Tangier

under construction, don't you know

Tangier is a city in northern Africa near the Straits of Gibraltar.

French and British postal agencies were established in the 1850s. In 1923, it was declared an international zone, administered by France, Great Britain and Spain. Nobody asked what the people of Tangier thought.

French issues

 * Beginning in 1918, French Morocco types Blanc/Mouchon/Merson definitives were overprinted TANGER.
 * In 1929, French Morocco airmail semipostals were overprinted Tanger.





Postage due

 * In 1918, several French scroll dues were overprinted TANGER.
 * In 1918, four then-current french dues were similarly overprinted.



German issues
From 1912 to 1919, a post office was opened in Tangier using the stamps of the German offices in Morocco. No specific issues were created by Germany for Tangier. See: Germany – offices in Morocco.

British issues
A British postal agency was opened in Tangier in 1857, using stamps of Gibraltar, from the Bermuda overprints to the sterling issues and later Spanish currency issues. They were replaced by Morocco Agencies stamps issued in 1898.

Morocco Agencies stamps in sterling were used until the end of 1948. Morocco Agencies stamps in Spanish currency were used until 1927. Beginning that year, British stamps were overprinted for use in Tangier, typically only with a few values of each issue. 
 * In 1927, several typographed/surface printed George V definitives oveprinted TANGIER were released.
 * In 1934-35, photogravure George V definitives were similarly overprinted.
 * Beginning in 1935, the Silver Jubilee issue was issued as the first of the omnibus issues. It was overprinted twice, reading up and then down. Later omnibus issues would just have single TANGIER overprint.
 * In 1936, Edward VIII stamps were issued with overprint.
 * In 1937, George VI definitives were overprinted. Two values in revised paler colors were issued in 1944 with the rest of the values to 10/- released in 1949.
 * In 1950-51, George VI stamps in new colors were issued.
 * In 1952-54, overprinted Elizabeth II Tudor crown watermark definitives were issued.
 * In 1955, overprinted Castle shilling values with St. Edward's crown watermark were issued. These were followed by the low values with the same watermark in 1956
 * In 1957, definitives were overprinted with 1857-1957 / TANGIER for the centennial of the British post office in Tangier.
 * At then end of April 1957, British Tangier stamps were withdrawn.



Spanish issues

 * In 1923, Red Cross semipostals of Spain were overprinted CORREO ESPAÑOL / TANGER.
 * In 1929, the Seville-Barcelona issue of Spain was overprinted TANGER in tiny letters.
 * In 1937-39, various stamps of Spain were overprinted TANGER vertically, Correo Español Tanger and Correo Aero Tanger, Tanger, Via Aerea Tanger plus Correo Tanger overprinted on consular stamps.
 * In 1948-51, engraved pictorials inscribed TANGER were issued. This included airmails.



Special delivery

 * In 1926, a 20c semipostal special delivery stamp showing the royal family was released.
 * In 1949, a 25c value showing a horse and rider was issued.



In 1956, Tangier became independent and joined Morocco.