150 years of UPU
Title:150 years of UPU
Date of Issue: 09.10.2024.
Author: Nebojsa Djumic
Type edition: commemorative
Printing techniques: multicolour offset
Sheet: 8+1
Paper: muflep 100g
Printing House: Blicdruk, Sarajevo
Motive: new logo of the Enterprise in the colours of UPU
Catalogue no.: 978
Perforation: 13 3/4
Face value: 1.95 BAM
Quantity: 8 000
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the exchange of mail between countries was largely governed by bilateral postal agreements. But by the 19th century, the web of bilateral agreements had become so complex that it began to impede the rapidly developing trade and commercial sectors. Order and simplification were needed in the international postal services.
The process was started by national postal reforms. The most noteworthy reform occurred in England in 1840, when Sir Rowland Hill introduced a system whereby postage on letters had to be prepaid. Furthermore, uniform rates were charged for all letters of a certain weight in the domestic service, regardless of the distance travelled. Sir Rowland Hill was also credited with introducing the world’s first postage stamp.
On 9 October 1874, 22 countries gathered to sign the Treaty of Bern, creating the General Postal Union, which would later become known as the Universal Postal Union. A century and a half later, the UPU now unites the postal networks of 192 member countries, having realized its founders’ vision of establishing a single postal territory to serve people everywhere.
In 2024, the Universal Postal Union celebrates its 150th anniversary.
The UPU’s theme for its 150th year – “150 years of enabling communication and empowering peoples across nations” – recognizes this accomplishment, and reinforces its commitment to serve all peoples for the decades and centuries to come.