Unified Vietnam, 35 Years Red Cross in Vietnam, May 15th, 1982, Michel Nr. 1226-1227; Two stamps in the nominals of 30 xu and 1 Dong were issued in perforation 11.

Here is the mint set. There is a re-occuring plate error on the 1 Dong stamp that shows two dots instead of one under the E of VIETNAM. 

Detailed scan of the affected area:

 

The 30 xu value is also known onto different papers. Below are two blocks of four. The first one is printed on white paper while the second on his printed on grayish paper.

Mint block of four that shows a number of re-occuring plate errors. The top left stamp (Field 5)  shows the plate errors of “two dots under the E of VIETNAM” and “a black dot on the left side of the green frame”. The black inscription also shows a double impression caused by a insufficiently tightened rubber mat causing vibrations. The bottom left stamp (Field 15) shows the plate errors of “black dot under B of BUU”, “two dots under E of VIETNAM” and “a green dot on top of ET inside the medallion”. The top right stamp (Field 6) shows the plate error of “an additional black dot after the inscription on the right side.” The stamp also shows a double impression of the black color. The bottom right stamp (Field 16) shows the plate errors of “an additional dot inside the E of VIETNAM” and “a black dot  under the 6 of 1946”. 

Detailed scans of the affected areas:

These stamps  were not officially issued im-perforated but a small number of im-perforated trial proof have come to market. Below are the phase prints of the 30 xu value. The first one shows only the blue color while the second one shows the blue and red color.

The imperforate proofs of the finished stamp come also in two paper varieties. The first one is printed on white paper while the second one is printed on grayish paper. Also note the much clearer impression of the first stamp.

Below is a strip of five 30xu stamps that shows a faulty red print and an empty white field on the left side of the sheet.

Phase prints of the 1 Dong value. The first one is executed in the green color only, the second one shows the 1 Dong proof in the blue color of the 30 xu stamp (!) and the third proof shows both the green and red color.

Exceedingly rare trial proof (ex Klewitz) that shows the 1 Dong finished stamp in a light green color. This color proposal was finally rejected as evidenced by the issued stamps. It is also interesting to note that the proof already shows the same plate error of two dots under E of VIETNAM.

Detailed scan of the plate error:

Registered letter sent from Nguyen Trai to Klewitz in August of 1982. The letter carries the Red Cross set. The 1 Dong value  shows the plate error of “additional point inside the E of VIETNAM”. Error stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The overall postage amounted to 13.24 (including the red free frank for 7.4 Dong). Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Detailed scan of the plate error:

International air mail letter sent in October of 1982 from Hanoi to Czechoslovakia. The letter carries the 30xu  Day of the Environment stamp plus the 1D Red Cross stamp for an overall postage of 1.30D.

Mixed franking of the 60 xu Flat Fish value together with the 1D Red Cross stamp paying an overall postage of 1.60D on an international letter sent to Czechoslovakia in 1983.

Air mail letter sent in March of 1982 from Hanoi to a Vietnamese in Czechoslovakia. The letter caries the 1D Red Cross stamp plus the 60 xu Einstein stamp for an overall postage of 1.60D.

Mixed franking of the 2D Bulgaria stamp together with a 1D Red Cross stamp paying an overall postage of 3D on an international air mail letter sent from Hue to France in March of 1983.

Rare multiple franking of the 1D Red Cross value (4) paying an overall postage of 4D on an international air mail letter sent from Hue to the United States in April of 1983.

Registered letter sent from Nguyen Trai to Klewitz in August of 1983. The letter carries a block of four of the 1 Dong Red Cross stamp. All four stamps show the plate errors illustrated above. There are also color varieties of the 5 Dong World Union Congress stamp. Error stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The overall postage of the letter amounted to 30.6 Dong (including of the red free frank for 3 Dong. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter the features both Karl Marx stamps plus a block of four of the Red Cross stamp that shows a double printing of the black color on the top two stamps. Error stamps on postally used cover are very rare. There are also some Wading Bird stamps. The overall postage of the letter amounted to 43.50D. Partial green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent as a mixed currency franking in December of 1988 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the Motorcycle souvenir-sheet , plus stamps from the Red Cross (in different color shades) and Hai Phong Liberation sets that were still denominated in old Dong. The stamps on the reverse are 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 this date were only worth one tenth at the time of mailing. The overall postage hence amounted to 14.5 oD = 1.45 nD. plus the red free frank for 4,900 nD plus stamps in new Dong 165nD for a total of 5,066.45 nD.

Registration Nr. 103190

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