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Because I've been studying part time and remotely the last couple of years, I have posted a number of boxes of specimens off to tutors to be marked. I would say always cross pin in the manner Tony describes. My experience is that the single biggest danger to your specimens is a card swinging around and wiping out the specimen next to it.

Tony's ideas about some cotton wool to tangle up loose stuff and the cling film seal I hadn't thought of, but they make sense to me and I will be adopting.

Lots of bubble wrap around the box, then posted in a padded bag worked fine for me, but I was only sending one box of about 18cm x 12 cm x 8cm within the UK.