Electronic postage meter having two print drums for printing both fixed and variable data

An electronic postage meter including a print apparatus for printing fixed postage data and variable postage data on a mail item advancing along a conveyor path between an inlet of the meter and an outlet thereof, the print apparatus comprising first print means comprising a first rotary drum for printing main postage data on the item, and second print means for printing auxiliary postage data thereon, said second print means comprising a second rotary drum, a plurality of imprint-carrying removable plates installed in the second drum, plate selection means for selectively engaging said plurality of imprint-carrying removable plates, and control means for controlling the second rotary drum and the selection means in response to at least one item of information representing a selected plate, to a signal representing the presence of a mail item at the inlet of the conveyor path, and to information representing a print position on the mail item relative to the advance direction of the mail item, so as to put a selected one of said plurality of plates in a print position in the second rotary drum for printing the imprint of said selected plate by transferring ink to the print position on the mail item.