Prepaid Postal Stationary used contemporarily in the UK

 Hi.

 

Prepaid postal stationery, as in envelopes or items with postage already paid and printed on, is a concept which was once very popular but has now largely died out. This is definitely the case in the UK. I don't mean things like PPI/Account graphics or frankings.

I have 2 items to share. 

 

The first is still used and has been for many years, a House of Commons envelope. These are available to members of parliament to mainly reply to their constituents' enquiries. 

 

 

 My example was interestingly postmarked at Edinburgh Mail Centre, where the constituency is, and not Mount Pleasant or another London area facility. Two-wave postmark often used on non-standard size/type mail. Date 07/03/2025(?)

 

  

One thing to note is how both items shown here have the Machin image used to represent Queen Elizabeth II. Of course, we have a new monarch, so while the second item is now discontinued, the House of Commons envelopes join a still relatively large list of post-related items waiting to be updated with the King's head. 

 

The second is an aerogramme. These were released until 2012, but by that time they had long been largely forgotten; Information on the last years are scarce. However, there is nothing really stopping you from using one today, in the absence of any concrete information from Royal Mail being available. This is especially notable seeing as a few unused examples of these could be easily found on eBay for less than the current awfully high airmail rate of £3.20. There is the no enclosure rule, but I seriously doubt the vast majority of todays postal employees would care enough to enforce it, or even be aware of it.

 

 

 

Front. Again, Edinburgh 2-wave non-standard mail postmark, also a counter stamp dated 25 January 2025 from Easter Road Post Office, Edinburgh. This specific issue was bilingual with English and Scottish Gaelic text, so I written the country in the second.

 

  

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