Postage stamps and postal history of Annam and Tongking



A concise postal history of French Annam protectorate and Tongking protectorate, former territories of colonial French Indochina, that were located in present-day Vietnam. Dates 1888 - 1892

Overview
The protectorate government over Annam and Tonkin issued only a single series of stamps. On 21 January 1888 the protectorates overprinted "A & T" or "A – T" (an abbreviation for the French protectorates of Annam and Tonkin) on nine different French colonial commerce type stamps. These overprints included a surcharge of either 1 centime or 5 centimes. The surcharges that were added to these postage stamps come in different types with various letters and numerals and a variety of errors are known to exist.

By the year 1892 the regular issue postage stamps of French Indochina had replaced the overprint issues of Annam & Tonkin.

List

 * Dates : 1888 - 1892
 * Currency : 100 centimes = 1 franc
 * Refer : Indo-China Territories

Geography
Tongking, also spelt Tonkin, is the northern part of Vietnam. Annam comprises most of central Vietnam.
 * Capital: Hanoi
 * Frontiers: Tongking is bounded by China (north); Gulf of Tongking (east); Annam (south); Laos (west). Annam is bounded by Tongking (north); Cochinchina (south); South China Sea (east); Cambodia and Laos (west).
 * Language: Vietnamese and French.
 * Religion: Mahayana Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism

History

 * 1885 : Annam & Tongking became French protectorates following war with China.
 * 1887 : Included in Indochina with Cambodia and Cochinchina.
 * 1888 : (21 January) One issue was released with 9 stamps. These stamps were French Colonial Commerce types overprinted A&T plus a surcharge of either 1 or 5 centimes.
 * 1892 : The issue was replaced by stamps of Indochina.
 * 1893 : Laos was added to the union.
 * 1949 : (14 June) Annam & Tongking became part of the new colony of Vietnam.