London's Postboxes

A replica 'Penfold' type postbox, beside Tower Bridge.

Normally overlooked because of how common they are on the streets of the United Kingdom, the humble postbox can tell you a lot about an area. Each postbox also has a cypher, which helps denote its age.

So, let us look at the evolution of the British Postbox.

Like so many other iconic things the Postbox was created in the Victorian era, with the first postbox being installed on Guernsey, in the Channel Islands, in 1852.

In 1853, the first postbox, on the mainland, was installed in Carlisle.

London's first postboxes were installed in 1855.

During the 19th century there was no standard to postboxes, with those in the east and west being markedly different from those in the north and Ireland. The aperture, for the letter, was often vertical, rather than the now standard horizontal, and they were all of different shapes and sizes. One is believed to have been 2.4 metres (7.8 feet), tall.

It wasn't until 1857 that the Post Office launched a competition to standardise the shape and size of the postbox. Unbelievably, one of the original designs was designed with no aperture for the letters. This was remedied and the 'London Ornate Box' came into use, between 1857-1859. It was green with gold trim and had an enamel compass on its top.

A 'Wall Box' postbox.

In 1857 the 'Wall Box' was introduced as an economy measure, where space was a premium. These were usually in rural areas.

The 'First National Standard' postbox was unveiled in 1859. It was cylindrical, with a horizontal aperture beneath a hexagonal hood and was made from cast-iron.

A replica 'Penfold' type postbox, outside the General Post Office building.

The architect John Wornham Penfold designed a hexagonal model, in 186, which would adopt his name and become known as the 'Penfold' postbox. These were cast-iron and stayed in use from 1866 till 1879. There were thirteen variations of this postbox, that were produced. Many of these postboxes, that you see today, are replicas of the originals and were introduced to historic places, such as Tower Bridge.

A Victorian "anonymous" postbox, as it has no cypher.

In 1879, the 'Victorian Type A' and its smaller 'Victorian Type B' were introduced. It is this cylindrical design, with its circular convex top, that is still the most common style of postbox.

In 1896, the first 'Lamp Box' was installed, on an experimental basis. Much like the 'Wall Box', these were used where pavements were small, such as in rural areas.

In 1899, the first 'Type C' oval-shaped postboxes were introduced in London. These large, double-aperture pillar boxes were designed to increase capacity and pre-sort mail into "London" and "Country" destinations.

A postbox with a King Edward VII cypher.

In 1930, some 'Victorian Type B' postboxes were painted blue, to signify the 'Air Mail' service being offered. An 'Air Mail' sign was affixed to the top and the door showed both collection times and air mail charges.

In 1931, the 'Types D & E' oval-shaped postboxes with a single-aperture were produced. These incorporated a stamp-vending machine at one end. 

During the 1960s the Post Office was going through changes and, as a way to save on costs, introduced the 'F Type Pillar Box', in 1968. Unlike the cast-iron postboxes, this was made from welded sheet steel. However, it was very prone to rust, with the last one being retired in 2002.

The 'K Type' came next, in 1980, and was made from cast-iron. It had a distinct 'cigar' or bullet' shape. Although built with a larger capacity they had a smaller footprint. They continued to be produced until 2000.

Keilyn with a Glass Reinforced Plastic postbox.

In the 1990s, the first Glass Reinforced Plastic postboxes were introduced. These were designed to be used inside buildings. They can usually be found within shopping centres, business parks and large shops, such as supermarkets. They started appearing in large numbers from 1994 onwards.

Today, the majority of postboxes are red. Some, like the replica 'Penfold' type are still green. In some cities, towns and villages, you will find gold postboxes. These were painted to celebrate the champions of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic.

Disused postboxes are, usually, painted black. While those in private ownership can be painted a variety of colours.

A 'Penfold' variant postbox, at Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum.

The earliest postbox that I have found, in London, dates from the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901), and is one of the thirteen variants of the 'Penfold' Postbox.

The oldest postbox, still in use in the United Kingdom, is located in Sherborne, Dorset. It is a hexagonal 'Penfold' design, with a vertical aperture.

A King George V postbox, with knitted topper.

Another thing to note is the cypher that postboxes carry. Since 1857 the Royal Cypher, belonging to the reigning monarch, has been cast on the postbox. The monarch chooses their own cypher and works with the College of Arm on its design. These cyphers are listed below.

• Two variations of Queen Victoria's cypher "VR" (1837-1901)
• Edward VII "EVIIR" (1901-1910)
• George V "GR" (1910-1936)
• Edward VIII "EVIIIR" (1936)
• George VI "GVIR" (1936-1952)
• Elizabeth II "EIIR" (1952-2022)
• Charles III "CRIII" (2023  -present)
• Crown of St Andrew (1954-present)*

*The Crown of St Andrew is used on postboxes installed in Scotland. This was due to an embittered battle about the use of Queen Elizabeth II's cypher being used in Scotland. Queen Elizabeth II was not recognised as the second Queen by the name of Elizabeth, in Scotland. To them, Queen Elizabeth I was never Queen of Scotland, only Queen of England and Wales.

For the next few years postboxes were attacked with hammers, covered in tar, set alight and even had bombs placed inside them. It wasn't until 1954 that their campaign was successful, when the British Government decided that the Crown of St Andrew would be used on postboxes and vehicles, north of the border.

Of course, it wasn't just the General Post Office that used postboxes.

The London transport network also had their postal system with their own postboxes. You can read more about those by clicking on the link below.

'Staff Letter' Postboxes