Abstract: An automatically settable date printing apparatus adapted particularly for use in postage meters which print an indicia on envelopes as they are fed seriatim past a rotary printing drum in the postage meter in which a plurality of print wheels print the day, month and year successively for each day. The apparatus includes a date print wheel assembly having individual print wheels for printing the unit day, the decade day, the month and the year for any given date. A drive wheel assembly includes a plurality of independent drive wheels for driving the date print wheels an appropriate amount, the drive wheel which is connected to the unit day print wheel being the sole source of input drive for the other drive wheels which rotate the other date print wheels by an appropriate amount through transfer components on the drive wheels.