title: Postage stamps and postal history of Annam and Tongking
text: # 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
  
  ## Stamp issues
  
  ### 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.
  