Unified Vietnam, 30 Years Geological Service, October 5th, 1985, Michel Nr. 1616-1617; Two stamps, both with a 1D nominal, were issued in perforation 11.

Below are mint vertical pairs of the set. Note the perforated right selvage.

The green 1D value also comes on very thin and brownish paper. This printing also shows a rather poor perforation.

Mint block of six of the green 1D value on which the two top most stamps show a very weak printing of the top inscription.

Detailed scan of the affected area

Mint block of six of the blue 1D value on which the top right stamp shows the plate error “purple dot to the left of the tower” and the bottom right stamp the plate error “rock in soil layers”.

Detailed scans of the affected areas

These stamps were not officially released imperforate, however some imperforate trial proofs have come to market. Below are imperforate blocks of four of both values

Phase print of both color stages on both stamps

Single franking of the blue 1D value on a local letter sent from Hoa Hung to Thuan Hain January of 1986.

A little later a local letter already cost 2D, here made up of two of the blue 1 stamps on a letter from Hanoi to HCM City.

Multiple franking of the blue 1D value (7) on an international air mail letter to Czechoslovakia, hence paying a total postage of 7D, in February of 1985.

Single franking of the green 1D value on a local letter sent from Bao Loc (small post office) to HCM City in April of 1985.

Multiple franking (2) of there green 1D value on a local letter sent from Hanoi to HCM City.

Multiple franking of the green 1 D value (5) on a registered local letter paying a total postage of 5D and sent from Qui Nhon to HCM City in May of 1986. Illegible transit cancel on the reverse.

Registered air mail letter sent in January of 1986 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries perforated Geological Survey stamps plus stamps from theReconstruction, Socialist Republic and National Assembly sets. All stamps, except the Reconstruction stamps,  was still denominated in old Dong while The Railway ramps were already denominated in new Dong.  The Vietnamese Government conducted a devaluation of the Dong on September 14th, 1985. This meant that all stamps issued prior to October 13th were only worth one tenth at the time of mailing. The overall postage hence amounted to 3.36 oD = 0.34 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (20 nD) for 20.34 nD. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Mixed franking made up of five of the green 1D Geological Service tighter with the 10D and 20D Reconstruction stamps paying an overall postage of 35D on an international air mail letter sent from Quang Ngai (small post office) to France in April  of 1986.

Registered air mail letter mailed in June of 1986 from HO Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries a pair of the Geological Service stamps (including both paper variations on the green 1D value) plus stamps from the Hanoi Liberation, Soviet Union, Hai Phong Liberation and National Aassembly sets for an overall postage of 37.6D (including the red free frank for 23D). Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in July of 1986 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries blocks of four of the perforated Geological Survey stamps plus stamps from the Reconstruction, Cacti (imperforate), Union Congress (with weak print of the blue color) and Hanoi Liberation sets. Imperforate and error stamps on postally used cover are very rare. All stamps, except the Reconstruction and Haley stamps,  were still denominated in old Dong while the other stamps were already denominated in new Dong.  The Vietnamese Government conducted a devaluation of the Dong on September 14th, 1985. This meant that all stamps issued prior to October 13th were only worth one tenth at the time of mailing. The overall postage hence amounted to 17 oD = 1.70 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (15 nD) and the red free frank for 9D for 25.7 nD. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Local letter sent from Tan Binh to Ho Chi Minh City in June of 1986. The letter carries the imperforate set of the Geological Service stamps. Imperforate trial proofs on postally used cover are very rare.

Registered air mail letter mailed as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz in February of 1986. The letter carries attached pairs of the Laos set from the center of the sheet, stamps from the National Assembly, Geological Survey and Reconstruction sets (denominated in new Dong) plus stamps from the Ha Long and Union Congress sets (denominated in old Dong). The Vietnamese Government conducted a devaluation of the Dong on September 14th, 1985. This meant that all stamps issued prior to this date were only worth one tenth at the time of mailing. The overall postage hence amounted to 3.5 oD =0.35 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (17D) and the red free frank  for 7 nD or 24.35 nD. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in January of 1986 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries multiple sets of the Laos stamps plus stamps from the Reconstruction, National Assembly and Geological Survey sets for an overall postage of 36.5D (including the red free frank for 3D). One of the yellow 1D Laos stamps shows the plate error of “open O in KEO”. Error stamps on postally used cover are very rare. Fragment of green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registration Nr. 103970

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