Wall-mounted letterbox from the time of Queen Victoria (1837-1901)
Sending letters is of great importance in England. The Royal Mail is still a highly esteemed institution today. Not only was the world’s first stamp used in England, but letter collection is also much more stylish here than anywhere else.
Basically, there are two forms of the famous bright red letterboxes: wall-mounted letterboxes and pillar boxes (column-like free-standing letterboxes). Each post box is decorated with a symbol for the reigning ruler at the time the box was installed:
- VR for Victoria Regina (Queen Victoria), 1837-1901
- ER VII for Edwardus Rex VII. (King Edward VII.), 1901-1910
- GR V for Georgius Rex V. (King George V.), 1910-1936
- ER VIII for Edwardius Rex VIII. (King Edward VIII.), 1936 for six months
- GR VI for Georgius Rex VI. (King George VI.) 1936-1952
- ER II for Elisabeta Regina II (Queen Elisabeth II), 1952-2022
- CR III for Charles Rex III (King Charles III), since 1923
Simple symbols of the rulers are often sufficient on wall-mounted post boxes, while in the case of pillar boxes, most of them are very ornate.
It is quite a challenge to find and take photos of pillar boxes of all six rulers during one trip. After all, there are still almost 100,000 mailboxes throughout England today and it’s almost impossible to find Edward VIII due to his extremely short reign. However, they do exist and Lists of these can be found on the internet. Good luck with your hunt for one!
Pillar Box with Edward VII emblem, i.e. erected 1901-1910
Unusual pillar box with emblem of Elizabeth II (1952-2022)
Another postbox with the emblem of Queen Elizabeth II – this time as a wall construction
A very rare specimen, an Edward VIII postbox—we found this one in the small village of Bawdsey in East Anglia.
