Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
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Hi Ernie,
There are likely people who know more about this system of mail than me, but I will tell you what I do know.
In larger metropolitan areas such as Youngstown or Jacksonville, the towns were divided up into postal zones. Each zone had its own number, and to correctly address the mail, the sender had to include the zone number to best facilitate the delivery of the mail. Of course the larger the city, the more zones there ewre.
This system went defunct when the USPO switched to the zip code system. Yet zip codes are also zones within a municipal area, only they are smaller and more precise that the old zone numbers. A town might have had a dozen zones, and the same area could be covered by twice as many zip codes, or more.
Here is a zip code map of the Columbus, OH metropolitan area, each color is a different five-digit zip code. These days, though, the USPS has added an additional six-digit suffix for each major zip code, so in reality there are lots of zip codes with each of the colors on the map, as the additional six digits add further specificity as to the destination of each mail item. Most mail items have a single-line bar code at the bottom of the envelopes they receive along with a long number just above it. Their computers have literally read the address and provided the mail sorters and carriers with the much more specific information that helps them get the mail to the right place.
If you wanted to show us recent cover you got but wanted to keep your addresss private you would have to cover up the address as well as the number and barcode at the bottom of the envelope which would pinpoint with a block or two of where you live.
Perhaps there are others who can get into further details or clarifications.
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The mail zone system began in 1943 as a response to a shortage of trainied postal distribution clerks. Postal clerks were volunteering and being drafted for military service while mail volume was increasing. The use of mail zone allowed newer postal clerks to sort mail for larger cities to carrier distribution areas. Zoning of mail lasted until the implementation of Zip codes, which in turn were enhanced by the Zip + four system.
Here is a link for a brief history of the Zone System.
DonSellos
https://postalmuseum.si.edu/research-art ...
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Smauggie,
Thanks man. I appreciate that. Thank you Don.
Seems like I vaguely remember reading something about an early zip code idea but I honestly have never seen a cover actually using it.
It must have only been used sporadically at best.
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ZIP stands for Zone Improvement Plan, so there were indeed zones before 1963. See Wikipedia here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZIP_Code
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These addresses (Youngstown is receiving) are from a cover from July of 1943. Can someone tell me what the "4" after Youngstown and what the "1" after Jacksonville mean? I have never seen this before. Thank you.
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re: Precursor to Zip Codes?
Hi Ernie,
There are likely people who know more about this system of mail than me, but I will tell you what I do know.
In larger metropolitan areas such as Youngstown or Jacksonville, the towns were divided up into postal zones. Each zone had its own number, and to correctly address the mail, the sender had to include the zone number to best facilitate the delivery of the mail. Of course the larger the city, the more zones there ewre.
This system went defunct when the USPO switched to the zip code system. Yet zip codes are also zones within a municipal area, only they are smaller and more precise that the old zone numbers. A town might have had a dozen zones, and the same area could be covered by twice as many zip codes, or more.
Here is a zip code map of the Columbus, OH metropolitan area, each color is a different five-digit zip code. These days, though, the USPS has added an additional six-digit suffix for each major zip code, so in reality there are lots of zip codes with each of the colors on the map, as the additional six digits add further specificity as to the destination of each mail item. Most mail items have a single-line bar code at the bottom of the envelopes they receive along with a long number just above it. Their computers have literally read the address and provided the mail sorters and carriers with the much more specific information that helps them get the mail to the right place.
If you wanted to show us recent cover you got but wanted to keep your addresss private you would have to cover up the address as well as the number and barcode at the bottom of the envelope which would pinpoint with a block or two of where you live.
Perhaps there are others who can get into further details or clarifications.
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re: Precursor to Zip Codes?
The mail zone system began in 1943 as a response to a shortage of trainied postal distribution clerks. Postal clerks were volunteering and being drafted for military service while mail volume was increasing. The use of mail zone allowed newer postal clerks to sort mail for larger cities to carrier distribution areas. Zoning of mail lasted until the implementation of Zip codes, which in turn were enhanced by the Zip + four system.
Here is a link for a brief history of the Zone System.
DonSellos
https://postalmuseum.si.edu/research-art ...
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re: Precursor to Zip Codes?
Smauggie,
Thanks man. I appreciate that. Thank you Don.
Seems like I vaguely remember reading something about an early zip code idea but I honestly have never seen a cover actually using it.
It must have only been used sporadically at best.
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08:33:54pm
re: Precursor to Zip Codes?
ZIP stands for Zone Improvement Plan, so there were indeed zones before 1963. See Wikipedia here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZIP_Code
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