day of the stamp - Austria / II. Republic of Austria 1986 - 6 Shilling

With the fall of the Roman empire, the fate of the once so famous "cursus publicus" was sealed. This regulated transport of letters, goods and people of the former Roman administration found no successor in the centuries to come. Only in the Middle Ages was the postal service further developed. An essential contribution to the history of the postal service was played by messenger services, which, in the absence of a corresponding state institution, were designed to meet the needs of various social groups. For example, there was a well-organized messenger service in the Catholic Church. Other important steps on the way to regulated postal traffic were the messenger station of the Teutonic Order, merchant messengers, city messengers or messengers of power. Many interest groups installed their own news agencies. Only later did state organizations emerge that fulfilled the tasks of the postal service. Today, Swiss Post is the state's most important service provider and masters completely new tasks that have arisen, for example, from developments in the telecommunications sector. The brand motif shows the "Nuremberg Messenger", after a woodcut from the second half of the 16th century. He carries a small messenger's sign and the usual spokesman and in addition, in a most striking way, a letter.