Pillar box, pattern Early Victorian, First National Standard. Montpelier Road, Hove.
UK Postbox identification guide
Beginner notes for contributors who are adding or correcting map entries.
Use this page with the add or edit flow. If you are unsure of the form, start with quick identification workflow, then work through the examples and tips in the sidebar.
Each subtype has a photo where we have one: PostboxMap contributor images first, otherwise a credited stock shot. Pick form and subtype, then reign from the royal cypher when you can read it.
Need the full pattern and subtype catalogue on one page? Open the enthusiast guide.
Quick identification workflow
If you are unsure what box you are looking at, start here. Answer in order, then pick the form in the add-postbox flow and narrow the subtype.
- Is it freestanding? → likely pillar or pedestal (rectangular on a short base).
- Is it built into a wall? → usually wall box or Ludlow (recessed cast front, separate back). Exception: a small lamp-pattern casting in a wall opening (LB-style box, often with softer corners) is still lamp box, not wall box.
- Is it mounted on a pole or post? → lamp box (lamp boxes are also often wall-mounted; see above).
- Is it a large street cabinet for parcels? → Parcel postbox or Business box (same equipment; two labels in the app).
Then use the form examples, type tips, and field checklist below, and match the royal cypher when you can see it.
What to do if you are unsure
- Choose Unknown (or the closest form) rather than guessing a rare subtype.
- Upload clear photos of the whole box and a close-up of the cypher (if present).
- Include the collection plate where visible; it helps moderators and the community refine the entry later.
Feedback on this guide
Think something here is wrong or out of date? Contact us. We welcome corrections and clearer field notes.
What this guide covers
Use this page as a field guide to identify UK postbox types when you map them: form, subtype, and royal cypher postbox dating. It supports pillar box identification (UK), wall box types (UK), lamp box types (UK), Ludlow-style fronts, parcel and business cabinets, and Victorian postbox identification where it helps you pick the right subtype.
Forms and subtype examples
Pick the form first, then the subtype in the dropdown. Contributor examples link to a map listing; stock photos are labelled and linked to the source. Parcel postbox and Business box share one section below (same cabinets; two dropdown options). Pillar Type A/B/C and wall Type A/B/C are different forms: cylindrical pillars are under Pillar box; cast wall boxes (including Type A, B, and C wall box) are under Wall box. Under each form, the pattern and subtype list matches the full dropdown.
Pillar box
Freestanding roadside postboxes: most are cylindrical, but named designs sit outside the standard cylindrical pattern list. Identify pattern first, then subtype, then cipher. Type L and Type M Royal Mail sizes are pedestal-mounted boxes: use form Pedestal box, not Pillar. Introduced in the Channel Islands (1852); mainland standard pillars from 1853. Introduced 1852.
Most pillars are cylindrical, but several important named designs sit outside the standard cylindrical pattern list. Identify the pattern first (dropdown group), then the type, then the cypher. Photos below are curated examples plus Reference · … stock images; use Unknown when you cannot match confidently.
Standard cylindrical pillar patterns
Main traditional cylindrical designs (pattern Standard cylindrical pillar patterns): Type A, Type B, Type C, and Type K.
Pillar type letters are collector shorthand in postal-history writing. They do not form a continuous official Post Office sequence. Some letters name specialised or experimental patterns rather than standard cylindrical pillars. Always match shape first, then confirm the type.
Type L and Type M in Royal Mail sizing are pedestal boxes: use form Pedestal box, not Pillar.
1931 oval vending-machine pillars
Type D (large oval combination) and Type E (small oval combination), with integrated stamp vending machines. Pattern 1931 oval vending-machine pillars. Reference photos in the grid (PB29/PB30).
Modern engineering pillars
Pattern Modern engineering pillars: Type G and Type H (Double G) (cast iron family). Type K sits under standard cylindrical patterns, not modern engineering.
Special pillar patterns
Liverpool Special (square-section Liverpool district pillar; pattern Liverpool Special). Penfold pillar, Fluted pillar (early fluted column), Anonymous pillar (Type A / B), Scottish and Irish pillar types, experimental hexagonal types, and Earliest mainland standard pillars (First / Second National Standard) in their own pattern groups.
Include Type B Nigerian pattern under standard cylindrical pillars when the casting matches the Nigerian export family later installed in the UK.
Pillar box, Type A, Croom's Hill Grove, Greenwich
Emma H · Map listing
Pillar box, Type B, Sydney Road, Leigh on Sea
Keepmepostboxed · Map listing
Type B Nigerian pattern from the Carron export mould family; some were installed in the UK. Cylindrical pillar with domed cap, High Street, Royal Leamington Spa.
Chris Hughes · Map listing
Cylindrical pillar (form: Pillar box), Type C, dual aperture. Ryknild Street, Lichfield. Not the same as a Type C Wall Box.
Pillar box, Type G
Pillar box, modern engineering pattern: Type H (Double G)
Pillar box, Fluted pillar pattern (Smith & Hawkes fluted column)
Pillar box mounted indoors, Kerbey Street, Greater London
Emma H · Map listing
Reproduction Standard Penfold pillar, Newhalls Road, City of Edinburgh
Pillar box, Type K early (1980–mid production; short cylindrical run)
The larger 1931 oval combination pillar with an integrated stamp vending machine at one end (often linked to PB29). In specialist writing, Type D and Type E usually refer to these oval machines (PB29 and PB30), not to cylindrical subtypes. Published production totals for D vs E vary between sources; treat numbers as provisional.
Photo: British Postal Museum & Archive via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The smaller 1931 oval combination pillar with integrated stamp machine (often PB30). Surviving street example (Woolwich). Same letter clash as for Type D: choose pattern 1931 oval vending-machine pillars, not standard cylindrical. See also the Commons category of George V type D/E oval boxes.
Post box of the type in use in Liverpool in 1863 (heritage wording). Cast iron: cylindrical body with plinth, horizontal slot, “POST OFFICE” in raised lettering, crown-topped cap. Salthouse Quay, Liverpool. Select pattern Liverpool Special and subtype Liverpool Special.
Authority: Historic England list entry 1292279 (Grade II) · Royal Mail and Historic England joint policy statement (July 2015)
DM · Map listing
Pedestal box
Freestanding boxes on a pedestal base (including Royal Mail types L and M). Distinct from a full in-ground pillar box. Introduced unspecified.
Pedestal Type L example from the map
Pedestal Type M example from the map
Lamp box
Small box on lamp posts, poles, or sometimes set in a wall. Lamp rows use LB2xx pattern names aligned with common supplier numbering. Introduced 1896.
Lamp box silhouettes
Beginner-first view: use the five examples below to choose a broad lamp family, then open the image for a deeper subtype page.
Deep dive for enthusiasts: Lamp box subtype guide. The main identification guide intentionally keeps only broad styles.
Wall mounting: Lamp boxes are often photographed on posts or poles, but they can and often are fixed into a wall opening. If the casting is a lamp pattern (LB family in this app), record Lamp box, not Wall box, even when brick or stone surrounds the plate.
Lamp subtypes in the app use LB… codes (supplier-style numbering), not wall-style size letters. The five examples above are broad families; open the lamp subtype page for the full LB list.
Rounded loaf roof profile.
Elliptical roof profile.
Compact bantam lamp box family.
1940 pattern rectangular family.
8bitBob · Map listing
Modern flat-sided lamp boxes.
Wall box
Set into a wall or sometimes a free-standing pillar. Wall box sizes A–F follow conventional UK cast wall box lettering and manufacturer sizing; they are not pillar type letters. Introduced 1857.
Examples below include pattern Early Victorian: First National Standard and Second National Standard (1857–1859 wall designs), then Type A Wall Box, Type B Wall Box, and Type C Wall Box (cast boxes set into masonry; not the same as pillar Type A/B/C).
Wall box identification hints (sizes A–D in the app): PostboxMap lists Type A through Type D Wall Box in the dropdown. Collector literature also describes larger Type E cast wall sizes; those are not a separate subtype value here, so choose the closest match or Unknown. These hints are visual rules of thumb only; casting varies by era and foundry. Type A often has a smaller aperture surround relative to the front plate. Type B can read as a deeper casting or heavier moulding around the door. Type C often shows wider frame proportions on the front. Type D is commonly read as an intermediate cast size and proportion between the earlier small and larger later wall families. Type E in field guides usually denotes larger-capacity or wide-format wall installations: use photos and the pattern list together; when uncertain, prefer Unknown.
Letters A–D here match conventional cast wall box size labels. Collector literature often extends to E and F; those are not separate subtype values in PostboxMap yet, so use the closest type or Unknown. They are not Royal Mail product codes and are not the same letters as pillar types.
Wall box, First National Standard example, Fore Street, Tintagel.
Wall box, pattern Early Victorian, Second National Standard (1859 revision). Same family as First National Standard with detail changes in the casting. B3227, North Devon.
Keepmepostboxed · Map listing
Wall box, Type A Wall Box, Mosley Street, Manchester city centre
marxistnarnian · Map listing
Wall box, Type B Wall Box, The Green, Bonehill
Angella · Map listing
Wall box (form: Wall box), Type C Wall Box, Dartbridge Road, Buckfastleigh, Devon. Different from cylindrical pillar Type C.
Keepmepostboxed · Map listing
Image placeholder, verified photo pending
Placeholder: image pending. Type D Wall Box example will be added when a confirmed photo is available.
Photo: Placeholder
Ludlow
Recessed wall box with a cast front plate and separate wooden or steel back box. 'Ludlow' is used generically for this family. Introduced 1885.
Ludlow-style boxes use a cast iron front plate with a separate wooden or steel rear chamber set inside the wall. They were widely used where a full cast wall box was unnecessary or too expensive, including many villages and smaller sites; replacement fronts often reuse the same opening.
Ludlow wall box (Pattern Wall, cast front), Queen Victoria cypher. Kingsgate Street, Winchester. Listed manufacturer E. Cole.
postboxesofinsta · Map listing
Parcel postbox and Business box
Royal Mail large street cabinets for parcels and franked / meter mail. The same physical units are listed in the app as Business box or Parcel postbox; pick the form that matches the listing. Introduced 1994 (business-era cabinets). Parcel-only wording and locations vary; this is one equipment family, not two different box types.
Royal Mail large street cabinet (same family as Parcel postbox), meter mail pouches
Royal Mail large street parcel cabinet (same equipment family as Business box), illustrative stock photo.
Pattern and subtype list when form is Business box
- Modern business: Royal Mail Business Box
- Other non-standard: Other non-standard business box
Pattern and subtype list when form is Parcel postbox
- Pillar parcel: Parcel Pillar Type
- Wall parcel: Parcel Wall Type
- Other non-standard: Other non-standard parcel pillar, Other non-standard parcel wall
Type tips
Pillar production dates (selected)
- Type C (dual aperture common): introduced from 1899
- Type D / E (oval vending-machine pillars): introduced 1931
- Type G (cast replacement): introduced 1968 / later cast
- Type K (modern cylindrical): introduced 1980
Pillar Type A vs Type B
Among standard cylindrical pillars, Type A is wider and Type B is narrower; height alone is a poor guide.
The hug test and other pillar checks are spelt out in Quick field recognition (same page, below).
Finishes and special designsExpand
- Penfold (pillar): Hexagonal Victorian pillar. Form Pillar box; types Early Penfold, Standard Penfold, Late Penfold, or Reproduction Penfold.
- Early Victorian (National Standard): First or Second National Standard (1857–1859). Pillar or wall form; pattern Early Victorian; type First or Second National Standard.
- Dual aperture: Two slots. Pillar: often Type C. Wall: type Double Aperture Wall Box.
- Anonymous: No royal cypher or POST OFFICE lettering. Often Handyside or other contractor patterns, early VR production, or cypher-omitted variants; many examples appear in Scotland and early Victorian contexts. Pattern Anonymous pillar (Type A / B); choose subtype Anonymous Type A or Anonymous Type B where collectors can tell them apart. Not the 1931 oval-machine Type D/E pillars.
- Airmail blue and Olympic Gold 2012: Promotional or commemorative paint. Record as finish (Standard Red, Airmail Blue, Olympic Gold 2012, Brass, Wood, and other finish options), not as a separate box type.
- Other non-standard: Catch-all when the box does not fit the usual pattern lists for that form. Each form has pattern Other non-standard in the add/edit flow with a matching type (for example Other non-standard pillar, Other non-standard wall box, Other non-standard lamp, Other non-standard pedestal, Ludlow wall or lamp variants, parcel pillar or wall variants, or Other non-standard business box). Use free-text Other (…) only when none of the catalogue types apply.
Using the posting slot to estimate age
Slot shape and position are not a substitute for cypher and subtype, but they are strong dating clues when combined with photos.
- Narrow horizontal slot → often earlier (many Victorian and Edwardian boxes).
- Wider slot → often mid-20th century onward (larger mail pieces; many standard cylindrical pillars and wall boxes).
- Vertical slot → can appear on some regional or experimental fronts; the Liverpool Special is usually described with a horizontal slot in heritage listings, so treat slot shape as a clue only. Liverpool Special pattern; subtype value Liverpool Special in the pillar form.
- Slot set unusually high on the casting → sometimes seen on early cylindrical pillars; compare with subtype notes and full-height photos.
- Dual aperture → very common on Type C pillars; also appears on wall boxes as double-slot types.
Manufacturer marks
Foundry or contractor names and marks help confirm era and pattern when the subtype is unclear. Look for cast or stamped text on:
- the base of pillar boxes;
- the lower door edge or hinge area;
- rear plates where accessible;
- pedestal bases and lamp backplates.
Names you may see include (not exhaustive): Carron, Machan, Lion Foundry, McDowall Steven, WT Allen. Partial text still helps narrow the casting family when paired with photos.
Elizabeth II lamp lettering and branding evolution are summarised on external references such as CVPHM: Elizabeth II lamp letter boxes.
Pillar and pedestal
Pillar type letters are collector shorthand. The examples grid includes Reference · … stock photos for unusual patterns. Many rare pillars need good photos; use Unknown if unsure.
Quick field recognition
1. Pick the form
- Pillar: freestanding cast body in the open.
- Wall box: set into masonry; cast front in a wall opening.
- Lamp box: small lamp-pattern casting on a post, pole, or in a wall. Wall mounting is common; it is still Lamp box, not Wall box, when the unit is the LB family rather than a cast wall box size (A–D wall types).
- Ludlow: recessed wall box, cast front plate, separate back chamber (often timber or steel).
- Pedestal: rectangular body on a short base (Royal Mail families Type L and Type M in this form; not full in-ground pillars).
- Penfold: hexagonal Victorian pillar (pattern Penfold); decorative panels and finials.
- Parcel / Business: large modern cabinet; same kit, two form labels (combined section).
2. Standard pillar checks
- Type A vs B: similar height, different girth. Rough hug test: on many Bs hands meet behind the cast; on A they often will not. Varies by person; confirm with photos and subtype.
- Type C: often dual aperture; common late Victorian onward.
- Fluted pillar (pattern Fluted pillar): vertical ribs. Example: fluted pillar.
- Type B Nigerian pattern (standard cylindrical): Carron export family; some were used in the UK. Example: High Street, Royal Leamington Spa.
3. Types D and E (1931 oval vending-machine pillars)
Type D and Type E appear only under pattern 1931 oval vending-machine pillars: large and small oval combination boxes (PB29/PB30). They are not cylindrical subtypes.
4. Hexagonal pillars: Penfold vs other hex designs
Penfold pillars are hexagonal with decorative panels and finials (pattern Penfold in the form). Other hexagonal experimental or special castings use different pattern names; rely on photos and the pattern list rather than guessing from silhouette alone.
5. Bantam (lamp form)
Bantam entries are compact late-20th-century lamp boxes (e.g. LB224 Type N Bantam), often mistaken for small pedestals. Look for a swept top profile, small body, and pole mount rather than a pedestal plinth.
6. Scottish Crown cypher and Scottish pillar
In Scotland, many postboxes carry the Crown of Scotland instead of E II R (see the reign table). Under pattern Scottish pillar, use subtype Scottish pillar when the casting matches Scottish pillar production; pair with Scottish Crown cypher in the field where applicable.
7. Wall vs lamp in masonry
Lamp boxes are often wall-mounted: the same LB castings sit in wall openings as well as on poles. They stay Lamp box in the map when the front is a lamp pattern, not a conventional cast wall box type. Lamp casts often have rounder corners; standard wall fronts in masonry surrounds are usually sharper. Use the casting family and subtype list, not only the fact that brickwork surrounds the plate.
8. Pedestal (L and M)
Type L and Type M read as large and medium on the front casting. This form covers Royal Mail pedestal families only; choose Pedestal when the box is a short rectangular cabinet on a plinth, not a full in-ground pillar.
If the box is a full cast pillar in the ground, form is Pillar, not Pedestal.
9. Collection plate surround (dating clue)
Next to the slot, the collection plate frame can hint at era: a thin frame often suggests an older installation; a thick universal-style frame is often seen on post-1980 replacement plates. Use as a clue only, with cypher and subtype.
10. Cypher, colour, photos
- Match cypher to the reign table.
- Unusual paint is finish or repaint, not form or subtype.
- Whole box plus cypher close-up. Use Unknown if needed.
Royal cypher (reign)
Use the cypher on the door or plate to pick the reign when you add or edit a postbox. Common UK marks: VR (Queen Victoria), E VII R (Edward VII), GR (George V), E VIII R (Edward VIII), G VI R (George VI), E II R (Elizabeth II), CR or C III R (Charles III). In Scotland many boxes show the Crown of Scotland instead of a monarch cypher: choose Scottish Crown where that matches what you see.
More detail: Royal cyphers guide.
Quick tips
- Quick workflow → forms and subtype examples → type tips.
- See if you are unsure for photos, Unknown, and collection plates.
Beginner page keeps broad styles, simple hints, and representative examples. Use the enthusiast page for detailed subtype catalogues.
For wider context on UK postboxes, see our guide to UK postboxes.