Victorian Post Box on Market Street

Victorian Post Box on Market Street


Victorian Post Box on Market Street in Preston


This Victorian Post Box on positioned on Market Street, opposite the old Grade II listed former Post Office building.

The plaque is inscribed;

THIS VICTORIAN LETTER BOX WAS PRESENTED TO THE 1992 GUILD MAYOR ELECT COUNCILLOR MR HAROLD PARKER BY MR ALUN ROBERTS, DISTRICT HEAD POSTMASTER ON TUESDAY 31ST DECEMBER 1991 TO CELEBRATE PRESTON GUILD YEAR 1992

The post box has a distinctive Royal Cypher on it, which identifies it to have be manufactured during the reign of Queen Victoria.


A Victorian Post Box on Market Street with VR Royal Cypher
A Victorian Post Box on Market Street with VR Royal Cypher

However, as per the wording of the plaque, it wasn't installed until a later date.  The Letter Box was presented to the 1992 Guild Mayor Elect Councillor Mr Harold Parker by Mr Alun Roberts, District Head Postmaster


A Victorian Post Box on Market Street with VR Royal Cypher
A Victorian Post Box on Market Street with VR Royal Cypher


  

What is a Royal Cypher?

The Royal Cypher is a way of combining a monarchs’ initials and title, this can either be standalone letters or entwined like a monogram. We can see below the different approaches taken with the interlaced VR for Queen Victoria and the separate characters of EIIR for Queen Elizabeth II.


Royal Cyphers from 1837 to the present day
Royal Cyphers from 1837 to the present day


One of the most common Royal Cypher to many would be that of HM Queen Elizabeth II. The ‘EIIR’ cypher stands for ‘Elizabeth II Regina’. The ‘R’ was added to a monarch’s cypher from the reign of Henry VIII, and stands for either ‘Rex’ or ‘Regina’, which is Latin for King or Queen.

King Charles III’s cypher was unveiled in 2022. This cypher consists of the initials of the monarch’s name, Charles III, and title, Rex.


A Victorian Post Box on Market Street with VR Royal Cypher
A Victorian Post Box on Market Street with VR Royal Cypher


~


Further reading and sources of information

Letter Box Study Group

https://lbsg.org/

.

Royal Cyphers on Letter Boxes - The Postal Museum

https://www.postalmuseum.org/blog/royal-cyphers-on-letterboxes/

.

The history of letter boxes - The Postal Museum

https://www.postalmuseum.org/collections/highlights/letter-boxes/

.

Location: Market St, Preston PR1, UK

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