#114 Pitney-Bowes Model MPostage Meter
1920
Early model of world's first commercial postage meter
The world's first commercial postage meter--the Model M--was designed and developed in Stamford between 1901 and 1920 by inventor Arthur Pitney and entrepreneur Walter H. Bowes, with the assistance of Walter H. Wheeler, Jr. The Model M formed the cornerstone of the Pitney Bowes metered mail concept, which was officially recognized by the U.S. Postal Service and was introduced on November 16, 1920.
The postage meter, which eliminates the need for the adhesive stamp, fundamentally affected the expeditious handling of mail and rapidly came into use around the world. The meter allows the simultaneous postage and cancellation marking of a piece of mail. The official imprint authorized on September 1, 1920, was an oval indicia showing the mailer's license number, the register number of the meter, and the denomination of postage (two cents).
Automatic lock-out was essential to prevent thefts. Two sealed but visible registers comprise a self-checking account of postage printed.
Pitney-Bowes Model M Postage Meter
Landmark Location
Pitney-Bowes Inc.
One Elmcroft Road
Stamford, CT 06926
Related Links
Pitney-Bowes Website
http://www.pb.com
Ceremony Notes
September 1986