United States Postage Meter Stamp Catalog/Glossary and Abbreviations

Item description format

 * A1. Pitney Bowes "M" (FV), MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg. MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg[S]

 ''' catalog number meter manufacturer   model    meter type  intro. year rarity factor'''

Glossary and abbreviations
Components of a meter impression: Definitions:
 * Bank: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg wheel with numbers on the rim which is rotated to impress part of the postage amount on Multi Value meters
 * BIC: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpglar town mark with Broken Inner Circle
 * DC: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpge Circle town mark
 * Denomination: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg amount of postage shown by the Value Figures
 * Die: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg solid print head of a non-digital meter.
 * Digital: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg meter that uses thermal, laser or some other digital technology instead of a die to apply the Stamp
 * Fixed Value: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg meter with Frame and Value Figure carved out of a single die. A Fixed Value meter can print either a single denomination stamp or contains a small set of dies that each print a different denomination.
 * Frame: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg portion of the Frank surrounding the Value Figures
 * Frank (noun): MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg portion of the Meter Stamp showing the Denomination and (nearly always) the country name and “POSTAGE PAID” or similar statement.
 * Frank (verb): MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg apply a postage stamp to a piece of mail
 * FV: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg Value meter, single denomination
 * FV-n: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg Value with ‘n’ number of different stamp dies. FV-5 indicates a fixed value meter that can print five different value stamps
 * ID number: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpgification Number
 * Impression: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg entire imprint including the Stamp ( Frank, Town/Date Mark ), and, if present, Serial number , Slogan , Slug , Greater Border , etc.
 * Indicia/Indicium: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg as Frank (noun)
 * Limited Value: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg meter that has one Frame die with a slot into which several Denomination dies can be rotated
 * LV-n: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpged Value meter with ‘n’ different postage values
 * M#: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg number
 * Mailing Machine: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg device which processes outgoing mail. It can contain a feeding mechanism, an envelope sealer and a sorter as well as a postage meter.
 * Meter: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg the purposes of this catalog, same as Postage Meter
 * Meter Number: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg identification number assigned by the meter manufacturer
 * Meter Stamp: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg postage stamp impressed by a Meter
 * Multi Value: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg non-digital meter that can print any postage value within a specified range. The machine uses Banks of wheels with numbers on the rims that are rotated to make the correct postage value appear in the stamp.
 * MV: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg-Value meter
 * P#: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpgt number
 * Panel: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg area within a frank bordered by an outer frame line on two or three sides and an inner frame line on the fourth side
 * Permit Number: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg number the postal authority assigns to the mailer (rather than to the meter)
 * Postage Meter: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg machine that prints a postage stamp and maintains a record of the total amount of postage printed
 * Prefix: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg character or characters (usually alphabetic) preceding a Meter Number, Identification Number or License/Permit Number
 * SC: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpge Circle town mark
 * SL: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpgght Line town mark
 * Slogan: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg verbal or pictorial message of a non-postal nature printed by the meter. A slogan typically promotes a product or cause supported by the mailer.
 * Slug: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpgar to a Slogan but the message is for postal purposes. Examples are FIRST CLASS, BULK RATE, PARCEL POST, AIRMAIL, 562 P.L.&R.
 * Spacing: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg distance between the Town Mark and the Frank . It is usually measured from the right edge of the Town Mark to the left edge of the Frank.
 * Stacked: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg word or number with each letter or digit placed one above or below the other
 * Stamp: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg Frank plus the Town/Date Mark
 * Tape: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg Meter Stamp impressed on an adhesive paper strip meant to be affixed to a parcel or mail-piece that is too thick to be fed through a postage meter
 * Town/Date Mark: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg portion of the Meter Stamp that contains the post office name where the meter is licensed and (usually) the date of mailing
 * Town Mark: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg as Town/Date Mark
 * TM: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg Mark, Town/date Mark
 * Type: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpgs fall into four basic types, fixed-value ( FV ), limited value ( LV ), multi-value ( MV ), and digital ( digital )
 * Value Box: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg small rectangle immediately surrounding the Value Figures in some Franks
 * Value Figures: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg numbers and symbols that make up the postage value
 * Vertical: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg word or number reading up or down
 * V/F: MeterCat 5 spaces.jpg Figures