The Beginnings of Stamps and Stamp Collecting
It remained for Augustus Caesar to establish what most closely resembles our modern postal system. His Cursus Publicus had routes throughout the Roman Empire and the carriers were permitted to carry messages of certain high government officials not necessarily connected with the Emperor's household. It is from this system that we get our present name "post" office. Along the roads traveled by the Roman couriers posts were established to mark the distances each should travel. Often a hostelry would be established at the post and hence we derive the word "post" and later "office." 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 occasion-ally, as a favor perhaps, a message would be carried for someone not a member of the league. Still later 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 addition to the system operated by the houses of Thurnand Taxis, which, incidentally, was dignified by royal grant, there were various other private postal systems that more or less flourished in parts of Europe. One of these was conducted by the universities of France which had found it expedient to have some means available for the students to write home to get money. All such systems were open to the public and anyone might send a letter, the postal fees for which were "collection delivery." By adopting simple codes persons could indicate the message within by using a pre-arranged form of address. Hence when the letter was offered by the courier, the person to whom it was addressed could read the message from the address and would then refuse the letter. The postal service would get nothing for such"deliveries." We need not wonder at these devious methods of cheating the posts when we view the cost of sending a letter. Each letter was charged for the distance it traveled — seldom less than sixpence and often several shillings, a sizable sum indeed in days when in all the land there was not a laborer earning as much as one dollar a day the year around!This, then, is the genesis of the postal systems and stamps as we know them today.
Figure 11. Stamps of Argentina issued for mailing of recorded messages. THE FIRST TEN YEARS Following the appearance of the world's first postage stamp on May 6, 1840, the next ten years saw the post-age stamp idea spread throughout the world. Stamp and stamped envelope issuing countries of this period are listed below by year. 1840: Great Britain After 1850 the practice rapidly spread throughout the civilized world. Many collectors have the mistaken impression that the older a stamp is the more valuable it is.The stamps and stamped envelopes issued from 1840-1850 are perfect examples of the fact that age has no connection with the value of a stamp. For example of the stamps listed above several can be purchased for less than five dollars, one for less than 25 cents. Of course, on the other side of the picture a number of those listed above cost well over $10,000 ORIGIN OF USE OF POSTAGE STAMPSIN THE UNITED STATES Strangely enough the use of postage stamps in the United States was not inaugurated by the Government but, instead, by a private carrier, one Alexander M.Greig of New York City. Greig established a "City Des-patch Post" on February 1, 1842 which covered New York City as far north as 23rd St. (In those days this was very nearly the city limits.) Evidences that a similar"city post" existed before this, albeit without the use of postage stamps, are noted in Greig's circular announcing his new post. Greig issued stamps, bearing a portrait of Washington, printed from line engraved plates.
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From earliest times the peoples of the world have sought means of communicating with each other. 
