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Hope Diamond -

The 45.52-carat diamond was extracted in the 17th century in Guntur, India. In 1958, it was donated to the Smithsonian Institution.

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Hope Diamond -

Gem dealer Harry Winston, who was then the owner of the diamond, thought the US Post Office was the best way to get the job done. The Hope Diamond was safely delivered by Postman James G. Todd (far left) and Postmaster General Arthur Summerfield (next to him, holding the package).

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Hope Diamond -

Winston paid US$2.44 for the package and delivery. He did, however, take out a $1 million insurance policy!

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Henry "Box" Brown -

Henry Brown was born into slavery in 19th-century Virginia. After his wife and children were sold and taken away from him, Brown decided to escape slavery in a creative way.

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Henry "Box" Brown -

He did so by being shipped to abolitionists in Philadelphia. Brown was sealed in a crate labeled "Dry Goods" with some biscuits and water, and 27 hours later he arrived at his destination as a free man. Brown went on to become a magician and showman.

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Suffragettes -

On February 23, 1909, suffragettes Miss Solomon and Miss McLellan made use of the Post Office service to deliver themselves as "human letters" to 10 Downing Street. They did so in an attempt to speak to British Prime Minister H.H. Asquith.

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Suffragettes -

Suffragettes would again try a similar approach a few months later. Pictured is suffragette Jessie Kenney, dressed as a telegraph boy, trying to reach the prime minister at a meeting in Manchester on December 10, 1909.

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Children -

The US Parcel Post Service began in 1913. The criteria was simple: any package weighing up to 5 kg (11 lbs) would be delivered. And there was no restriction on what could and couldn't be delivered.

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Children -

In 1913, Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Beauge of Ohio posted their baby to his grandmother, who lived about a mile away. They paid 15 cents and insured him for $50.

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Children -

The weight limits increased to 23 kg (50 lbs), so on February 19, 1914, five-year-old Charlotte May Pierstorff was shipped to her grandmother. Her journey in the mail car was cheaper than a train ticket. The girl's mother's cousin, who was a railway postal clerk, did escort the child throughout the journey. Shipment of humans was prohibited after the event.

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A box of dead fish -

A group of investigators tried to push the limits of what the US Postal Service would allow. Items posted included a box of dead fish and a helium-filled balloon.

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A human molar -

It was not until they posted a human molar that they received the following message: "Please be advised that human remains may not be transported through the mail, but we assumed this to be of sentimental value and made an exception in your case." In total, 64% of the odd objects were delivered The findings of the research were published in the 'Annals of Improbable Research.'

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A cat -

In the 1890s, New York City was using pneumatic tubes to deliver mail. Among the first items sent were a copy of the Bible and a live cat. It turns out the cat survived the journey. The pneumatic tube system stopped being used in 1953.

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Diseases -

According to a 1895 New York Post Office worker, diseases like smallpox, diphtheria, and scarlet fever were posted by physicians to the Health Board.

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Cullinan Diamond -

At 3,100 carats (around 0.6 kg or 1.3 lbs), the Cullinan Diamond is the largest ever found. It was discovered in South Africa and gifted to King Edward VII. The valuable diamond was posted to London.

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A bank -

In the 1910s, banker William H. Coltharp decided to build a bank in Vernal, Utah. Transporting the bricks from Salt Lake City proved to be expensive, so he made use of the Parcel Service.

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A bank -

Coltharp got 15,000 bricks delivered at a fraction of the cost. Around 40 crates a day (a ton of bricks) were delivered daily. Rules on how much weight could be carried in a single day changed after this. The "Parcel Post Bank" still exists to this day (pictured).

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A rabbit's skull -

W. Reginald Bray was an English eccentric who tried to push the limits of the British Royal Mail. In 1898, he posted all sorts of things, including frying pans, half-smoked cigars, and a rabbit’s skull. If that wasn't enough, Bray also got himself delivered as a letter!

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50,000 pink panties -

The Pink Chaddi Campaign (or Pink Underwear Campaign) was a movement in India in response to a 2009 attack on women for supposedly violating Hindu culture. Over 50,000 pink chaddi (undies) were sent to chief of the Rashtriya Hindu Sena, Pramod Muthalik, on Valentine's Day.

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Potatoes -

The potato-sending market is actually a thing. For instance, a company called Potato Parcel allows you to post a potato with a message. Who needs a card when you can send a potato, right?

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Miniature donkeys -

US shipping company uShip have published a number of odd things shipped by them in their Hall of Fame list. This includes two miniature donkeys shipped from North Carolina to Connecticut.

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Antique player pianos -

According to the list published by uShip, three massive antique player pianos were sent from Belleview, Florida, to Williamsburg, Michigan.

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A boat -

What's more, uShip was responsible for delivering a SeaSwirl Striper boat. The trip from Miami, Florida, to Anchorage, Alaska, took 12 days.

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A throne -

In 2017, a "55-pound golden kings throne" was  shipped from Texas to Ocala, Florida.

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LEGO Star Wars display -

An entire Yoda LEGO display was shipped from a store in LaVerne, Tennessee, to an individual in White Stone, Virginia.

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Vintage bathtub -

Someone in Los Angeles got a "rare antique galvanized tin cowboy bathtub" shipped all the way from Oklahoma.

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A tree trunk -

Ripley's Believe It or Not! annual Strange Mail Contest had participants posting all sorts of odd objects. In 2014, one of them was a tree trunk.

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A prosthetic arm -

Another odd object received in the headquarters of Ripley's was a prosthetic arm.

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A human foot -

In 2012, former Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper was sent a human foot. The parcel was delivered to the Conservative Party headquarters. This was actually linked to a torso found in Montreal. Ottawa police took it from there.

Sources: (Listverse) (The Atlantic) (Reader's Digest) (HuffPost) (Postal Museum) (The Guardian)

See also: Get to know the Penguin Post Office

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