EHL139. Victorian 'Anonymous' Type 'B' c1883-1887. At the junction of The Avenue with St. Anne's Road, Eastbourne. what3words location: maybe.every.palm

Cast iron letter box without cypher or 'Post Office' manufactured by A. Handyside & Co Ltd, Derby & London.

Condition: Fair, but definitely not perpendicular!  The OS maps of 1898 & 1910 show the box on the opposite corner of St. Anne's Road.

Letter Box Study Group: Anonymous Type B low aperture is designated PB13.

There has always been an assumption that the missing words and cypher of the Anonymous boxes was a mistake by the manufacturer Andrew Handyside, as per this article from Eastbourne’s Historic Street Furniture (1984): ‘In 1887, the Controller of the London Postal Service pointed out that there was nothing on the Standard Pillar Boxes to show that they were Crown Property.  This was indeed a strange omission because the pre-1879 pillar boxes did bear the royal cipher VR.  The Controller was assured that this was an oversight and the cipher duly appeared on all future castings.’  But in another article by Peter Tyrrell in Journal No 165 (Autumn 2012) he informs us that after a friends visit to the Post Office storage facility in Debden, Essex, his friend told him that “…apparently, the anonymous boxes were a mistake by Royal Mail and not the manufacturer, Andrew Handyside Ltd.  It took Royal Mail eight years to admit the mistake.”

 

EHL175. Victorian 'Anonymous' Type 'B' c1883-1887. Selwyn Road at the junction with Watts Lane, Eastbourne. what3words location: cult.glow.mole

Cast iron letter box without cypher or 'Post Office' manufactured by A. Handyside & Co Ltd, Derby & London.

Condition: Fair.

Letter Box Study Group: Anonymous Type B low aperture is designated PB13.

There has always been an assumption that the missing words and cypher of the Anonymous boxes was a mistake by the manufacturer Andrew Handyside, as per this article from Eastbourne’s Historic Street Furniture (1984): ‘In 1887, the Controller of the London Postal Service pointed out that there was nothing on the Standard Pillar Boxes to show that they were Crown Property.  This was indeed a strange omission because the pre-1879 pillar boxes did bear the royal cipher VR.  The Controller was assured that this was an oversight and the cipher duly appeared on all future castings.’  But in another article by Peter Tyrrell in Journal No 165 (Autumn 2012) he informs us that after a friends visit to the Post Office storage facility in Debden, Essex, his friend told him that “…apparently, the anonymous boxes were a mistake by Royal Mail and not the manufacturer, Andrew Handyside Ltd.  It took Royal Mail eight years to admit the mistake.”

 

EHL19. Victorian 'Anonymous' Type 'B' c1879-1883. King Edward's Parade at the junction with Wilmington Square, Eastbourne. what3words location: vine.noted.proven

Cast iron letter box without cypher or 'Post Office' manufactured by A. Handyside & Co Ltd, Derby & London.

Condition: Keyhole cover has rusted away.

Surveyed by Kevin Gordon.

Letter Box Study Group: Anonymous Type B high aperture is designated PB11/i.

There has always been an assumption that the missing words and cypher of the Anonymous boxes was a mistake by the manufacturer Andrew Handyside, as per this article from Eastbourne’s Historic Street Furniture (1984): ‘In 1887, the Controller of the London Postal Service pointed out that there was nothing on the Standard Pillar Boxes to show that they were Crown Property.  This was indeed a strange omission because the pre-1879 pillar boxes did bear the royal cipher VR.  The Controller was assured that this was an oversight and the cipher duly appeared on all future castings.’  But in another article by Peter Tyrrell in Journal No 165 (Autumn 2012) he informs us that after a friends visit to the Post Office storage facility in Debden, Essex, his friend told him that “…apparently, the anonymous boxes were a mistake by Royal Mail and not the manufacturer, Andrew Handyside Ltd.  It took Royal Mail eight years to admit the mistake.”

EHL220. Victorian 'Anonymous' Type 'B' c1879-1883. Jevington Gardens at the junction with Grange Road, Eastbourne. what3words location: highs.congratulations.spin

Cast iron letter box without cypher or 'Post Office' manufactured by A. Handyside & Co Ltd, Derby & London.

The OS maps from 1898 to at least 1938 show this box located on the opposite side of Grange Road.

Condition: Fair, base appears corroded under paintwork.

Letter Box Study Group: Anonymous Type B high aperture is designated PB11/i.

There has always been an assumption that the missing words and cypher of the Anonymous boxes was a mistake by the manufacturer Andrew Handyside, as per this article from Eastbourne’s Historic Street Furniture (1984): ‘In 1887, the Controller of the London Postal Service pointed out that there was nothing on the Standard Pillar Boxes to show that they were Crown Property.  This was indeed a strange omission because the pre-1879 pillar boxes did bear the royal cipher VR.  The Controller was assured that this was an oversight and the cipher duly appeared on all future castings.’  But in another article by Peter Tyrrell in Journal No 165 (Autumn 2012) he informs us that after a friends visit to the Post Office storage facility in Debden, Essex, his friend told him that “…apparently, the anonymous boxes were a mistake by Royal Mail and not the manufacturer, Andrew Handyside Ltd.  It took Royal Mail eight years to admit the mistake.”