An affixing machine is a machine that affixes postage stamps to an envelope, postcard or wrapper. [1] Affixing machines first appeared in the 1850s [2] but were not widely used until the early 20th century. [3] Stamp affixing machines were brought about by the need to mechanically affix stamps for bulk processing of mail. [4] A secondary reason for the machines was to make the theft of stamps more difficult [5] for employees with access to a large inventory of coils. The first widespread machine was created in 1884 by Engle Frankmussler, [6] a Norwegian, who created the ‘Postage Stamp Affixing Machine’ as it was then called, was a crank-operated machine that was effective but vulnerable to tampering. [7]
