Unified Vietnam, 8. National Assembly, April 12th, 1987, Michel Nr. 1783-1786; Four stamps in nominals of 10D, 20D, 30D and 50D were issued in perforation 11. These high nominal values were urgently needed as inflation rates had reached 450% in 1986 and 380% in 1987 and so existing stamp nominals, especially for foreign mail or letters with additional services (Registration, Express Mail) could not easily be paid with them any longer. The use of free frank machines was essential during that time.

Here is the mint set in pairs

These stamps were not officially released imperforate however a very small number of imperforate trial proofs have come to market. Here are exceedingly rare imperforate pairs that were executed in slightly different colors as the final issued stamps and with black and white flags within the design (insteadcof the red flags on the final designs). 

Detailed scan of a sample black and white flag within the stamp design

There are also imperforate trial proofs that represent the final stamp design and colors. These are more common than the ones shown above but still rather hard to find.

Mint pair of the 20D value on which both stamps show the plate error of “nearly completely closed 4 in 1945”.

Detailed scan of the affected area

Very significant passer-shift of the black color downwards on the 50D value

Perforation errors also exist. Here is a mint block of four of the 50D value which is missing the vertical perforation on the left margin and in-between stamps.

Mixed franking of the 10D and nine 50D values for an overall postage of 460D on an international air mail letter sent from Bien Hoa to the United States.

Single franking of the 20D value on a local air mail letter sent in May of 1988 from Quan 1 to a member of the Vietnamese military (note the Hom Thu number in the address line). Ha Bach transit cancel on the reverse.

Single franking ion the 20D value on a local letter sent in February of 1988 from Lam Dong Province to HCM City.

Single franking of the 20D value on a local letter sent in July of 1988 from Hanoi to HCM City. Binh Thanh transit and HCM machine arrival cancel on the reverse.

Mixed franking of the 20D value (2) together with the 5D Labor Day stamp paying an overall postage of 45D on an international air mail letter sent from Dong And (small post office) to Czechoslovakia in October of 1987.

Rare multiple franking of the 20D value (13) paying an overall postage of 260D on an international letter setoff rom Bien Hoa to France in May of 1987. Orange French postal route coding on front.

Interesting letter back that demonstrates the general lack of sufficient high nominal stamps at local post offices. Here eight of the 30D National Assembly stamp were over-layed on top of ten 1D Union Congress stamps. As a result post officers were required to apply stamps on top of each other in order to find space for them on the envelope. This must have been done by the post officer as only this way could it be verified that the stamps that were covered up had not already been used.

Multi franking of the 50D value (2) on an international air mail letter sent in October of 1988 Quang Ngai to Czechoslovakia paying an overall postage of 100D.

Multi franking of nine the 50D values paying an overall postage of 450D on an international air mil letter sent in October of 1987 from Hanoi to France in October of 1987.

Multiple franking of the 50D value (9) paying an overall postage of 450D on a letter sent from Hanoi to France in August of 1987. This shows one the great difference between postal rates to Western and Eastern countries (note the above letter from October 87 to Czechoslovakia was only 100D).

Mixed franking (6) of the 1D value (Perf. 11.0) and 50D National Assembly (5) for an overall postage of 256D on an international letter sent from Hanoi to France in June of 1987.

The significant increases of international postage in the mid 1980’s required higher and higher nominals. Mass franking of the 50D and 30D National Assembly stamps on a letter from Hai Duong (small post office) to France for an overall postage of 730D (cover opened).

Mixed franking of eight 50D values together with the 20D Reconstruction stamp (small star) paying an overall postage of 420D sent from Hanoi to France in August of 1987.

Mixed franking of fourteen 50D and one 10D values together with the 10D Corals stamp paying an overall postage of 720D sent from Him City to the United States in February of 1988.

Registered air mail letter sent in May of 1988 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the perforated and imperforate National Assembly stamp set plus stamps from the Friendship, Cactus, Traditional Minorities and Red Cross sets. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The Friendship 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 3.50 oD =0.35 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (265 nD) plus the red free frank for 1317 nD for 1,582.35nD. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in June of 1987 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the perforated National Assembly stamp set plus stamps from the Communist Party, WW II, Dimitroff, Bonsai, Rare Plants and Day of the Environment sets. The Communist Party,WW II and Dimitroff 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 7.90 oD =0.79 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (196 nD) plus the red free frank for 177 nD for 373.79nD. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Air mail letter sent in June of 1987 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the entire National Assembly imperforate trial proof set without the red flag in the stamp design and stamps from the Reforestation and Dam Building sets for an overall postage of 116.30D. Trial proofs on postally used cover are basically unheard of. Extremely rare.

Registered air mail letter sent in June of 1987 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the perforated National Assembly stamp set plus stamps from the Contract with the USSR, Defense and production, Rabrindanath and  Worker Militia sets. The Worker Militia, Rabrindanath, USSR and production and Defense 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 22.20 oD =2.22 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (160 nD) plus the red free frank for 223 nD for 385.22nD.

Registered air mail letter sent in July of 1987 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the entire perforated National Assembly stamp set plus stamps from the Traditional Houses, Birds, Year of the Cat and Bonsai sets for an overall postage of 363D (including the red free frank for 227 D). Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in July of 1987 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries three of the perforated National Assembly stamp set plus stamps from the Traditional Houses (Imperforate), Communist Party,  Bonsai, Labor Day and Rare Plants sets for an overall postage of 383D (including the red free frank for 272 D). Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. Fragment of the 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 perforated National Assembly stamp set plus stamps from the Production and Defense, August Revolution, Year of the Cat, October Revolution and Union Congress sets. The Union Congress, October Revolution and Defense and Production 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 2.80 oD =0.28nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (129 nD) plus the red free frank for 252 nD for 381.28 nD.

Registered air mail letter sent in June of 1988 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries stamps from the Parrots (including the souvenir-sheet), Bonsai (imperforate), National Assembly, Ha Long Bay (imperforate) and Paracel and Spratly Islands sets. Souvenir-Sheets and imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The Ha Long Bay 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 oD =0.10 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (334 nD) plus the red free frank for 1,119 nD for1,453.1nD. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in August of 1988 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries perforated and imperforate stamps from the Parrot set plus stamps from the Off-shore Oil Production, National Assembly, Newspaper Problems of Peace and Socialism and HAFNIA Airplanes  (imperforate) for an overall postage of 3,650D (including the red free frank for 2,400D). Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front. Fulda arrival cancel on the reverse.

Registered air mail letter sent in November of 1988 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the Ton Du’c Thang stamps in pairs perforated and imperforate in the different color variations plus stamps from the National Assembly and Tourism sets for an overall postage of 5,340D (including the red free frank for 4,5300D). Imperforate stamps o postally used cover are very rare.  Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent February of 1989 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries perforated stamps from the Locomotives set plus stamps from the National Assembly,  Communist Party, Hydro Stations, Cambodian National Day, Newspaper and Parrot (imperforate) sets for an overall postage of 6,552D (including the red free frank for 3,720D). Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare.

Registered air mail letter sent February of 1989 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries perforated stamps from the Locomotives set plus stamps from the National Assembly, Hydro Stations, Newspaper, Ton Du’c Thang and Ocean Fish sets. The Ocean Fish 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 1.04 oD = 0.10 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (3,490 nD) plus the red free frank for 3,720 nD for 7,210.1nD.

Registered air mail letter sent in April 2001 from Ban Co to Klewitz. The letter carries block of four of the 70 Years Modern Native Front stamp plus stamps from the Freightliners, Domestic Plant, Vietnam in the 20th Century, Communist Party and National Assembly sets for an overall postage of 28,900D. Incoming German Post registration receipt on the reverse.

Registration Nr. 104250

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