Scoring & Ranks

Contributor Points

How you earn points

Only approved or imported postboxes count. Pending and rejected submissions do not earn points. Each approved postbox earns points based on its royal cypher (reign) and postbox type/variant (see tables below). Rarer cyphers and forms earn more. Anonymous (explicit pattern/reign choice) earns 20 reign points, same as Victoria. Unknown or unset reign earns 10.

Variable
Approved postbox
Reign points + type bonus + subtype bonus (see tables below). Awarded when a moderator (or owner) approves your submission.
+5
Submission includes a photo
When the approved postbox submission included a photo (awarded to the submitter).
+5
First photo on a postbox
When you add the first approved photo to a postbox that had no photo (awarded to the photo submitter on approval).
+5
Approved correction
When a moderator approves your correction to an existing postbox.
+2
Mark as visited
Once per postbox when you mark it as visited. You can tick "Mark as visited" when adding a new postbox to earn this automatically.

Points by royal cypher (reign)

Reign	Cypher	Points
Edward VIII	E VIII R	50
Victoria	VR	20
Anonymous	(explicit choice)	20
Edward VII	E VII R	15
Charles III	C III R	15
George VI	G VI R	12
Elizabeth II	E II R	10
George V	GR	10
Unknown	(unset)	10

Bonus by postbox type (form)

Type	Bonus
Ludlow	+40
Pillar / Wall / Lamp / Parcel / Business	+0

Bonus by design variant (subtype)

Variant	Bonus
Standard Penfold / Penfold	+40
Reproduction Penfold	+20
Type C / Dual aperture	+12
Coffin-style surround	+10
Anonymous (explicit pattern)	+10

Contributor points formula: Sum over your approved postboxes of (reign points + type bonus + subtype bonus + 5 if submission had a photo) + (first photos you added × 5) + (approved corrections × 5) + (postboxes you marked as visited × 2).

Example calculation

2× Elizabeth II pillar with photo (10 + 10 + 5 each) + 1× Edward VIII pillar (50) + 3 approved corrections + 10 visits:

(25 + 25 + 50) + (3 × 5) + (10 × 2) = 100 + 15 + 20 = 135 contributor points

Recalc (owner tool) recomputes contributor points from the database (postboxes, corrections, visits, first-photo bonuses).

How the leaderboard works

The Leaderboard shows contributors sorted by total points = contributor points + moderator points. Only users with total points > 0 and not hidden appear. Ties get the same rank (dense ranking). 100 users per page; pagination lets you see everyone.

Your rank is your position when all users are sorted by total points (highest first). Your tier on the leaderboard and profile is determined by this same total (so moderator points count towards tier). Ranks update when points change; the owner can run a full recalc to recompute everyone’s contributor points and ranks.

Contributor Tiers

Your tier is based on total points (contributor + moderator). Climb from Newcomer to Definitive Reference as you contribute or moderate.

Tier	Total points needed
Newcomer	0+
Enthusiast	75+
Regular	250+
Established	600+
Trusted	1200+
Respected	3000+
Senior Member	6000+
Authority	12000+
Leading Authority	20000+
National Authority	35000+
Definitive Reference	60000+

Moderator Points & Levels

Earning moderator points

You earn points for every review you complete: postbox submissions, corrections, and pending photos.

+1 to +10
Approve (postbox, correction, or photo)
Speed bonus: faster reviews earn more points (max 10, min 1).
+1
Correct rejection
Rejecting a submission, correction, or photo that doesn’t meet requirements.
-1
Incorrect rejection
Points deducted when a valid item is rejected.

Moderator levels & required approvals

Your level is assigned by the site. It determines how many approvals are needed before a postbox is published.

Level 0–2 (Junior): 3 approvals required to publish.
Level 3–4 (Senior / Lead): 2 approvals required. Level 4+ can merge duplicate postboxes.
Level 5+ (Lead): 1 approval (solo); your approval alone can publish.

Your moderator rank is your position among all moderators, sorted by moderator points (highest first).

Becoming a Moderator

Requirements

✓
At least 10 approved postboxes
Submitted and approved by moderators.
✓
At least 5 approved corrections
Submitted and approved by moderators.

Once you meet these, you can apply from the Moderator application page. The owner reviews applications.

Merging Duplicate Postboxes

When the same postbox (same location) is submitted more than once, Senior and Lead moderators (level 4+) can merge the duplicate into the canonical one from the Moderator panel. The duplicate is hidden; its comments and corrections move to the canonical postbox. Only high-ranking moderators can merge to keep quality.

Rules & Fair Play

Moderator restrictions

Moderators cannot approve their own submissions
Moderators cannot approve corrections to their own postboxes
Each moderator can approve a postbox only once
Only Senior/Lead (level 4+) can merge duplicates

Fair play: Only approved or imported postboxes count towards points and leaderboard. Pending and rejected submissions do not. Recalc (owner tool) can fix stats if data was imported or changed outside the normal flow.

Summary