScott Specialized Catalogue of U.S. Stamps and CoversYears 1998 to 2007 listed CVP and Personalized stamps. Subsequently Scottlists only CVP stamps.

14. Variable the CVP journal of Ateeme, covering worldwide CVP stamps.http://www.ateeme.net/angles/aatmintro.htm

The MSS Quarterly Bulletin1948-Present On CD assearchable PDF format.

Now includes Homer HemenwayLinn’s Stamp News articles andMSS Special Publications.Send $50 to Secretary Treasurerfor free worldwide delivery.

Documents

0193 Collector’s Guide - Meter Stamp Society 2016 METER STAMP SOCIETY Collector’s Guide Page 4 Term Definition Bank a wheel with numbers on the rim which is rotated to impress