History of Vietnam Stamps

In Vietnam, immediately after their invasion of South Vietnam in 1890, the French colonialists had organized postal services, mainly for military purpose and French senior) official at that time.

According to many archives, the first postage stamp officially circulated in Cochinchine now South Vietnam) in 1863 by the French colonialists. The stamp features the image of imperial eagle. This stamp was used in all French colonies (the difference had been only seen on the post marks of each colony).

Most of researchers share the view that the first type of commercial stamps appeared in  Vietnam in the period between 1886 and 1887, overprinted with the letters C.CH. (abbreviation of Cochinchine - now South Vietnam).

In 1888, this kind of stamps was widely used by French colonialists of which in central Vietnam was over-printed with the letter "A" (abbreviation of ANNAM - now central of Vietnam and used in northern Vietnam were over-printed with the letter "T" (abbreviation of TONKIN now North Vietnam).

In 1889, the Indochina stamps officially came into being and were used in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. These were colonial stamps over-printed with "INDO-CHINE" number 1889 or 89, the two letters "R D" and the numbers (the letter R is the abbreviator RICHAUD, the French governor’s surname; and the letter "D" for DEMARS the surname of Postmaster general).

From 1941 to 1945, almost all of Indochina stamps were designed by Vietnam painters and printed in Vietnam as well.

On 2nd September 1945, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam proclaimed the independence The young Republic could not immediately issue its own stamps, so some of the Indochina stamps were temporarily used with new inscriptions "DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM”, “INDEPENDENCE, FREEDOM, HAPPINESS", “POSTS". "FAMINE RELIEF' and "PEOPLE’S LIVELIHOOD”... over-printed.

Altogether, 13 different inscriptions were over-printed on 53 different Indochina stamps converting into 57 Vietnamese stamps.

On 2 September 1946, marking the first National Day of the Democratic Republic Vietnam, the Postal Administration of Vietnam issued the stamp-set featuring the President' Ho Chi Minh's portrait upon decree No 172/SL signed on August 27th by the Government President, consisting of 5 values of the same design with different colours and face-values designed by painter Nguyen Sang. Among these denominations, there were two with extra-tax for national salvation. The issuance of this stamp-set was an important stage the development of Vietnam Postage Stamps.

In the arduous years of the resistance war against the French colonialists (1946-1954) the Postal Administration of Vietnam also issued postage stamps in order to meet the need for pre-paid postage on postal network and at the same time to popularize the Party a State's policies and victories of the Vietnamese people and army such as the stamp set “Production and thrift", “Dien Bien Phu victory”, "Liberation of the capital" etc. Stamps we printed by the most rudimentary means, using all the local material available, even perforated by sewing machine or other rudimentary tools.

Noteworthy was that some stamps were printed with face values in kilograms of rice. The first stamps of such kind is the series "Production and thrift" issued in 1952 with 4 face values of OK600, 1K000, 2K000 and 5K000.

By the victory at Dien Bien Phu, the French Government was forced to sign the Geneva Agreement and the peace restored in North Vietnam. Since then, a new stage of development has been opened to Vietnam postage stamps.

From 1945 to 1975 Vietnam had undergone an extraordinary historical change. There existed several political regimes in the country and they all issued their own postage stamps. Historically there were two major ideologies of stamps, namely:

           - Stamps of Revolutionary Government (circulated in liberated areas).

           - Stamps of the administration in the temporarily occupied areas.

A - Postage stamps issued by Revolution Government

 They included stamps issued by Revolution Administrations in different periods.

I - Postage stamps issued by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam:  

 1 - The over-printed Indochina stamps: 1945 - 1946 (temporary stamps)  

 2 - The stamps issued by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam: (Sept. 2nd, 1946 to June 24,   1976). Circulated in North Vietnam  

II - Postage stamps issued by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: (June 24, 1976 to now). Circulated all over the country.  

III - Postage stamps issued by the National Front for Liberation of South Vietnam:  (Dec. 20, 1963 to 1969), and Postage stamps issued by Provisional Revolutionary Government of Republic of South Vietnam: (April 22, 1970 to June 24, 1976). Circulated in the liberated zones of South Vietnam

B - Postage stamps issued by other regimes.  

I - Indochina stamps: (1889 - 1949)  

II - Vietnam National stamps (Bao Dai): (1951 - 1955).

Circulated in temporarily occupied areas.  

III - Stamps of the Republic of Vietnam (former Saigon regime): (1956 - 1975)  

Circulated in the areas under the control of the former regime.  

By the 30 April 1975 victory, South Vietnam was completely liberated and Vietnam reunified, the stamps issued by Saigon regime terminated its circulation.

On 25 April 1976, the National Assembly of Vietnam decided to change the name of country into the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. And that moment, stamps issued by the Provisional Revolution Government of North Vietnam and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam had run their course and merged into the postage stamps of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam with the inscription "VIET NAM". The last set of these two flows of revolutionary 5 features the map of Vietnam, peaches and apricots in blossom and the inscription "Vietnam is one, the Vietnamese nation is one" and "Independence, Unification and Socialism”.

After half a century of existence and development. Vietnamese Postage Stamps been growing up in every aspects. Vietnam stamps have reflected the country of Vietnam land and people, her historical landmarks and development and all other activities in Vietnam./.

Postally Used Indochina Postcard

Annam - Tonkin - ChochinChine

Postally Used Indochina Postcard

Postally Used Indochina Postcard