For War Invalids 1973

North Vietnam, For War Invalids 1973, Michel Nr. P 21-22, July 27th, 1973; Two stamps showing 12 xu nominals were issued in perforation 11.0. While nominals were printed on these stamps they were still given out free of charge to eligible persons.

Here is the mint set.

Mint blocks of four from the sheet corner.

These stamps were not officially released imperforate however a very small number of imperforate trial proofs have come to market. Below is a imperforate single of the green and an imperforate pair of the red stamp.

Local letter (full contents preserved) mailed from Cam Pha to Ho Chi Minh City in May of 1975. T.P.HCMC machine arrival cancel on the reverse.

Single franking of the green stamp on a local letter from October of 1976 sent to HCM City. HC; City machine arrival cancel on there reverse.

Single franking on a local air mail letter (full contents preserved) sent from Hanoi to Gia Anh in August of 1975. HCM City arrival cancel on the reverse.

Rare multiple franking of the green free frank on a local letter sent from Hanoi to a member of the NVN military from September of 1975. One free frank was good for a weight up to 20 grams so this letter must have been of the second weight level.

Military Free Franks were typically used domestically but because these particular stamps featured a nominal value they were valid for international postage at 12xu each. Here is a rare international express mail letter sent to Klewitz in November of 1973 that features the two Free Franks together with an imperforate 1D stamp from the Lunar 16 set from 1971 and the 40xu stamp from the Reptile set for an overall postage of 1.64D. The letter was mailed in November of 1973 and has a red Fulda arrival cachet in front. Fulda circular arrival cancel on the reverse.

Mixed franking of the red 12 xu free frank together with the 40 xu Aircraft Shot Down stamp paying an overall postage of 52 xu on an international letter sent from Hanoi to Czechoslovakia in October of 1973.

Mixed franking of the red 12 xu Invalid Free Frank together with stamps from the Traditional Sports and Paramilitary Education sets for an overall postage of 74 xu on an international air mail letter sent from Hanoi to Switzerland in November of 1973.

Mixed franking of the red 12 xu Invalid Free Frank (2) together with the 50 xu stamp from the Traditional Sports set for an overall postage of 74 xu on an international air mail letter sent from Hanoi to Switzerland in March of 1974.

Mixed franking of two of the War Invalid stamps from 1973 along with the 50xu Folk Dance stamp paying an overall postage of 74 xu on an international letter sent from Hanoi to France in 1975.