Certificate of Posting Charges 1877-1982

The introduction of certificates of posting for ordinary, non-registered letters, at a nominal charge of ½d paid by means of a stamp on the form, was strongly urged by Rowland Hill in the 1840s as an additional means of security in the mails, but the proposal met with a cool reception. Abortive experiments with certificates stamped with a ½d embossed die were finally carried out in a few major cities in 1877-82, but it was not until 1911 that the Post Office introduced them nationwide as a regular service.

The fee was per item posted and always nominal. In 1982 it was abolished completely. The various special services such as registration had their own certificates as proof of posting, but these were given free as part of the service. There was also a separate reduced charge for bulk postings in stamps, for the details of which see below.

Standard Certificates of Posting

Certificates of Posting for Bulk Postings Prepaid in Stamps

This service was introduced for the use of "large publicity firms who use it as documentary evidence of completion of a contract", without them having to list every address and pay ½d for each item. (The exact date has not yet been tracked down.)

It was originally authorised as an exceptional arrangement by the Post Office Secretary, and did not appear in the Post Office Warrants before 1948, although the new reduced fees and national certificate were announced in the Post Office Circular in 1934.

The charge was abolished in 1979.