History of the Post Office

Today, it is quite normal that we send and receive by mail letters and packages. However, although the idea of the postal service existed long time ago, it was implemented very slow.
In the old days, in ancient Rome, the government managed the delivery of messages, but those messages were related exclusively to government issues.
During the Middle Ages, an association of traders and some larger universities held a special and limited postal services, which were used exclusively by its members.

It was only in the 16th century, when governments begun to introduce regular postal service, firstly because they thus were able to monitor suspicious correspondence, and also because the postal service constituted a source of income, and finally, because it provided the necessary services to the public. Today as the basis for the provision of postal services remained practically only this third reason.
King Henry VIII had a postal service in England, and his successors expanded this service. In 1609 only official postmen could transfer the messages in the form of letters. However, London traders in 1680 founded their own service for delivery of letters in the city and its surroundings. It was called "Penny - mail" – one letter cost one penny. This Post office operated very successfully, so the English government took it over and continued its work until 1801.
The entire postal system was finally transformed in 1840. Postage stamps were implemented and single tariff for all the places in the country, and difference existed only in relation to the weight of the mail.
All other countries have organized their postal system modeled on the one in the UK.