Postbox forms and types

When submitting a postbox you choose one form. Pillar boxes are free-standing cylindrical (or hexagonal/oval) cast-iron boxes. Wall boxes are set into a wall with only the front visible. Lamp boxes are small boxes often mounted on a lamp post or pole. Ludlow boxes are recessed, largely wooden, common in Victorian and Edwardian times. Business boxes are large sheet steel/aluminium boxes for meter mail (from 1994). Parcel postboxes are for parcel drop-off. Penfold and Dual aperture are pillar design variants; choose Pillar and the appropriate subtype.

Within each form there are patterns and design variants. For pillar boxes choose a pattern first (standard cylindrical types, special patterns, 1931 oval vending-machine, or modern engineering), then a subtype such as Type H, Penfold pillar, Anonymous pillar, Dual aperture, or Olympic Gold 2012. Pillar type letters are collector shorthand and are not one official Post Office A–P sequence. Wall boxes include Type A–F Wall Box as reference labels (not Royal Mail pattern codes), double aperture wall boxes, and anonymous wall patterns. Lamp boxes include Type A–F Lamp Box and Bantam. When adding or correcting a postbox you can optionally enter a subtype to narrow down the design. See the Identification Guide for the full list.

The Identification Guide has photos and descriptions for each form. Use it to match what you see in the field to the correct form and optional subtype when submitting.