To Mr. Oliver Wheeler of the town of Montgomery Hampshire County folded letter

November 20, 1810

Italy and the Old Italian States are one of the most important specialties in the field of philately, with deep roots in the classic period. International mail systems first emerged in Italy during the late Middle Ages as city-states including Florence, Venice, and Milan established organized postal services to facilitate the exchange of diplomatic and business letters and documents. Italy pioneered the use of postmarks, stamped paper, postal treaties, and the creation of an established itinerary of post offices and post roads. Later, Italy became one of the main theaters of the Napoleonic wars as French, Austrian, and Spanish armies fought for domination of the Italian peninsula. The Italian states began issuing postage stamps in 1850, just ten years after Great Britain and three years after the United States, making it one of the earliest stamp-issuing areas in the world. After unification, Italy became a founding member of the Universal Postal Union. Postal history and stamps from all of these eras are well-represented in the Geraci collection through high quality material.