GB: Horizon Labels (Electronic Postage)

Neither did I. After a bit of Googling and searching ebay, I think this is the type of label that gazza767 is looking for -- please correct me if I'm wrong (image is eBay item number:332374214977).

Well here was my chance to learn something new today.  Every thing is collectible to someone.

david

I'll look over the weekend I may have saved a couple before passing things on.

Unused horizon labels - in pairs on backing paper as issued to the Post Office prior to being printed

White - with straight cut edges
Gold - with straight cut edges
Gold - with perforated edges

The enlarged scan of the gold type should show the two different edges clearly ...

philatelicweb.com/sales/great-britain/elizabeth-ii-decimal/unused-horizon-lablels.html

For those outside the UK , Horizon labels are the preferred option at post office counters if an object is to be mailed and paid for at the counter.They are issued when mail has no stamps or as makeweight if the mail with some stamps already on the letter has insufficient stamps eg due to size or weight. So some items have stamps and a Horizon label. I believe the post office gets a slightly greater return for using these than they get on selling stamps .

The blank labels can be computer printed to carry a lot of information, date time and office of posting , category of mail item , letter , large letter, signed for, special delivery, Parcel , weight, 1st class , 2nd Class , international , tracking information if any, fee paid etc .and the postman can scan to prove delivery.

There have been a number of design types since they were introduced as white labels, then the gold variants and now a white label again, but they are all Horizon labels. Some collectors hunt them and study them, some who love stamps deplore their use, but there is no doubt they have cost saving efficiency for post offices and Royal Mail handling.

Horizon Labels only really became interesting to stamp collectors when they transformed from white labels to these gold versions with die-cut perforations with Machin heads in 2009. The double label image shows the format of the labels prior to being overprinted. They were originally printed by De La Rue. The two examples shown, in different typeface thicknesses, are 1st class package and 2nd class package

 

1st and 2nd class signed for labels. 1st and 2nd class large letter rates and Special Delivery labels.