POSTAGE METER STAMPS AND FLAGS

POSTAGE METER FRANKING STAMPS AND INDIA FLAGS

The Birth of Meter Franking Machine;

Though, experimental postage meter machines began before the end of the nineteenth century, and practical trial was carried out in Norway and New Zealand but it was in the USA that most progress was made towards a practical machine. The idea of a postage meter came to Arthur H Pitney in 1901 and a company, the Pitney Postal Machine Co, was formed in 1902 to exploit the invention. In 1919, Pitney met Walter Bowes of the Universal Stamping Machine Co to sell their Universal cancelling machines. The two men became partners and in 1920 they set up the Pitney Bowes Postage Meter Co which eventually became the largest organisation in the field of postage meter manufacture. The UPU in the Congress held in 1920 in Madrid, gave the approval of franked mail for transmission anywhere in the world effective from 1922. (Earlier, it was confined for domestic mails only).

India - credited as the first Asian country to introduce postage meter in February 1922, with a few ‘Ernest Moss model D’  automatic franking machines imported from New Zealand.

After India gained independence, it was decided on 24 December 1949 (Saturday) that the designs of the impression made by the Franking Machines to have “Asoka Chakra”(Emperor Asoka's Wheel of Law) , similar to India’s National Flag instead of existing ‘British Crown’ and ‘GRI/GVIR’ legends. The earliest commercially transmitted post-independence Indian meter stamps can be found from 1950 onwards.

 

The earliest Indian Meter slogan that I have in my collection showing ‘Flags’ dated -2 April 1953 produced by the Universal Multi Value Model.  

 All Shipping Lines  have distinctive ‘House Flags” and Industries associated with shipping are traditionally the most prolific user of flags as their sign or emblem. 

 The 40^th Anniversary of Indian Independence (1947-1987)

 Birth Centenary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1989)

 Some very interesting pictorial slogan meters having Flag references. 

Finally, I am tempted to quote the question and explanations  Harry Dagnal FRPSL  offered in his column “Philatelic Backdrop” in the G.S.M. February 2000 issue, “Are meter marks collectable stamps ?”. And he continues, “Most stamp collectors he knew saw them (Franking Meters) as the enemy of ‘proper’ stamps and view with gloom the time when meter marks and e-mail will mean the end of adhesive postage stamps”. Dagnal , however, did not share this pessimism; He assures there will always be the traditional stamps, if only because of the Post Office ...., will not easily relinquish the income it derives from the collectors. 

Addendum: 

Rajpex-2015, Day: 3, 26th January 2015.

On the third day of Rajpex-2015, 66th Republic Day of India was celebrated with patriotic fervour and gaiety. On the occasion a Special Cover was issued on highest National Flag situated at Natural Heritage – Central Park, Jaipur. For the first time in India Special Cancellation in the form of Digital Franking using Remotely Managed Franking System (RMFS) had been applied on the special cover. The Special Meter Frank depicts National Flag and Slogan ‘Highest National Flag in Rajasthan’ and ‘Greetings on Republic Day’. The meter franks were serially numbered from 1 to 1000.(Source: Indian Philatelists' Forum).
 In Remotely Operated franking system (RMFS) there is no need to take the machine to Post Office. Funds can be directly credited to machine through telephone interface from server.