The Letter Box Study Group

Another new postbox has entered the books! It was unveiled today by local dignitaries and school children outside Ulster University Birley Building in Belfast The box incorporates both parcel and letter posting facilities, with an integrated solar panel on top #postbox #belfast #breakingnews

Only a few lamp boxes ever had Post Office signs, and sadly none survive. But they were a sight to behold, weren't they! #PostboxSaturday

You used to be able to buy a stamp at the post box! This large King George VI post box has a stamp vending machine attached, so you can't use not having a stamp as an excuse for posting that birthday card late! #letterboxstudygroup

The Penfold Postbox is an icon of our streets - so much so that replicas were made from the 1980s right through to the 2010s and put on our streets. This attractive green example bears a plaque commemorating its 2016 unveiling 10 years ago. #PostboxSaturday

Here is a more modern example of a Post Office Direction Sign, on an old, old box. Do you prefer this style or the older, oval version? #letterboxstudygroup

If you were looking for a sign to join the LBSG, this is it (lbsg.org/join). Which one did you get? #postboxsaturday

This Scottish post box used to show people where to post their parcels. Now, that can be done at the box itself. Postal habits are always changing, and solar boxes are the latest adaptation. #letterboxstudygroup

What's that on top of this Edward VII post box in London? A Post Office direction sign, often abbreviated to PODS, was once a common sight on our streets. Now, only a small number (like this one) survive. Have you seen one on a street near you? #postboxsaturday

Why are there Nigerian post boxes in Britain? So called because they were commissioned for use in Nigeria, these boxes were used in the UK because of their low cost, including these two anonymous versions in Devon. The giveaway is the rimless cap! #letterboxstudygroup

Sometimes, anonymity is a political decision. When this post box appeared on the streets of Dundee, its cypher was already ground off. It orignally had the cypher of Elizabeth the second, not used in Scotland due to significant public backlash. #letterboxstudygroup

Have you seen a post box of this shape? Have a look in a petrol station or TG Jones near you to find one. Originally, they all had a royal cypher on, but many have worn off. This one in Yorkshire used to have a Scottish Crown by mistake! #PostboxSaturday

You might have seen this cypherless post box when jetting off on your holidays this summer - it's in Heathrow Airport. The perfect place to post last-minute postcards before returning home! When was the last time you sent a postcard? #letterboxstudygroup

You may be familiar with this kind of post box, most commonly found in supermarkets. However, have you ever seen one without any markings? Some were supplied this way, while others lost them from overzealous cleaning. #letterboxstudygroup

Interestingly, some later post boxes have ended up looking 'anonymous' due to wear and tear. This wall box in Worcestershire had its door replaced at some point, but can you work out from the body which cipher should have been there? #postboxsaturday

What's that mysterious ring on the cap? A small number of early anonymous boxes have this raised ring, but we're not really sure what it's for. The best guess is that it was used to mount something on top of the box. What do you think it could be for?

The same box, decades apart. The high aperture tells us it should have an anonymous door. Instead, the door was replaced - probably in the late 1880s or early 1890s. #postbox #letterboxstudygroup

Anonymous boxes made it to Ireland as well! This example was produced after the aperture was lowered to reduce the number of letters getting stuck. It’s painted green, the standard colour for letter boxes in Ireland. Have you spotted a letter box in an unusual colour? #postboxsaturday

Fancy seeing some beautiful post boxes and other passionate people? Our Autumn Meeting is just one month away, in Warwickshire! New faces are always welcome. Join us at lbsg.org/join for details - we'd love to have you. #letterboxstudygroup

On a tropical island far away... This anonymous high aperture pillar box is on Bermuda in the Atlantic ocean. It still bears the maker's name Handyside / Derby & London. It travelled a long way to get there! #PostboxSaturday

Did you know there was a time they forgot to put cyphers on post boxes? The first round pillar boxes in the UK, cast in the late 1870s through to 1887, had no cypher. Have you ever seen one like this?

We round off our month-long celebration of Edward VIII's 90th anniversary year with this type B pillar from the North East. We hope you've enjoyed seeing a selection of these special boxes. What has been your favourite? And what would you like to see next? #PostboxSaturday

It's 90 years since Edward VIII's short reign. Only a handful of his postboxes survive, but that's more than we'd expect It's 50 years since the LBSG was founded. Why not join us at lbsg.org/join and help further the study and conservation of Britain postbox heritage?

Looks like this rare Edward VIII post box hasn’t quite found its sea legs! Have you seen any cool post boxes so far on your summer holidays? 📸used with permission. #postboxsaturday

A small number of wall boxes with Edward VIII's cypher were made, including this one. The door was replaced by a George V one in 1937 - two kings after George's reign. Can you spot what gives away that it's a replacement door?

Could YOUR local postbox be a rare type? It's not just the cypher like on this Edward VIII; so many things can make a postbox unique. Intrigued? Join us: lbsg.org/join #postboxsaturday

Two icons of the British street. #EdwardVIII #letterboxstudygroup

This #PostboxSaturday brings another Edward VIII: a Ludlow from East Anglia. Edward VIII's Ludlow boxes can be distinguished from his grandfather's as the aperture plate is larger; there is a gap under the cypher. Part of this post box is not original; do you know which part and its age?

The RAREST royal cypher!? This year marks ninety years since the eleven month reign of Edward VIII, whose cypher is the least common on our streets with only 140 left in use. It's our anniversary too; we were founded in 1976, the same year a late member took this amazing photo #postboxsaturday

How many people have used this non-standard #postbox in the 100-odd years since it was installed? Interested in post boxes? Join the #letterboxstudygroup at lbsg.org/join or follow the link in our bio.

All square in Herefordshire this #PostboxSaturday. This type of post box, cast in the 1970s by the Carron foundry, is known as the Type G. Early Gs, including this one, had no maker's name on the rear base, so If you see one, check to see if it says 'CARRON Co. FALKIRK' - it's rare not to do so!

Not all post boxes in walls are wall boxes! Here is a lamp box in a wall in Oxfordshire - you can tell because of the rounded corners and the more squat shape. Also, it says 'Post Office' above the aperture, rather than on the hood. #letterboxstudygroup #postbox #history

Happy #postboxsaturday to all who celebrate. This Penfold post box from London is around 150 years old. There are replicas in use made in the last 40 years; the easiest way to tell is to look at the maker's name on the base - Cochrane for an original vs Machan for a replica.

How Postbox Toppers Brought Britain Together - a documentary about the love of crocheting and postboxes bringing joy and togetherness to Britons from diverse communities in challenging times, featuring our very own Arthur Reeder and his Isle of Wight Postal Museum.

What's behind the big blue door?

Did you know that Guernsey is issuing postbox-themed stamps? And they're dedicated to us??? It's a celebration of our 50th birthday! If you're a boxy philatelist, this might be for you! www.guernseystamps.com/new-issues/g...

New parcel postbox "glamour shots", Belfast, NI 📮600 to be installed across the UK 📮Up to medium size parcels can be posted 📮Coming soon to a city near you #postbox #belfast #design

Yesterday Arthur Reeder appeared on Ireland's Newstalk radio to talk about his incredible collection of postboxes! www.newstalk.com/podcasts/hig...

One of our longstanding and dedicated members, Arthur Reeder, shows off his incredible collection and some of his #postbox stories in the Guardian today! Experience: I’ve spent decades collecting over 260 postboxes www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

📮🍺PUBS AND POSTBOXES Have you seen a postbox outside a pub recently? They're not uncommon in the countryside, as pubs are a traditional community location. Sadly this Victorian postbox is now gone, replaced by a modern "tin Lizzie", and the pub is closed. A sign of the times? #postboxsaturday

Now coming through members' letter boxes! Newsletter 200 aligned perfectly with our 50th anniversary year. Have you got your's yet? #postbox

📮🏆BRITAIN'S BEST POSTBOX IS... ❓❓ What's your favourite? PENFOLD - classic Victorian design HANDYSIDE - grandfather of modern pillar boxes TYPE G - the square postbox TYPE K - distinctive and modern Some photos from LBSG archives, others from LBSG members, used with permission. #postboxsaturday

Today we helped out a Daily Mail reader with a burning question about Victorian postboxes. If you have a burning postbox question, you don't need to go to the mail! Send us a message here and we'll do our best to get you an answer.

Proof that the GPO/Post Office/Royal Mail have always been altering and tinkering with post boxes.

⌛️ 📮FIXED AND CHANGING Our archive photo reveals features Royal Mail introduced to post boxes: ✉️Stamp Vending Machine 🗓Gold top for Sunday collections ➡Post Office Direction Sign This Edward VII postbox in London lost all these features but is still in use #postboxsaturday

Is this Britain's rarest postbox? BBC Berkshire's Lorin Bozkurt met up with LBSG member Robert Cole to find out more www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p...