Monday, January 9, 2012

The Mailomat



The "Mailomat" was a coin-operated postage meter machine for public use manufactured by the Pitney-Bowes Postage Meter Company. The machine was first introduced in Canada, on an experimental basis, in the lobby of the Toronto post office in 1938.

The Mailomat made one operation of purchasing postage and mailing letters. The customer simply dropped money in the coin slot, dialed the correct postage denomination, and inserted the letter in a slot. The machine printed a meter stamp containing the date of the mailing, and held the letter until it was collected by postal workers.

Toronto 1938

First Day of Operation


Toronto to Stamford, September 21, 1938
3 cents U.S. surface letter rate




Ottawa 1944

The next experimental operation was at the Ottawa Station B post office.



(The Billboard, February 26, 1944)

First Day


Ottawa to Kansas City, February 3, 1944
4 cents surface letter rate to the United States


Cachet



Insert





A second Ottawa cover:


Ottawa to Memphis, February 26, 1944
4 cents surface letter rate to the United States




Toronto CNE 1947

A Mailomat machine was operated at Toronto's 1947 CNE.


Toronto to Rochester, September 2, 1947
3 cents surface post card rate to the United States





Front of Post Card made available to patrons



Canadian Postage Meters Ltd. envelope
Toronto to Hamilton, August 26, 1943