Unified Vietnam, 600.Birthday of Nguyen Trai, October 6th, 1980, Michel Nr. 1132-1134; Three stamps with nominals of 12 xu, 50 xu and 1 Dong were issued in perforation 11.0.

Here is the mint set:

This set is subject to quite a bit of tonality that is caused by too little or too much printing color being guided to the printing plate.

The 12 xu value is therefore known with the variety of “yellow face and missing ornaments on gown”. Here a block of four:

Detailed scan of the affected area:

Here is the 50 xu value that shows a dark-blue instead of light-blue color:

Here is the 1 Dong value in which shows too little black color:

There are some re-occuring plate errors. Here is the 12 xu value that shows a broken “2” in “12”:

Detailed scan of the affected area:

This is the 50 xu value that shows a period under “M” of “Vietnam”:

Detailed scan of the affected area:

Here is a vertical pair that shows two different sizes of the stamp. The upper stamp is 2.95c, tall while the bottom stamp is 3.20cm tall. There is also a plate error in the shape of a black dot next to the Chinese character on the right and a black dot next to the line on the right:

Detailed scan of the affected areas:

Here is the 50 xu value that shows a plate error “dot between “UU” in “Buu”:

Detailed scan of the affected area:

Normally there is a white dot behind “Trai”. On one stamp in the sheet the dot is missing (here the bottom left stamp). It also shows the plate error “second break in the bottom white line”

Detailed scan of the affected areas:

Another mint block of four that shows the “missing white dot” on the bottom right stamp. The bottom left stamp shows a plate error “dot inside “V” of “Vietnam”. The block also has a horizontal double perforation error:

Detailed scan of the affected area:

These stamps were not officially released imperforate but a few im-perforated trial proofs have come to the market. Note the printer guiding marks surrounding the 1 Dong stamp:

Mint block of four of the 50xu value that is mis-perforated. The entire perforation is shifted to the left impacting the stamps image.

Mint block of four of the 1 Dong value that shows a vertical double perforation in-between the stamps:

Another mint block of four of the 1 Dong stamp that shows a horizontal double perforation between top stamps and selvage:

Hers is a mint block of four that shows a perforation error where the left perforation strike was applied too far left resulting in a stamp that is 35mm wide on the left but only 31mm on the right.

First Day Cover mailed domestically from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.

Local letter sent from Nguyen Binh to HCM City featuring the 6 xu Socialist Republic (Perf. 12) stamp together with two Nguyen Trai stamps paying the 30 xu domestic letter rate.

Mixed franking of the 12 xu Space Conquest stamp together with two 12 xu Nguyen Trai paying an overall postage of 36 xu on a domestic letter sent from what looks like a Hanoi Re-Education Center (B2G2D4T18) or political prison to a civilian in Ho Chi Minh City.

Registered local letter sent from Hanoi to HCM City in October of 1981 paying an overall postage of 1.50D made up of a multiple franking (3) of the 50xu Nguyen Trai stamps.

Mixed franking of two 50 xu Nguyen Trai stamps plus the 60 xu Einstein stamp paying an overall postage of 1.60D on a letter from Hanoi to Czechoslovakia in October of 1981.

Large registered letter from January of 1982 with a mixed franking made up of ten of the 20 xu Pigeon stamp plus seven National Union Congress and five Nguyen Trai 1D stamps paying an overall postage of 7.70D. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

International air mail letter sent in March of 1982 from The Nghe (small post office) to Paris, France carrying two of the 1D Nguyen Trai stamps plus the 30 xu Unified Vietnam stamp paying an overall postage of 2.30D.

Mixed franking of the Nguyen Trai, Lenin, Socialist Republic Vietnam, Cuban Revolution plus stamps from the Birds and Year of the Child paying an overall postage of 4.30D on a registered international air mail letter sent from HCM City to Hong Kong in December of 1980.

Registered letter mailed on November 3rd, 1980 to Klewitz. The letter also carries the whole set plus the red special cancel that was used for the First Day Covers. Green Fulda custom cachet on front. The overall postage amounted to 3.12 Dong.

Rare registered express mail letter sent to Klewitz in December of 1980. It carries the entire set plus the 3 xu value of the Nguyen Trai series from 1962. The overall postage amounted to 5.12. Unusual hand-made express mail label. Fulda arrival cancel on the reverse. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered letter sent from Quan 5 (Cholon) to Klewitz in July of 1980. The letter carries both color variations of all stamps in the set plus some other NVN stamps for an overall postage of 7.92 Dong (including the red free frank of 4 Dong).

Very rare registered letter sent from Ho Chi Minh City to Hong Kong in November of 1980. The letter features the entire set plus one of the 50xu values that is imperforated at the top and bottom margin. Error stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The letter also carries three of the second print 12 xu Five Year Plan stamps (Perf. 12.25) on the reverse. The overall postage amounted 2.50D.

Rare registered express mail letter sent from Hoa Binh to Klewitz in October of 1981. The letter carries a mass franking of the 12 xu Five Yeatr Plan stamp (1st Printing) plus five 1 Dong stamps from the Nguyen Trai set for an overall postage of 13.60 Dong. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered letter sent from Nguyen Trai to Klewitz in August of 1982. The letter carries the Women Congress set plus other NVN stamps for an overall postage of 22.82 Dong (including the red free frank for 15.5 Dong). Nguyen Trai stamp on the reverse. Transit cancel on the reverse. Green Fulda custom cachet one front.

Registered letter sent from Nguyen Trai to Klewitz in August of 1982. The letter carries half of the perforated Dahlia set. On the reverse are other NVN stamps including the rare Post Master Perforation of the Lotus stamp (Perf-14-15). Post Master Perforations on postally used cover are very rare. Block of four of the 1 Dong Nguyen Trai stamp on the reverse. The overall postage of the letter amounted to 13.28 Dong. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered letter sent from Nguyen Trai to Klewitz in August of 1982. The letter carries the other half of the perforated Dahlia set. On the reverse are other NVN stamps including the rare Post Master Perforation of the Lotus stamp (Perf-14-15). Post Master Perforations on postally used cover are very rare. 1 Dong Nguyen Trai stamps on the reverse. The overall postage of the letter amounted to 13.28 Dong. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Mixed franking of the 2D Total Liberation stamp (3) together with stamps from the Nguyen Trai and Dove sets paying an overall postage of 8.20D on an international registered air mail letter sent from Thi Nghe to the United States in June of 1982. U.S. arrival cancel and parts of notification card on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in March of 1985 from Quan 5 (Cholon) to Klewitz. The letter carries four pairs of the Friendship set plus some stamps from the provisional overprint and Independence sets for an overall postage of 50.12D. One of the 50xu Friendship sets shows the plate error of “symbol on the Vietnamese flag”. Different vertical overprint placement on the 50xu Rose stamps.  The Nguyen Trai stamp shows two sizes. Errors stamps on postally used cover are very rare. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in May of 1987 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries stamps from the  Elephant set plus stamps from Nguyen Trai, Reconstruction, Year of the Cat and Day the Child sets.  There are also two of the military free frank issued in 1981 that were technically not valid for international postage but apparently were nevertheless accepted by the postal clerk. The Nguyen Trai and Day the Child stamps were still denominated in old Dong while all 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 this date were only worth one tenth at the time of mailing. The overall postage hence amounted to 1.52 oD =0.15 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (77 nD) plus the red free frank for 296 nD for 373.15 nD.

Registered air mail letter sent in June of 1989 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the other half of the imperforate Helikopters set and imperforate souvenir-sheet plus stamps from the Hydro Stations, INDIA Stamp Exhibition, Butterflies, Nguyen Trai, Friedship and Sea Shell sets. Imperforate stamps and souvenir-sheets on postally used cover are very rare. The Friendship, Butterflies and Nguyen Trai stamps were still denominated in old Dong while all 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 this date were only worth one tenth at the time of mailing. The overall postage hence amounted to 3.24 oD = 0.24 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (3,800 nD) plus the red free frank for 6,660 nD for 10,460.24nD. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registration Nr. 103010

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