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Newspaper Rates 1870-1968

1969 – first class service for second class (Northern Ireland regional) stamp

From 1870 each copy of a periodical registered as a newspaper with the Post Office (according to the regulations in force at the time) could be sent at a special rate (initially this was regardless of weight).

Whether it was cheaper to send packets containing multiple newspapers as regular printed papers or not varied according to their weight and the rates in force over the years.

The concession continued in modified form after the introduction of two-tier post on 16th September 1968. From that date, a registered newspaper sent by its printer or publisher (or their agents) in a special posting and paid at the appropriate second-class rate for its weight was treated as first-class mail. Newspapers posted under any other circumstances were treated as letters and paid the first-class or second-class rate for their weight.


Date Rates Date Rates Date Rates Date Rates
1870
(1 Oct)
½d each

Weight immaterial
1915
(1 Nov)
½d – 6oz
1d – 12oz
1½d – 1lb 2oz
2d – 1lb 8oz
2½d – 1lb 14oz
3d – 2lb


Maximum weight 2lb
1920
(1 Sep)
1d – 6oz
1½d – 12oz
2d – 1lb 2oz
2½d – 1lb 8oz
3d – 1lb 14oz
3½d – 2lb
1940
(1 Jul)
1½d – 4oz
2d – 8oz
2½d – 12oz
3d – 1lb
3½d – 1lb 4oz
4d – 1lb 8oz
4½d – 1lb 12oz
5d – 2lb
1956
(1 Jun)
2d – 6oz
3d – 12oz
4d – 1lb 2oz
5d – 1lb 8oz
6d – 1lb 14oz
7d – 2lb
1957
(1 Oct)
2½d – 6oz
4d – 12oz
5½d – 1lb 2oz
7d – 1lb 8oz
8½d – 1lb 14oz
10d – 2lb
1961
(1 Oct)
3d – 6oz
4½d – 12oz
6d – 1lb 2oz
7½d – 1lb 8oz
9d – 1lb 14oz
10½d – 2lb
1968
(16 Sep)
See letter rates