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
