Have You Ever Seen an IRC?

The Secret Life of IRC's

IRC's are a well kept secret. In the US they are called International Reply Coupons, and are used when you need someone from another country to send something to you in the US, without them having to pay for the postage to send it. Here we call it a self-addressed stamped envelope, and being that I needed something sent to me from England, they don't use our stamps. You'd think you could just send them a bunch of their stamps on an envelope, but that won't work either...thus, the IRC's. Simple enough, you would think.

Now why would I need these things anyway? My quest started when I read that you could request *free* tickets to a *very special* and *exclusive* ceremony that takes place at the Tower of London every night, called Ceremony of the Keys. (How special could it be, if it's every night?...)

Promptly at 9:30 every night, for the past 700 years, there is an official locking up of the Tower. Turn the lights out and lock the door, it's time for bed! At one time Ceremony of the Keys was public, but now you have to request tickets in writing many months ahead of time, especially if visiting in July or August (...so that's what makes it special!).

First you must submit your letter to the Resident Governor and Keeper of the Jewel Tower with your exact date of visit (with a back up date, just in case!), include all the names of those in your party, include a SASE, or in the case of those living outside of Britain, 2 IRC's, send it off and hope for the best.

Well trying to find a "Coupon-Response International" was a small adventure on its own. After my fair share of Googling, I finally found some information on what it was, and was fairly forewarned that many-a-post office clerk would not know what it is. If they did, then be prepared to be told that they are no longer being sold, and haven't been for years. Bollocks! (practicing my cockney there...) I'm here to tell you the USPS does still sell them, you just have to do some digging. Oh, and it helps if you ask for the right thing...

And from the US Postal Service

What are international reply coupons?
International reply coupons (IRCs) provide a convenient method for you to prepay replies from foreign countries. You can send your correspondent one or more coupons. Your correspondent exchanges the coupon for postage in his or her country. One coupon in the United States is exchangeable in any other participating member country for a stamp or stamps representing the minimum postage required for an unregistered airmail letter. If you are sending something that requires more postage than a standard letter, you should inquire with the appropriate foreign postal administration about how many IRCs will be needed to complete your transaction.

For a very funny take on the whole matter of IRC's, you must read this thread. I find British humor very entertaining!

So after making 5 phone calls, talking to 4 different people, 2 of whom had no clue as to what they were, I was able to get them from the HUGE main PO distribution center on Henrietta Road. It didn't help that I was calling them "Coupon-Response International", as is stated on the Tower of London website and clearly on the coupon itself, but go figure, we call them IRC's in the US. Had I Googled IRC, I would've found the info right away. I hightailed it over to the BIG Post Office before they changed their minds about having them, and $4.21 later I have my two IRC's in hand and I'm feeling mighty smart for having figured it all out!

They are very pretty, these IRC's, and remind me of the beautiful foreign money you see in other countries. So I thought I'd scan it to show you. Now you know what to look for. Hopefully I've saved someone else a little time.

Sidebar: Ironically enough, the term "Ponzi Scheme" was coined in the US after the "investment" in IRC's in the 1920's.

I've drafted my letter to the RG and KotJT, and shall be sending it off tomorrow. With any luck, we'll be accepted and get our tickets...now I'll just need to remember to pack them...