The Postal Museum has a unique collection of artefacts. No other museum has similar objects related to postal services. The collection includes objects like postal signs, vehicles, sealing equipment, postboxes, uniforms and workwear. There are also many more common objects used at post offices, such as furniture and general office articles. The total size of the collection is more than 9,500 items, including Posti’s first vehicle from 1911 and the world’s first eLetter computer from 1986.

Most of the collection has come from post offices, but private individuals have also made donations, uniforms in particular. The oldest artefacts date back to the 17th century, but most are from the 20th century.

This sleigh was used for delivering post during bad ice conditions between Kotka and Suursaari Island in the late 19th century.
Platform trolleys were used to deliver post bags and newspaper bundles to trains at Helsinki Railway Station, for example.
Post office sign under Russian rule, 19th century.
Post office sign.
Mail carrier’s badge under Russian rule, 19th century.
Bells like this were used when transporting post on roads. People could tell that the mail carrier was approaching when they heard the bell. This bell was cast by Henric Ericson Kesku Soini (Henrik Keski-Soini).
Ships carrying post used a postal flag. Pictured here is the flag from a postal ship named Sofia used in Eckerö in the late 19th century.
The mail carrier also needed a weapon. Up until the 19th century, postmen carried a sword for protection during long journeys.
This inkwell and sander probably date back to the late 19th century.
Postage machines were introduced in Finland in the 1920s.
Postmaster Frithiof Öhberg’s hat. He acted as postmaster from 1855 up until the 1900s in Viapori, Kristiinankaupunki, Tammisaari and Porvoo.
A safe from the late 19th century.