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Apost office is a public facility and a retailer that providesmail services, such as acceptingletters andparcels, providingpost office boxes, and sellingpostage stamps, packaging, andstationery. Post offices may offer additional services, which vary by country. These include providing and acceptinggovernment forms (such aspassport applications), and processinggovernment services and fees (such asroad tax,postal savings, orbank fees).[1] Thechief administrator of a post office is called apostmaster. During the 19th century, when the postal deliveries were made, it would often be delivered to public places. For example, it would be sent to bars or general stores. This would often be delivered with newspapers and those who were expecting a post would go into town to pick up the mail, along with anything that was needed to be picked up in town.
Before the advent ofpostal codes and the post office, postal systems would route items to a specific post office forreceipt or delivery. During the 19th century in theUnited States, this often led to smaller communities being renamed after their post offices, particularly after thePost Office Department began to require that post office names not be duplicated within astate.[2]
The term "post-office"[3] has been in use since the 1650s,[4] shortly after the legislation of private mail services inEngland in 1635.[5] Inearly modern England,post riders—mounted couriers—were placed, or "posted",[6] every few hours alongpost roads atposting houses (also known as post houses) between major cities, or "post towns". Thesestables orinns permitted important correspondence to travel without delay. In early America, post offices were also known as stations. This term, as well as the term "post house", fell from use as horse andcoach services were replaced byrailways,aircraft, andautomobiles.
The term "post office" usually refers to government postal facilities providing customer service. "General Post Office" is sometimes used for the national headquarters of a postal service, even if the building does not provide customer service. A postal facility that is used exclusively for processing mail is instead known as a sorting office or delivery office, which may have a large central area known as a sorting or postal hall. Integrated facilities combining mail processing with railway stations or airports are known as mail exchanges.
Privatecourier anddelivery services often have offices as well, although these are usually not called "post offices", except in the case ofGermany, which hasfully privatised its national postal system.[citation needed]
As abbreviationPO is used, together withGPO for General Post Office andLPO for Licensed Post Office.
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There is evidence of corps of royalcouriers disseminating the decrees ofEgyptianpharaohs as early as 2400 BCE, and it is possible that the service greatly precedes that date. Similarly, there may be ancient organised systems of post houses providing mounted courier service, although sources vary as to precisely who initiated the practice.[7]
In thePersian Empire, aChapar Khaneh system existed along theRoyal Road. Similar postage systems were established inIndia andChina by theMauryan andHan dynasties in the 2nd century BCE.
TheRomanhistorianSuetonius creditedAugustus with regularizing the Roman transportation and courier network, theCursus Publicus. Local officials were obliged to provide couriers who would be responsible for their message's entire course. Locally maintained post houses (Latin:stationes) privately owned rest houses (Latin:mansiones) and were obliged or honored to care for couriers along their way. The Roman emperorDiocletian later established two parallel systems: one providing fresh horses or mules for urgent correspondence and the other providing sturdy oxen for bulk shipments. TheByzantine historianProcopius, though not unbiased, records theCursus Publicus system remained largely intact until it was dismantled in the Byzantine empire by the emperorJustinian in the 6th century.
ThePrincely House of Thurn and Taxis family initiated regular mail service fromBrussels in the16th century, directing theImperial Post of theHoly Roman Empire. TheBritish Postal Museum claims that the oldest functioning post office in the world is on High Street inSanquhar,Scotland. The post office has functioned continuously since 1712, during which horses and stagecoaches were used to carry mail.
Rural parts of Canada in the 19th century utilized the way office system. Villagers could leave their letters at the way office which were then taken to the nearest post office, as well as pick up their mail from the way office.[8]
In parts of Europe, specialpostal censorship offices existed[when?] to intercept and censor mail. In France, such offices were known ascabinets noirs.
In many jurisdictions,mailboxes andpost office boxes have long been in widespread use for drop-off and pickup (respectively) of mail and small packages outside post offices or when offices are closed. Germany's national postage systemDeutsche Post introduced thePack-Station forpackage delivery, including both drop-off and pickup, in 2001. In the 2000s, theUnited States Postal Service began to install Automated Postal Centers (APCs) in many locations in both post offices, for when they are closed or busy, and retail locations.[9] APCs can print postage and accept mail and small packages.
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