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Two new
types of Stamp Cancelling Machine (SCM) have been used by Royal Mail in
recent years.
The first is an NEC Flats Cancelling Machine, one of which is in use at
Manchester Mail Centre for cancelling the stamps on large flat
envelopes. The inkjet cancellation is similar to that applied by
Integrated Mail Processors to ordinary letters, but a second print head
has been fitted, producing the continuous wavy lines below the normal
postmark.
An alternative setting produces a 'double height' impression, using both print heads.
For cancelling ordinary letters, several Baumann 1320 SCMs were
installed at various Mail Centres. Locations identified include
Swindon ("Thames Valley Mail Centre"), Poole ("Dorset & S W
Hants"), Carlisle ("Cumbria, Dumfries & Galloway") and Aberdeen
(A "City of Inverness" die was used initially from December 2008, as the machine was originally allocated to
Inverness, and no Aberdeen die was available until March 2009).
The 28mm diameter die is larger that those from traditional Pitney Bowes machines, and the wavy lines deeper and shorter. Further details of these machines and their use is recorded in the
BPS Journal. Additional machines were installed early in 2009 at Teesside Mail Centre (Middlesbrough) and Tonbridge Mail Centre.
Please click on the images to enlarge them.
Page updated 19th November 2011
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