Pre Stamp Letters
Tuscany's mail service may be traced to private letter services operating between 1300 and 1400. In 1704, Gian Gastone de' Medici issued a decree converting the postal service to a state operation and regulating the posting, transport and delivery of letters in detail. The original service ran only between Florence, Pisa and Livorno.
Prior to the introduction of postage stamps in 1851, letters typically were sent postage due, with various postal markings added to the letter. Postal markings were originally hand written on the letters, and in about 1767, postal markings began to be added by rubber stamp, indicating the town of origin. In 1839, postal markings were introduced indicating the date the letter was mailed. Tuscany's pre-stamp letters and postal markings have received extensive philatelic study. The primary study of them is Paolo Vollmeier's I Bolli Postali Toscani del Periodo Prefilatelico fino al 1851, Florence, 1974.
Read more about this topic: Postage Stamps And Postal History Of Tuscany
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