You ever peek inside one of those old-school mailboxes—you know, the metal kind with the rounded top and the red flag—and notice that weird little circular shelf inside? Yeah, that thing. I saw one the other day while helping my aunt clean out her shed, and for a second I thought, “Wait… was that for birdseed? A mini cup holder? What is that?”
Turns out, that little ledge had a super practical use back in the day. It was all about leaving change for postage.
Wait, People Used to Leave Money in Their Mailboxes?
Yep. Loose coins. Right there in the box. Unlocked. And no, it wasn’t some sketchy side hustle or a forgotten piggy bank.
Back before we had online postage, forever stamps, or apps to track every envelope from here to Kalamazoo, folks in rural areas had to get a little creative. If you lived out in the country and needed to send a letter but didn’t have the right stamps on hand (and going into town just to buy one felt ridiculous), you’d just stick the letter in the box with a few coins.
see next page
