The postal history of Malta began in the early modern period, when pre-adhesive mail was delivered to foreign destinations by privately owned ships for a fee. The earliest known letter from Malta, sent during the rule of the Order of St John, is dated 1532. The first formal postal service on the islands was established by the Order in 1708, with the post office being located at the Casa del Commun Tesoro in Valletta. The first postal markings on mail appeared later on in the 18th century. The postal service was reformed in 1798 during the French occupation of Malta, and the islands were taken over by the British in 1800. In the early 19th century, two separate post offices were established in Malta: the Island Post Office and the Packet Office, with the latter forming part of the British Post Office. Their operations were amalgamated in 1849, and British postage stamps began to be used in Malta in August 1857. Malta's first postage stamp—the Halfpenny Yellow—was issued in 1860 for use on local mail, while letters sent to foreign destinations continued to be franked with British stamps. In 1885, the Malta Post Office was set up and Halfpenny Yellows and British stamps were no longer valid in Malta. A set of six definitive stamps along with several types of postal stationery were issued. Malta continued to issue stamps and stationery throughout the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. At some points from the 1880s to the 1980s, postage stamps or dual-purpose postage and revenue stamps were also valid for fiscal use, but at times separate revenue stamps were issued. Postage due stamps were issued between 1925 and the 1990s. In 1995, the private limited company Posta Limited was set up to run the postal service. The public limited company MaltaPost took over in 1998, and was gradually privatized between 2002 and 2008. Postal history Hospitaller rule and French occupation (1530–1800) The earliest known information about mail in Malta is from when the islands were under Hospitaller rule. It is believed that prior to the Order's arrival in Malta in 1530, correspondence between Malta and Sicily was carried on private vessels such as speronaras for a fee. The earliest known letter from Malta is dated 14 June 1532; Grand Master Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam sent it to , the Bishop of Auxerre, who was also the French ambassador in Rome. After