Teaser 3188

Royal Mail Slims Down

The Royal Mail, facing stiff competition, was looking for ways to streamline and simplify its operations. One dotty idea circulating in 2022 was to sell only two face values of postage stamps. Customers would then need to be able to make up 68p for a second-class letter and all values above 68p, to be ready for subsequent price rises. An obvious solution would be to sell only 1p and 68p stamps. But this would mean sticking 28 stamps on a first-class letter (costing 95p), leaving little room for the address!

Which two stamp values would minimise the total number of stamps required to post two letters, one at 68p and one at 95p, and still allow any value above 68p to be made up?