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Forwarding agent (philately)
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A forwarding agent was an intermediary who facilitated the routing of international mail before the development of the modern postal system.
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A forwarding agent's cachet is "A strike or endorsement applied to a letter to indicate that it had been handled in transit by means other than the Postal Service."[1] Their markings are distinguished, and can be a collectible.[2]
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History
In the early days of postal communications it was often necessary for international mail to pass through a number of hands before reaching its eventual destination. At each stage the agent would add their own mark. For instance, a letter might pass first through the sender's domestic post office's hands, then to a forwarder for a sea journey and then to the post office of the destination country.
The study of the marks of forwarding agents on mail is a popular branch of postal history.
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