GB 1860 Wrapper Bank of England to Bath with Bulk Mail A(Asterix) Unusual (SF14)

In the mid-19th century, organisations (in this case, The Bank of England) that sent out high-volume mailings—such as public utilities, railway companies, and town clerks (like the addressee, Philip George, who was the long-serving Town Clerk of Bath)—frequently used different templates or variations of legal notices. The letter "A" designated that this specific sheet belonged to "Form A" or batch "A".

The asterisk (*) and letter combination acted as a guide for the printers and clerks. It allowed them to quickly verify that they were folding and preparing the correct version of a document before it was addressed and dispatched.