People are only just realising what black postboxes really mean

Black postboxes are a rare sight in the UK, and many people are unaware of the significance behind the dark hue – leading to confusion and intrigue among locals

Brits have been left scratching their heads over the mysterious black postboxes popping up, a stark contrast to the traditional red Royal Mail boxes we’re all familiar with.

Our iconic postboxes have been a bright red since 1874, following complaints that the original green ones blended into the countryside too well.

But not every postbox has stuck to this colour scheme.

In the 1930s, some were painted blue for airmail and in 2012, a select few turned gold to celebrate Olympic champions.

The black postboxes, however, are causing quite the stir, shrouded in postal mystery and leaving locals baffled.

A Reddit thread recently brought this oddity to light when a user stumbled upon a fully operational black postbox on a farm wall in Llanfydd, Wales, reports the Express.

Curiously, they posted: “I came across this working postbox at the weekend.

“I’ve Googled it, and it says that it’s either to celebrate Black History (for a regular pillar box) or to signify that it’s out of use, but this one IS in use.

“It was on the wall of a farm, and I talked to the owner of said farm, and she didn’t know either. Does anyone know more?”.

Reddit users were quick to school the original poster on the significance of black postboxes, which usually indicate they’re out of service as letters are no longer collected from them. These postboxes are often found sealed and located outside decommissioned post offices or in conservation areas.

Yet, the Reddit snap showed an unsealed black postbox, hinting it might still be in use. But there was a straightforward explanation – the box was just a replica.

As one eagle-eyed commenter noted: “It’s a replica postbox, not a real one. There’s no Royal Mail branding on the collection card, nor a day token.”

They even shared an Amazon link where similar fake postboxes could be bought.

The thread continued with several users expressing surprise that such imitation postboxes were up for grabs, given they could easily fool people into posting their mail in them.

To prevent any confusion, one person mentioned: “I reported the selling site to the Post Office and Royal Mail, and they said it’s not a copyright design, but they would take action if it were placed somewhere it may be thought to be real.”

Another user added their two cents, saying: “They’re typically painted black when retired. I saw the one in Farnham station being painted over, as it, too, was embedded in the wall and couldn’t be removed.”

The person who started the conversation came back to add more detail: “I asked them if it was ‘in use’, she said yes. She may have said yes because it’s a working postbox for the farm when I was asking if it’s a working Royal Mail Collections Letterbox.”

But, it turns out that not all black postboxes are out of commission. Marking a historic moment back in 2020, four iconic postboxes in London, Glasgow, Cardiff, and Belfast were painted black with striking golden tops to honour Black History Month.

Each of these special postboxes celebrates an influential figure from the black British community and features a QR code. When scanned, this code unveils a catalogue of notable black Britons who’ve appeared on official postage stamps.