North Vietnam, CropPlants, March 1st, 1962, Michel Nr. 196-200; Five values were issued in the nominals of 2 xu (extension value), 6 xu (intra-city letter rate), 12 xu (two values for the standard domestic letter rate) and finally 30 xu (probably intended for overseas destinations). Production quantity 700,000 sets.

Here is the official Xunhasaba stamp bulletin that was issued for this set:

Here are mint blocks of four of all values:

Postally used 6xu stamp. Postally used stamps are at least ten times rarer than cancelled to order stamps.

This set was not issued im-perforated by postal authorities but a few im-perforated trial proofs have come to market. Here is one of the 12 xu stamps imperforate. Note the fragments of adjacent stamps at the top and right side of the stamp.

First Day Cover of the complete Crop Plant set sent on Mach 1st to Klewitz in West Germany. A single 12 xu stamp of the Union Congress was added for an overall postage of 74 xu. This would have been insufficient for a registered letter to West Germany 1.1 Dong) but the clever sender wrote “RDA” at the bottom of the address which stood for “East Germany”. The standard letter tate to East Germany, a fellow socialist country, was only 12 xu so by adding the 60 xu international registration fee the required postage came to 72 xu.

Very rare multiple franking of the 2xu value on a letter sent from Hanoi to Czechoslovakia in 1962. The 2xu extension value was mostly used on mixed frankings so a multiple franking presented here is very hard to come by. Czech arrival cancel on the reverse.

Two rare single frankings of the 6xu value on postcards to Czechoslovakia and Hungary paying the correct tariff.

Very rare local letter using the correct 12 xu tariff with a red boxed propaganda hand cachet. Most local letters got lost in the decades long wars, due to the very humid climate that destroys paper in a few years and extensive recycling of raw materials and so few of them exist today.

Air mail letter sent from Van-Chan to Bordeaux, France in August of 1962 carrying a rare multiple franking of one of the 12 xu values.

Mixed franking of the 2xu and 6xu stamp on a letter to Brno, Czechoslovakia paying 14xu postage. Since the standard letter rate was only 12xu either this letter was a bit heavier than the standard 20g or was simply over-franked.

Mixed franking of two of the Crop Plant stamps with one 6xu Agricultural Products stamp for an overall postage of 20xu. This was the correct tarifffor standard letters to fellow socialist countries from April, 15th, 1959 until March 1st, 1960.

Mixed franking from the same correspondence to Leipzig, East Germany featuring a 12xu Agricultural Crops stamp plus a 2xu Crop Plant stamp for an overall 14xu postage. The standard letter rate to east germany was 12xu for the first 20g so this letter may have been heavier than normal.

Mixed franking using the 3xu National Heroes stamp together with various other NVN series (including the 1 xu Crop Plants stamp) for an overall postage of 13xu (over-paying the 12xu standard letter rate by 1xu) on an air-mail letter to East Germany in 1962.

Mixed franking of the 2xu Crop stamp with the 10xu Pagoda stamp for an overall postage of 12xu on a letter from Hanoi to Prague, Czechoslovakia.

Xunhasaba stamp bulletin mailing announcing the release of the Wostok 3 set featuring a mixed franking of the 30xu value, the 50xu Animal stamp plus the 2xu Crop Plant stamp for an overall postage of 82xu. The bulletin was sent to West Germany still a rare destination in December of 1962.

Mixed franking of the 40D official Agrarian Reform stamp on thick paper denominated in Old Dong (worth 4xu after March 1st, 1959) together with general purpose postage stamps (Agrarian Plants, Five Year Plan, National Savings and Fruits) for an overall postage of 13xu on a letter sent to East Germany in January of 1962. Slightly in excess of the required 12xi tariff.

Here is a letter sent to Klewitz in West Germany two days after the first issue date. It contains the entire set of the Farm Animal set among other stamps. The overall franking amounts to 72 xu which would have been insufficient for a registered air mail letter to West Germany. However, the sender duped the postal clerk by writing “RDA” at the bottom of the address which stood for “East Germany”. Letters to fellow socialist countries only cost 12 xu plus the 60 xu international registration fee totaled to the 72 x affixed to the cover. The fraud was never discovered.

Mixed franking of the 6xu Crop stamp with the 6xu Pagoda stamp paying the correct 12 xu standard letter rate to Hungary.

Very rare express mail letter sent to Klewitz in April of 1970 featuring the entire im-perforated medical plant set plus two 30  xu stamps of the crop plant set. Im-perforated stamps postal used cover are very rare. Overall franking of 1.7 Dong. The standard letter rate to West Germany was 50 xu, international registration fee 60 xu and express mail fee 50 xu. So, the letter was either slightly over-franked or heavier than the standard 20 grams.

Rare express mail letter sent to Klewitz in April of 1970. It features the entire Cuban Revolution set plus four im-perforated 30 xu stamps of the Folk Dance set of 1962 and two 12 xu stamps from the crop plant issue. Im-perfroated stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The overall franking amounts to 1.68 Dong which is just a whisker above the required rate (50 xu standard letter rate, 60 xu international registration fee, 50 xu express mail fee)

Very rare registered express mail letter sent to Klewitz in October of 1968. It features the 30 xu value. The overall postage amounted to 1.58 Dong which was 2 xu shy of the required tariff for a standard registered express mail letter to West Germany (1.60 Dong). Fulda arrival cancel on the reverse.

Rare registered express mail letter sent to Klewitz in May of 1975 featuring the a late usage of a pair of the 30 xu value of the set plus a host of other NVN stamps. Overall postage of 2.90 Dong.

Registration Nr. 100680

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