Butcher Post

postal service

Also known as: Metzger Post

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Last updated

June 22, 2026

Quick Summary

The Butcher Post, or Metzger Post, was a messenger system developed in the Middle Ages by mercantile corporations, particularly in Italy. These systems combined letter carrying with the travel required for trade. The Butcher Post was notable for facilitating communication between merchants and customers. This system was part of a broader trend of developing postal services driven by the growth of international commerce and business correspondence during that era.1

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postal system
Growth of business correspondence in the Middle Ages
…among these was the so-called Butcher Post (Metzger Post), which was able to combine the carrying of letters with the constant traveling that the trade required.
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…among these was the so-called Butcher Post (Metzger Post), which was able to combine the carrying of letters with the constant traveling that the trade required.
Read More