A post box (British English; also written postbox; also known as pillar box), also known as a collection box, mailbox, letter box or drop box (American English) is a physical box into which members of the public can deposit outgoing mail intended for collection by the agents of a country's postal. The postbox bearing the King Edward VII monogram is in the wall here. (more) Tags: top:Communications X postbox:Edward VII X Edward VII Postbox Postbox X top:Village, Rural Settlement X Postbox, Killarney by Rossographer for square V9690. Edward VII postbox (out of service) at Lewis Road, Killarney. This Edward VII post-box is set into a. Make Offer - gorham king edward sterling silver 85 piece set 12 seatings post 1940 Antique Gorham King Edward Pattern Sterling Silver Flatware 81 Pieces $2,500.00. 'Builth Wells has the distinction of having the only post box in the United Kingdom bearing the cypher of King Edward VIII, the uncrowned king whose abdication in 1936 caused a constitutional crisis.' The source being Wikipedia. I should edit it, but perhaps it's a third Ludlow type!
King Edward Post Box Office
It stands chipped, battered and neglected.
But this sad pillar box in Week Street, with its torn-off stickers and graffiti, is actually a unique part of the town's history.
Look at most pillar boxes and you will see they are embossed with the letters EIIR - short for Elizabeth the Second Regina.
But look closely at this one, which stands in front of Premier Cellar, and you will see it is marked EVIIIR.
It's not a mistake. It stands for King Edward VIII.
Edward was king for only 326 days in 1936 (from January 20 to December 11) before abdicating over the scandal of his desire to marry divorcee Wallis Simpson.
During his short reign only 163 pillar boxes were made bearing his initials, and today only 130 survive across the whole country.
This one in Week Street is the only survivor in Maidstone and there is only one other in Kent - in Nunhead Lane, Ramsgate.
Mike Alexander from St Luke's Road, Maidstone, said: 'It really is a shame that when so much is being done to refurbish Week Street with new paving, this pillar box is left in such a poor state. It is after all an historic monument.'
There are approximately 116,00 pillar boxes in total across the country.
King Edward Post Box Dimensions
Paul's Unofficial Letterbox Pages: History of British Letter Boxes - Part 2
1900 to 1999
In 1924 oval signs showing the direction to the nearest post office were used on top of pillar boxes for the first time. It was also in 1924 that the first experimental Telephone Kiosk no. 4 was produced which incorporated a post box and stamp vending machine.
Edward Post Murder Parole
Pillar boxes for airmail letters were introduced in London in 1930. The first of these was sited outside the General Post Office in King Edward Street, London. Originally these were simply a type 'B' box painted blue with an oval sign saying AIR MAIL placed on top, but from 1932 they were produced with a double collection plate, one for collection times and one for air mail postage rates. This service lasted until 1938 when the first box to be erected was also the last to go.
Figure 12.
| Figure 13.
| Figure 14.
|
There are approximately 116,00 pillar boxes in total across the country.
King Edward Post Box Dimensions
Paul's Unofficial Letterbox Pages: History of British Letter Boxes - Part 2
1900 to 1999
In 1924 oval signs showing the direction to the nearest post office were used on top of pillar boxes for the first time. It was also in 1924 that the first experimental Telephone Kiosk no. 4 was produced which incorporated a post box and stamp vending machine.
Edward Post Murder Parole
Pillar boxes for airmail letters were introduced in London in 1930. The first of these was sited outside the General Post Office in King Edward Street, London. Originally these were simply a type 'B' box painted blue with an oval sign saying AIR MAIL placed on top, but from 1932 they were produced with a double collection plate, one for collection times and one for air mail postage rates. This service lasted until 1938 when the first box to be erected was also the last to go.
Figure 12.
| Figure 13.
| Figure 14.
|
During the short reign of Edward VIII in 1936 only a relatively small number letter boxes were made, with the larger type 'A' pillar box being much rarer than than the narrower type 'B'. It is believed that there is only one surviving example of an Edward VIII Ludlow type letter box.
Figure 14. |
In 1935, towards the end of the reign of George V, a new design of lamp box was introduced with a flatter roof. Another design, with a rectangular front, was introduced during the reign of George VI.
Figure 15.
| Figure 16.
| Figure 17.
|
In 1954, after it had been pointed out that Elizabeth II of England was only the first Elizabeth to reign over Scotland, the EIIR cipher was not used in Scotland. Letter boxes were made with just a Scottish Crown on instead.
There was very little further change in the design of letter boxes until an experiment in 1968 with rectangular boxes (Type F). These were made from sheet steel and proved not to be very hard wearing and so a cast iron version, the Type G, was introduced.
For their next design in 1979 the Royal Mail went back to the cylindical shape, this time without the familiar pillar box cap. This box is known as Type K. Finally, on modern postboxes the words POST OFFICE have been replaced by the words ROYAL MAIL.
Figure 18.
| Figure 19.
| Figure 20.
|
Figure 21.
| Figure 22.
| Figure 23.
|
Copyright © Paul Wicks 2002
