Meter stamp

A meter stamp, or meter mark, is the impression made by a postage meter machine that indicates that postage has been paid on a letter or parcel.^[1] Meter stamps are widely used by businesses and organisations as they are more efficient than using postage stamps.

Meter stamps are not adhesive postage stamps in the normal sense, although they may be printed on adhesive labels before being applied to mail. Meter stamps are normally in red, although a variety of colours are found.

YouTube Encyclopedic

1/2
Views:
5 584
1 404

Transcription

Components of a meter stamp

The usual components of a meter stamp are:

The country of issue.
The date.
The postal value.
The license number.
The meter manufacturer. (optional)
A slogan relating to the user. (optional)

UPU approval

The international use of meter marks was approved by the Universal Postal Union in 1920,^[2] effective 1 January 1922.^[3]

Forgeries

Meter stamps can be forged like any other stamp. In the 1990s, fraudsters in Nigeria began to forge meter stamps using a rubber stamp in connection with 419 scams as applying a rubber stamp to letters was much cheaper than even the forged stamps they had previously used.^[4]

Revenue stamps

Meter stamps can be used to pay taxes and the resulting meter marks are a form of revenue stamp.

References

^ Mackay, James (2003). Stamp collecting: philatelic terms illustrated, Edition 4. London: Stanley Gibbons Ltd. p. 86. ISBN 0-85259-557-3.
^ Sutton, R.J. & K.W. Anthony. The Stamp Collector's Encyclopaedia. 6th edition. London: Stanley Paul, 1966, p.190.
^ Carlton, R. Scott. The International Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Philately. Iola WI: Krause Publications, 1997, p.158. ISBN 0-87341-448-9
^ "Forged Meter Marks on Mail from Nigeria". Rob May, Cameo, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 122-123.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Meter stamps.

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: International Postage Meter Stamp Catalog

v t e Mail and postal systems
History	Timeline of postal history African countries Asian countries European countries Oceanian countries Pan-American countries Postal censorship	Envelope for mailing
Components	Advertising mail Bulk mail Envelope Indicia Information-Based Indicia Letter box Mail Mail bag Meter stamp Parcel Parcel locker Post box / Mailbox Relay box Post office Post office box Postage meter Postage stamp Postal code Postal marking
Delivery	Airmail Express Package delivery Registered Surface Surface Air Lifted (SAL)
Staff	Mail carrier Postal worker Postmaster Postmaster General
Processing	Intelligent Mail barcode Mail Isolation Control and Tracking Multiline Optical Character Reader Mail cover Mail sorting Package forwarding PLANET POSTNET
Institutions and systems	Postal entities Postal museums Postal services Postal systems by country Trade unions
Related	Courier Philately most expensive philatelic items Stamp collecting notable stamps catalogues Philatelic terminology
List of entities that have issued postage stamps	A–E F–L M–Z
Philately portal Category Commons