Postage stamps were introduced so the sender could pay delivery costs in advance.

The longer version

Before prepayment, letters were usually paid for on delivery, which meant carriers had to collect money at the door and many letters were refused unread. A stamp moved payment to the moment of posting: the sender buys a small receipt and sticks it to the letter, and the postal service marks it so the same stamp cannot be used twice.

The reform also flattened the price, so a short letter cost the same across a short distance or a long one, replacing a confusing schedule based on mileage and sheet count. Mail volume rose sharply afterward, since people no longer had to guess a price or refuse a letter for fear of the charge falling on them.

Where this entry sits

Odd Little Things looks at the ordinary objects people touch every day and the small mechanisms and histories hiding inside them. Buttons, zips, pencils, mirrors, stairs, stamps, packaging, and road signs all get their turn. The full list sits on the Odd Little Things page, where every entry is listed in order.