Editor: Alastair Nixon, 7 Bramblegate, Edgcumbe Park, Crowthorne, Berks, RG45 6JA. Tel s1

Editor: Alastair Nixon, 7 Bramblegate, Edgcumbe Park, Crowthorne, Berks, RG45 6JA. Tel: +44 (0) 1344 775378

Email: Web site: http://www.nixon48.freeserve.co.uk

Editorial

My Meter of the Month depicts a rather nice slogan that celebrates the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. I can’t think of a more appropriate way to round off 2002. The user of this IJ65/75 machine (N1201015) is unknown – I have an earlier example (from September) but this does not have a slogan at all, unfortunately. Staying with IJ65/75 slogans, the item below incorporates three separate slogan elements – a first example from this machine, I think.

Although rarely seen on live mail, the IJ25 machine has a facility to print what I call ‘built-in’ messages - such as these two shown here (‘Good Morning’ and ‘Good News’).

Reports of other ‘built-in’ messages printed on live mail are most welcome – especially any examples from IJ65/75 or IJ35/45 machines.

Acknowledgements

Thanks for news and correspondence from David Aspinwall and Ole Constantine. A special welcome to new member (No. 0009) Jim Ashby.

Latest Numbers

Below is a list of ‘Latest Numbers’ as at 28th Dec 2002. Please could I have updates for the next issue by 26th January. Thanks.

Frama

Sensonic 21-2600 FSC 223209 18.12.02

Sensonic 2000 FSC 273546 25.10.02

Mailspirit FSC 700831 03.12.02

Sensonic 2000? FSC 901381 27.11.02

Francotyp-Postalia

EFS 2000/3000 EFS 556809 04.12.02

Optimail T 560091 01.11.02

JetMail FJ0558389 03.10.02

Ascom Hasler

Smile HS 49111T 07.05.02 Static for 6 months

Smile HS 93274T 07.11.02

300 Series HT 32244T 12.09.02

InteliPost 36 A202602111 16.05.02 Static for 2 months

InteliPost 54 A203600995 14.05.02 Static for 3 months

Neopost

4450 1NE 44410 21.11.02 First for 9 months!

SM 22,26 4NE 20744 20.11.02

5450, 5460 5NE 17740 13.11.02

8500, 8550/8750 8NE 43919 15.05.02 Static for 7 months

SM 75,85,95 9NE 50896 01.11.02

IJ25 N1109904 23.08.02 Static for 3 months

IJ25 N1125693 18.11.02

IJ65, 75 N1203711 27.11.02 *

IJ35, 45 N1302573 02.12.02

Pitney Bowes

Paragon PBP82060 21.11.02

Personal Post PB254325 03.12.02

DM 200, 250 PB309449 29.11.02

DM 225, 300 PB378958 05.07.02 Static for 4 months

Personal Post PB411257 26.11.02 *

DM 400 etc PB500963 03.12.02

Post Perfect PB755619 10.12.02

B921 PB929875 20.09.02 Static for 2 months

B921 PB980057 01.11.02

SECAP

DP200 ST221465 04.09.02 Static for 3 months

DP400 ST421550 04.09.02 Static for 2 months

*  These reports were kindly supplied by David Aspinwall.

Statistics - 2002

I thought it would be interesting to make an estimate of the number of machines issued by each manufacturer during 2002, together with the percentage of the total market share in each case.

Below are my findings. Brackets indicate that the series started or finished during the year and the estimate takes account of (i.e. excludes) overseas allocation.

Dec 2002 Dec 2001 Difference Estimate (UK)

Frama

Sensonic 21-2600 FSC 223209 220523 2686 500

Sensonic 2000 FSC 273546 265870 7676 1500

Mailspirit FSC 700831 700162 669 600

Sensonic 2000? FSC 901381 (900583) 798 800

Total in 2002: 3400

Francotyp-Postalia

EFS 2000/3000 EFS 556809 546012 10797 2100

Optimail T 560091 542430 17661 3500

JetMail FJ0558389 0542596 1579 3100

Total in 2002: 8700

Ascom Hasler

Smile HS 49111T 44412S 4699 900

Smile HS 93274T (91016T) 2258 500

300 Series HT 32244T 27673S 4571 800

InteliPost 36 A202602111 (A202602095) 16 50

InteliPost 54 A203600995 (A203600995) 0 50

Total in 2002: 2300

Neopost

4450 1NE 44410 44078 332 400

SM 22,26 4NE 20744 19701 1043 1100

5450, 5460 5NE 17740 16606 1134 1200

8500, 8550/8750 8NE 43919 43700 219 300

SM 75,85,95 9NE 50896 50831 65 100

IJ25 N1109904 05859 4045 4100

IJ25 N1125693 21132 4561 4600

IJ65, 75 N1203711 02152 1559 1600

IJ35, 45 N1302573 00008 2565 2600

Total in 2002: 20000

Dec 2002 Dec 2001 Difference Estimate (UK)

Pitney Bowes

Paragon (PBP04370) 04370 0 0

Paragon PBP82060 80919 1141 1200

Personal Post PB254325 247056 7269 7300

DM 200, 250 PB309449 305725 3724 3700

DM 225, 300 PB378958 373978 4980 5000

Personal Post PB411257 (00044) 11213 11300

DM 400 etc PB500963 (00055) 908 1000

Post Perfect PB755619 52552 3067 3100

B921 PB929875 28591 1284 1300

B921 PB980057 (80057) 0 100

Total in 2002: 34000

SECAP (formerly ASI)

DP200 ST221465 (20688) 777 300

DP400 ST421550 (20640) 910 400

Total in 2002: 700

To summarise, we have:

Total in 2002 Percentage

Frama 3400 4.9%

Francotyp-Postalia 8700 12.6%

Ascom Hasler 2300 3.3%

Neopost 20000 29.0%

Pitney Bowes 34000 49.2%

SECAP (formerly ASI) 700 1.0%

Total 69100

Please note that the estimates given above may be very approximate in some cases. If anyone has any better methods of estimating, I shall be pleased to use those for future calculations.

From previous attempts at this calculation a few years ago, it appears that the Pitney Bowes and Frama share of the market has remained fairly constant, whereas the Neopost and Francotyp-Postalia share seems to have increased at the expense of Ascom Hasler and SECAP / ASI.

Overseas Block Allocation – Integration with UK Series

David Aspinwall kindly sends a listing of ‘overseas’ meter serial numbers that appear to integrate with UK series. In a future issue I hope to take a closer look at the integration of overseas block allocations with UK allocations. If anyone else would like to send me any information on this topic, it would be most welcome.

Meter News Page 26-1 December 2002