International Postage Meter Stamp Catalog/Hong Kong

=Hong Kong=


 * The first meters were installed in 1929. All franks are inscribed “HONG KONG”.
 * The stamps are grouped by appearance and usage as follows:
 * A - British administration, frank with ribbon design on solid background
 * B - British administration, frank with ribbon design on clear background
 * C - British administration, date above and meter number below value figures
 * D - British administration, frank with Greek style outer border
 * E - British administration, frank with crossed oval pods at sides
 * F - Chinese administration
 * PO - Special stamps used only in Post Offices
 * PD - Special stamps used only for Postage Due
 * PP - Special stamps used only for Parcel Post
 * PV - Digital stamps from self-service vending machines

GROUP A: Issued under British administration, frank with ribbon design on solid background

 * Design includes crown.

GROUP B: Issued under British administration, frank with ribbon design on clear background

 * Design includes crown.

GROUP C: Issued under British administration. Frank with date above and meter number below value figures.

 * The stamps are applied to gummed labels and never directly on envelopes or covers.
 * Only one meter number seen, “NCR 1”. Used by the manufacturer, the National Cash Register Corporation.
 * Because of overlapping dates, it is possible more than one machine was in operation despite the use of the single meter number.

GROUP D: Issued under British administration, frank with Greek ornamental border

 * With crown

GROUP E: Issued under British administration, frank with crossed oval or seed shaped pods at sides

 * Frank with crown.

GROUP PO: Special stamps known only from post office counter/window machines


'''PO1. Pitney Bowes-GB “6300” series''' (MV). [Rare]
 * Wide rectangle, 69 x 24 mm with straight line double outer border.
 * “POSTAGE PAID” at top left, “HONG KONG POST OFFICE” at bottom.
 * M# with “No.” prefix above “HONG”.
 * M#s 44 and 45 only seen.
 * V/F:  ≋00.00

'''PO2. Hasler “Mailmaster” ''' (MV).
 * Similar to Type PO1 but slightly wider at 71 mm.
 * Meter number either at left above “HONG” or centered.
 * A. Without transaction number [Scarce]
 * B. With 5- or 6-digit transaction number at far left [Scarce] (shown)
 * C. As B, but transaction number is boxed [Very scarce]
 * V/F: 000.00


 * a. Printed in green, used for collecting Postage Due

NOTE: Stamps of similar design but without “POSTAGE PAID”, with or without handstamped “STAMP DUTY PAID” are provisional revenue stamps, not postage stamps.

'''PO3. Hasler “Mailmaster” ''' (MV).
 * Similar to PO2 but with four vertical wavy lines at the sides of the value figures.
 * A. With unboxed transaction number at far left [Scarce]
 * B. With boxed transaction number at far left (shown)
 * V/F: 000.00

PO4. Hong Kong Post proprietary system (digital), 1995 or earlier. [Scarce]
 * Used on international mail only.
 * Large, wide label with light blue underprint of diagonal “HONGKONGPOSTOFFICE” in echelon.
 * Borderless design with “HONG KONG POST OFFICE’ and service indicator at top and various
 * data imprinted including operator, destination and weight as well as date/time and postage.
 * A. With "SPEEDPOST" in top line
 * B. With "PARCEL" in top line
 * V/F: HK$000.00



'''PO5. Hasler “Mailmaster”''' (MV).
 * As Type PO3 but with Chinese characters at sides of “POSTAGE PAID” and between “HONG KONG” and “POST OFFICE”.
 * Issued under Chinese administration.
 * Meter numbers 91, 105, 131, 132, and 135 seen.
 * A. Without transaction number
 * B. Boxed transaction number at left (135)
 * V/F: 000.00


 * a. Ten cent stamp without date (shown) used to fill a temporary shortage of ten cent adhesive stamps between 10 April and 4 May, 2002. Thirty machines (nos. 65, 67, 69, 70, 72, 75, 78, 80, 89, 92 93, 95, 98, 100, 102, 104, 107, 115, 116, 117 119, 120, 124, 127, 129, 131, 132, 133, 137, 138) were used for this purpose. Stamps purchased by 4 May remained valid for use after that date.

PO6. Hong Kong Post proprietary system using an Epson LQ-590 printer(digital), 1997.
 * Stamp for international mail as Type PO4 but issued under Chinese administration.
 * Differs mainly from Type PO4 in bilingual (English-Chinese) entries for most of the elements.
 * Printed on label with horizontal underprint “HONGKONGPOSTOFFICE”.
 * A. SPEEDPOST
 * B. PARCEL
 * C. LOCAL COURIER POST (omits the "Dest. Country" line)
 * V/F: HK$000.00



'''PO7. "Integrated Post Services System"''' (digital), 2010.
 * Printed on white self-adhesive label with meter number in off-white at bottom left and stylized bird logo at center right.
 * The point-of-sale data is printed in black.
 * A. With "POSTAGE PAID" (English and Chinese) below "HONG KONG".
 * B. Without "POSTAGE PAID"
 * V/F: $0.00


 * a. Stamp used for registered mail, with registration number added below right of the barcode

NOTES:
 * The image at right has been darkened to show the meter number and bird logo which are all but invisible in the actual stamp unless viewed under UV light.
 * The same white labels are used in self-service vending machines. See Type PV3.



'''PO8. "Integrated Post Services System" ''' (digital-thermal), 22 September 2014.
 * Printed on white self-adhesive label with Hong Kong Post logo and batch number visible in UV light, invisible in normal light.
 * The text is printed in black with format as follows:
 * * HONG KONG, CHINA at upper right
 * * 3 letter post office ID, value figures or POSTAGE PAID
 * * date, weight and 2 letter destination code
 * * transaction code
 * * bar code
 * * identification number
 * The transaction number above the bar code has a prefix which identifies the mail class. (see below)
 * A. With value figures (on stamps generated for non-account holders)
 * B. With "POSTAGE PAID" (on stamps generated for Hong Kong Post account holders) (shown)
 * C. With large letter in center of stamp identifying the size of the mail piece ♦
 * V/F: $0.00  $00.0   $00.00  $000.00  POSTAGE PAID


 * Transaction code prefixes :
 * a. MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg, without transaction code (ordinary surface mail)
 * b. Batch (bulk mail)
 * c. AA (Recorded delivery)
 * d. CP (Parcel post)
 * e. DA (Local CourierPost)
 * f. MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg (Speedpost)
 * g. PP (underpaid)
 * h. RA and RB (Registered)
 * j. MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg (Insured)


 * The 17-character identification number contains codes for the Post Office ID, an item number, the date, destination, service code, and a check value.

♦  Sub-type C first appeared in late 2017. Three letters are found: P for small letters, G for large or thick letters, and E for packets and parcels.

NOTE: Type PO8 replaced Type PO7. The replacement process started on 22 September 2014 and was completed by mid-2015.

'''PO9. "Integrated Post Services System" ''' (digital-thermal), 24 May 2018.
 * As Type PO8 but with bilingual country name. This stamp replaced Type PO8.
 * A. Stamp for local mail, blank line below the weight at right


 * B. Stamp for registered mail, transaction number with R and 2nd letter below the weight
 * C. Stamp for courier mail, transaction number with D and 2nd letter below the weight


 * V/F: $00.0   $000.0  $0000.0

NOTE: We must assume more sub-types and varieties, similar to those shown for Type PO8, will be reported over time. They will be added as we learn of them.

GROUP PD: Special stamps used only for collecting Postage Due

 * NOTE: See also Type PO2a for a Postage Due stamp.



'''PD1. Universal “MultiValue” ''' (MV), 11 January 1954. [Rare]
 * Similar to Types AA3 and 4 but with "POSTAGE DUE" at bottom and with town mark circle lowered with a transaction number above.
 * Town mark reads “POSTAGE DUE” at top.
 * Printed in green.
 * Without M#.
 * One machine only.
 * TM: DC
 * V/F: 00 00



'''PD2. Universal “Automax” ''' (MV). [Very scarce]
 * Wide rectangle with double straight-line border broken at top left by transaction number and bottom left by date.
 * “POSTAGE DUE” at top right above value figures.
 * “$ ¢” below value figures.
 * M#s 20, 24, 25, 28 and 29 seen.
 * Printed in green.
 * Converted from Parcel Post machine.
 * V/F: =0oo



'''PD3. Hasler “Mailmaster” ''' (MV). [Very scarce]
 * As Type PO2A but with “POSTAGE DUE” at top.
 * Printed in green.
 * M#s 50-55 seen.
 * V/F: 000.00



'''PD4. Hasler “Mailmaster” ''' (MV).
 * As Type PO3B but with “POSTAGE DUE” at top.
 * Printed in green.
 * M# 121 seen.
 * V/F: 000.00



'''PD5. Hasler “Mailmaster” ''' (MV).
 * As Type PO5 but with “POSTAGE DUE” at top.
 * Printed in green.
 * A. Without transaction number. M#s 51, 52, 55 seen
 * B. With boxed transaction number at far left. M# 94 seen
 * V/F: 000.00



'''PD6. Pitney Bowes “6300” ''' (MV), 1980. [Very scarce]
 * This is Type BA4 altered by replacement of “PAID” at bottom with “DUE” and with meter number changed to “P.O.1”.
 * Printed in green.
 * One machine only.
 * TM: DC
 * V/F:  ≋0.00



'''PD7. "Integrated Post Services System" ''' (digital-thermal), 4 January 2016.
 * This stamp is generated by the same franking that generates stamp type PO8.
 * White self-adhesive label with data printed in black.
 * "POSTAGE DUE" in English above Chinese for "due" at top right above the date and a ten-digit identification code.
 * The postage due amount is at center left above a bar code that stretches across the label.
 * Below the bar code is a 13-digit code that represents the Post Office ID, an item number, the date, and a check value.
 * V/F:  $ (00)0.0

GROUP PP: Special stamps used only for Parcel Post
'''PP1. Universal “Multi-Value” ''' (MV).
 * Wide rectangle with double straight-line border broken at top left by transaction number and bottom left by date.
 * “PARCEL POST/ PAID” above “HONG KONG” at left.
 * Meter number at top center preceded by “No”.
 * Inner frame with “ $ and ¢ ” in little frames above and below the value figures.
 * A. Printed on yellow adhesive labels with "FRANCOPOST" underprint [Scarce on cover or large piece]
 * B. Provisional stamp printed on brown paper tape straight at top and bottom with serrated portions at center of sides. Meter number 9 ♦ [Exceptionally rare]
 * V/F: 0000


 * a. As B with purple "POSTAGE" hand stamp. Meter number 2 ♦  [Exceptionally rare]

♦ The stamps on brown paper labels (B, Hong Kong P.O.) and (a, Kowloon P.O.) were used to mail food parcels to China in January 1961. Only the two stamps shown are known at this time. Others may exist.

'''PP2. Pitney Bowes “Automax” ''' (MV). [Scarce on cover]
 * Similar to Type PP1 but “PARCEL POST” is at top right.
 * “ $ ¢ ” below value figures.
 * Five-digit transaction number at top left.
 * Upper left frame lines may or may not be present.
 * Printed on yellow adhesive labels.
 * A. Frank 66mm wide, no frame lines above and left of the transaction counter number (shown)
 * B. Frank 73mm wide, no frame lines above the transaction counter number but with frame lines left of the number
 * V/F: =0.00  =00.00

GROUP PV: Digital stamps from self-service vending machines
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