New Royal Mail stamps celebrate the post box
They started life as little more than slots outside post offices – now the pillar box’s little brother, the post box, is celebrated on a miniature sheet of four special stamps from Royal Mail. The special stamps feature four iconic wall mounted boxes and celebrate 200 years since the earliest dateable posting slot was installed in 1809, in Wakefield Post Office.
Following the arrival of Britain’s first roadside pillar boxes in 1852, a cheaper and more practical alternative was needed for less populated or remote areas and the smaller post box was developed. From 1857 they began appearing in walls, buildings or brick pillars and were later to be found on poles and lamp posts.
The four special stamps illustrate how post boxes were traditionally installed in walls, buildings or brick pillars.
The production of wall boxes ended in 1980, and in 1995 freestanding pedestal boxes were introduced. Today there are over 114,000 post boxes of different shapes and sizes across the UK. These collect millions of items of mail every day, and continue to be a familiar sight in city streets and country lanes alike.
Julietta Edgar, head of special stamps, Royal Mail said: “The iconic design and rich heritage of the nation’s post boxes are of huge significance. The post box connects people with the remotest parts of the world by simply posting a letter.”
