693 air mail

693 Airmail In the Phillips’ Paper Trade Directory of 1970 a watermark described as ‘693 Airmail’ is listed as being made by J. Dickinson & Co. John Dickinson & Co John Dickinson & Co. was founded in 1804 as a stationer by the 22 year old John Dickinson. In 1809 he developed the cylinder mould machine. Between 1807 and 1847 he took out 14 patents relating to paper. In 1809 he bought the Apsley mill, I 1811 the Nash mills, in 1825 he built the Home Park mills and in 1830 bought the Croxley mill. In 1886 the company was registered with the same name. In 1910 the Lion Brand was adopted as the logo for the company. In 1918 Basildon Bond was acquired with the takeover of Millington & Sons. By 1932 Basildon Bond was one of the bestselling note papers in the UK. . In 1966 the firm merged with E.S & A. Robinson to create the Dickinson Robinson Group. However, in 1989 the firm was purchased by Pembridge investments who sold the group to Bowater Scott who closed the paper mills; Nash Mills, Keynshaw mill and Fife mill to the SAPPI group who closed them down. In 1999 the stationery division was sold to Spicers Ltd. which was part of D.S. Smith Plc.