STAMP
INTRODUCTION
From
the earliest times the people
of the worldhave
sought means of communicating
with each other. Postal systems
go back thousands of years,
perhaps 3,500 B.C. when the
Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia
developed the cuneiform system
of writing impressed on stone,
clay brick and tablets. Such
messages have been unearthed
by excavations of their ruins
and that of their successors,
the Babylonians, Assyrians
and Persians. The phrase "Neither
snow nor rain, nor heat nor
gloom of night stays these
couriers from the swift completion
of their appointed rounds,"
which adorns the facade of
the general post office in
New York City, was coined
in 485 B.C. by Herodotus the
Greek traveler and historian,
in his admiration of the post
systems of the Persians.
The
early Greek and Roman post
systems were carried out in
relays by the fleet of foot
and by horse. Pigeon posts
and carriages were also used
in those days. Post systems
are known to have been established
by the pharaohs of ancient
Egypt, Charlemagne, the holy
Roman Emperor, King Henry
VIII of Great Britain, and
the leaders of the Hanseatic
League of Towns, etc. The
Incas and the Aztecs of the
Western Hemisphere used runners
for their highly efficient
post systems. This was a necessity
to maintain authority, collect
taxes and tribute, as well
as to be alerted in case of
insurrection or impending
invasion.
As
Genghis Khan (1162-1227),
the great Mongol Conqueror
extended his empire over vast
areas of plains, deserts and
mountains, he established
along his route well organized
and efficient posts. Between
these went dispatches of army
communications and matters
of state. His grandson, Kublai
Khan, further improved this
system, establishing over
10,000 postal and refreshment
stations, with riders travelling
back and forth day and night
with frequent changes of horses.
The Venetian traveler Marco
Polo mentioned that messages
of urgency were forwarded
at the rate of 250 miles per
day.
Later
the merchants of the Hanse
towns along the Baltic coast
set up their Hanseatic League
and employed a postal service
for their own convenience
and occasionally, as a favor
perhaps, a message would be
carried for someone not a
member of the league. The
counts of Thurn and Taxis
established a private postal
system that covered much of
Europe and made their services
available to all who would
pay their fees. This was the
beginning of our modern postal
system.
In
London in 1680, almost 200
years before the introduction
of a modern postal system,
an efficient penny post system
was established by William
Dockwra with over 400 receiving
stations. Letters would be
collected from the boxes every
hour and would be stamped
at the branch office with
the exact time of their collection.
He is supposed to have been
the first to have originated
the postmark indicating the
date, time and place of mailing.
Dockwra conflicted with James,
Duke of York, and his post
office was taken over and
incorporated into the government
postal service. It continued
in operation until 1800 when
it became "The Two-Penny
Post."
For
centuries the old posts served
only royalty, the nobility
and the church since not so
many people knew how to read
or write. No one may claim
the origin of the postal system.
In one form or another it
existed all over the globe
wherever there were people,
in all of the civilizations
throughout history.
In
1837 Sir Rowland Hill, after
having completed exhaustive
studies of the postal service
then in effect, made public
his revolutionary idea. This
was, reduced to its simplest
expression, simply the fact
that it cost no more to deliver
a letter a hundred miles than
it did to deliver one a few
city blocks. After three years
of pushing his claims the
idea was officially adopted
and along with it the means
of collecting postage in advance
- the postage stamp.
With
the adoption by Great Britain
on May 6, 1840 of Sir Rowland
Hills's plan, the world's
first postage stamp was born
and called "Penny
Black". From
then to the present, the postage
stamp has been the effective
instrument facilitating communication
between people.
POSTAGE
STAMPS IN UNITED STATES:
The
use of postage stamps in the
United States was not inaugurated
by the government but instead
by a private carrier, Alexander
M. Greig of New York City.
Greig established a "City
Despatch Post" on February
1, 1842 which covered New
York City as far north as
23rd St. He issued stamps,
bearing a portrait of Washington,
printed from line engraved
plates.
A
few months after founding
this post, Greig sold out
to the U.S. Government and
the post became known as the
"United States City Despatch
Post." The goverment
began operation of this local
post on August 16, 1842 under
an Act of Congress of some
years earlier which had authorized
such local delivery. The Act
of Congress of March 3, 1845,
effective July 1, 1845, established
uniform postal rates throughout
the nation. But it was not
until 1847 that Congress authorized
the general use of postage
stamps.
With
the establishment of uniform
postage rates effective July
1, 1845, Robert H. Morris,
postmaster of New York City
took it upon himself to issue
his own postage stamps. These
bore a portrait of George
Washington and were printed
from line engraved plates.
Thus
the succession of use of postage
stamps in the United States
would be 1. Greig's City Despatch
(soon the US City Despatch
post) from February 1, 1842;
2. The postmaster provisional
stamps from July 14, 1845
and, 3. The first general
issue of postage stamps authorized
by Congress which were issued
on July 1, 1847.
