INDO CHINA (French colony in Asia)

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Indo China (Indochine in French) consisted of the French colony of Cochin-China and the French protectorates of Annam, Tonkin, Laos and Cambodia. Cochin China, Tonkin, and Annam were later combined to form a new country: Vietnam. The capital of Indo-China was Hanoi.

Stamps of the French Colonies used in Indo China

Stamps of the french colonies were used in Indo China, cancelled with a diamond like shape of small dots with 'CCH' in the middle

Stamp of the French Colonies used in Cochin-China:

Stamps used in Saigon:

Tonkin cancel

This is a forged Tete-beche pair made by the stamp forger Fournier. This forgery was listed as 'First choice forgery' under 'Colonies Francaises' in his 1914 pricelist. It has the cancel "COCHINCHINE 6 OCT 76 SAIGON"

COCHIN-CHINA (Cochin-Chine)

1886 Stamps of the French colonies surcharged:

'5 C.CH.' on 2 c brown

  '5' on 25 c yellow
  '5 C.CH.' on 2 c brown on yellow
  '5 C.CH.' on 25 c yellow
  '5' on 25 c black
  '15 / 15' on 30 c brown

A '5 C.CH.' on 25 c black was prepared, but not issued.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
'5' on 25 c yellow	RR	RR
'5 C.CH.' on 2 c	***	***
'5 C.CH.' on 25 c	***	***
'5' on 25 c black	***	***
'15/15' on 30 c	***	***

Forgeries:

(Forged cancels and forged overprints taken from a 'Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries')

The forged Fournier cancels are:
'* SAIGON * 3E/7 NOV 86 COCHINCHINE'
'MYTHO 2E/16 AOUT 92 COCHINCHINE'
'* COCHINCHINE * 6 OCT 76 SAIGON'
'SAIGON CENTRAL 2E/24 OCT 92 COCHINCHINE'
'BACLIEU 1E/27 JUIN 92 COCHINCHINE'

(Forged cancels of Fournier)

The forged Fournier cancels of Tonkin are:
'NAM-DINH 1 OCT. 92 TONKIN'
'HANOI 3E/27 FEVR 88 TONKIN'
'HA-NOI 2E/21 JUIL 92 TONKIN'

(Fournier forgeries with the 'HANOI 3E/27 FEVR 88 TONKIN' cancel as shown above, this forgery was offered as genuine on an internet auction)

This is a 5 F postage due forgery of the French Colonies made by Fournier taken from a Fournier Album of Philatelic forgeries with 'FAUX' overprint and a green cancel 'SAIGON CENTRAL COCHINCHINE 2E/24 OCT 92'. Next to it a 2 F forgery with the same cancel.

Postage due stamps of the French Colonies with diagonal overprint 'COCHINCHINE' are bogus stamps made by the forger Georges Carion in 1895.

Bogus 'COCHINCHINE' overprints on postage due stamps of the French Colonies. I have seen this overprint on the values 5 c black, 10 c black, 15 c black, 20 c black, 30 c black, 40 c black, 60 c black, 2 F brown and 5 F brown.

Two Carion advertisements in the 'Evergreen State Philatelist'. His names is spelled George in the first and Georges in the second advertisement. In both cases an image of the COCHINCHINE stamps is placed at the left hand side.

Advertisement of Carion in the Montreal Philatelist Vol.1 No. 7 page 30, praising the Cochinchina forgeries he made.....

INDO CHINA

1889 Stamps of the French colonies, overprinted

  overprint: 'INDO-CHINE 1889 5 R - D' (red)
    5 on 35 c brown on yellow

  overprint:'INDO-CHINE 89 5 R D'
    5 on 35 c brown on yellow

The letters 'R' and 'D' refer to the colonial governor P.Richaud and the postmaster in Saigon P.Demars. In the first overprint '1889' also exists in a smaller type. This overprint also exists inverted. The second overprint exists with missing '89' (all very rare).

Missing '89'

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
'INDO-CHINE 1889 5 R-D'	R	R
'INDO-CHINE 89 5 R D'	**	***

Forgeries: Fournier has made forgeries of these stamps, inclusive inverted overprints in black (genuine overprints are red!):

(Inverted and normal forged black overprint, for more information on these forgeries, click here)

Forged Fournier overprints (reduced sizes) taken from a Fournier Album

For stamps of Indo China 1893 issue, click here and stamps issued later than 1903, click here.

Parcel stamps

1891 Stamps of French colonies, overprinted "INDO-CHINE TIMBRE COLIS POSTAUX" in red

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
10 c	***	***	Manually surcharged in brilliant ink: R