Shortly after acquiring the money order business from the managing proprietors, the Post Office reduced the rates of commission to 3_d._ for orders not exceeding £2 in value, and 6_d._ for orders above £2 but not over £5, the latter sum being at that time the maximum. In 1862 the issue of orders for larger sums was allowed at the following rates: 9_d._ when not in excess of £7, and 12_d._ between £7 and £10. On the first day of May, 1871, a further reduction was made and the following scale of charges announced: for sums under 10_s._, a penny; between 10_s._ and £1, 2_d._; between £1 and £2, 3_d._, and an additional penny for each additional pound to the £10 limit. It was found, however, that the low rate of a penny for small orders did not pay, and a decision was reached to raise the rate for these small orders and provide a cheaper means for their remittance by post. In pursuance of this policy the rate for orders under 10_s._ was increased to 2_d._, for orders between 10_s._ and £1 to 3_d._, and in 1881 the following rates were announced for postal notes: a halfpenny for notes of the value of 1_s._ and 1_s._ 6_d._; a penny for notes of the value of 2_s._ 6_d._, 5_s._ and 7_s._, 6_d._ and 2_d._ for notes costing 10_s._, 12_s._ 6_d._, 15_s._, 17_s._ 6_d._, and 20_s._ In 1884 a new series of postal orders was issued, the 12_s._ 6_d._ and 17_s._ 6_d._ notes being dropped and new notes issued of the value of 2_s._, 3_s._, 3_s._ 6_d._, 4_s._, 4_s._ 6_d._, 10_s._ 6_d._ for a penny each and the rate on the 15_s._ and 20_s._ notes was reduced to 1-1/2_d._ In 1903 still others were introduced with the result that a postal order may now be obtained for every complete 6_d._ from 6_d._ to 20_s._ and for 21_s._ and broken sums to the value of 5_d._ may be made up by affixing postage stamps. Finally, in 1905, the poundage on postal notes for 2_s._ and 2_s._ 6_d._ was reduced from 1_d._ to a halfpenny, and on postal orders for 11_s._ to 15_s._ inclusive from 1-1/2_d._ to 1_d._ In 1886 the money order rates were reduced as follows:-- _d._ On sums not exceeding £1 2 £2 3 £4 4 £7 5 £10 6 These rates were in their turn altered as follows on February 1, 1897:-- _d._ For an order not exceeding £3 3 Over £3 but not exceeding £10 4 Upon the representation of the Friendly Societies, which send a good many small orders, these rates were changed in May of the same year to the following:-- _d._ For an order not exceeding £1 2 exceeding £1 but not over £3 3 exceeding £3 but not over £10 4