Kasshi Postal System

From FrathWiki

The postal system of the Kasshi Empire was, until recently, heavily taxpayer-subsidized, resulting in nominal rates for delivery. Recent reforms have lead to drastically increased efficiency, and a raise in postal stamp costs to account for inflation. There has since been three more minor price adjustments

Stamp Rates

Stamps come in 7 rates, depending on the distance sent.

Rate	Pre-reform cost	Post-reform cost	1st Revision	2nd Revision	3rd Revision	4th Revision
Postal District	1 vi	½ zash			¾ zash	1 zash
Metropolitan	2 vi	¾ zash		¾ zash	1 zash
District	3 vi			1 zash	1¼ zash
Provincial	4 vi (¼ zash)	1¾ zash	1½ zash	2 zash
Regional	7 vi	3 zash	2¾ zash	3¼ zash		3½ zash
Imperial	10 vi	4½ zash	4 zash	4½ zash	4¾ zash	5 zash
Inter-Union	(no fixed rate)	6 zash				7 zash

Stamps are sold either individually or in sheets of 8, 16, 32, or 96. The reason for those odd numbers has to do with the former practice of pricing stamps in vi, which were worth ¹/₁₆ zash. Thus, a sheet of sixteen 1-vi stamps cost 1 zash. 8, 32, and 96 were convenient fractions or multiples of 16.

Stamps do not have their prices marked. The rates are shown by the background color of the stamp, as well as a printed abbreviation of the rate name for the benefit of the color-blind. Pre-Reform stamps are invalid, but may be redeemed for cash or current stamps at any post office. Post-Reform stamps will always remain valid, even when the price changes. With the 4th Revision, the first three rates were combined. Older Postal District and Metropolitan stamps remain legal for District mailing.

Explanation of Rates

• The Postal District rate is the rate used for delivering mail within a single postal district. A postal district can range in size from a few city blocks to several square miles of rural areas.
• The Metropolitan rate was originally used only within a city or metropolis, but after the Postal Reform the District rate was combined. It was separated out again in the 2nd Revision, but once again combined in the 4th Revision, along with the Postal District rate.
• The District rate covers Administrative Districts and cities located within said Districts.
• The Provincial rate is for mail delivered within a single province. In the case of some small provinces, the rate may also include neighboring provinces.
• The Regional rate is for mail delivered to nearby provinces. For postal purposes, the Empire is divided into many overlapping Regions.
• The Imperial rate covers mail delivered to all other parts of the Empire.
• The Inter-Union rate covers mail delivered between member-states of the Union of Sovereign States. It is a new rate, created shortly before the Postal Reform in the Inter-Union Postal Delivery Treaty. All USS member-states use the same rate, or the equivalent in their local currency if they use a currency not equal to the Imperial Chan (for example, in Shivrashan, it is equivalent to 5⁵/₆ Shivrashanian zash, rounded to 5¾), for currencies not pegged to the Imperial Chan, this means the rate fluctuates according to the exchange rate.

Most member-states of the Union of Sovereign States use similar systems, though often with fewer rates, particularly in the smaller states.

Overseas colonies of the Empire are not generally included in the Imperial rate, but have specific rates for each colony.