January 1, 1913 marked the introduction of domestic Parcel Post Service, and the release of the 1913 set of 12 Parcel Post Stamps.
Prior to Parcel Post service, the maximum weight of a package shipped through the mail was 4 pounds.
Shipping through the Postal Service was much more affordable than using private delivery services, and national commerce boomed as a result of lower freight expenses.
Parcel Post was introduced through the passage of the Parcel Post Bill of 1912, a win by rural business against the interests of powerful private shipping companies.
U.S. Troops Surrounded by Holiday Mail During WWII
An interesting page of Parcel Post history, courtesy the Smithsonian Institution:
Thanks for Looking, and Happy New Year,
