Unified Vietnam, Defense and Production, December 25th, 1982, Michel Nr. 1280-1283; Four stamps in nominals of 30xu (2), 1 Dong and 2 Dong were issued in perforation 10.75.
Here is a mint block of eight of the blue 30xu stamp. The first stamp shows the plate error “H in NGHIA broken” and the fourth stamp shows the error “T in TAT tilted”.
Here are detailed scans of the affected areas.
Mint block of twenty stamps. The 4th, 5th, 9th and 10th stamps show the plate error of “cleft mouth of the girl”and the 17th stamp shows the plate error “T in TAT tilted”.
Detailed scan of the affected area.
These stamps were not officially released imperforate however a small number of imperforate trial proofs have come to market. Here is a pair of the blue 30xu value in completed design.
Here is an imperforate trial proof that is missing the dark blue color and hence the nominal value.
A very similar pair of trial prints but this time perforated.
The 30xu yellow/brown value is known to exist on two different paper varieties: White and tan. Here are two blocks of four that demonstrate the two varieties.
White paper featuring fields 49/50 & 59/60; the first stamp shows the plate error of “brooch on girls dress”, the third stamp “bird in rice husk” and the fourth stamp “dotted line on left side”.
Detailed scans of the affected areas:
Tan paper; The block four shows the exactly same plate errors as the block above. The block also features sheet fields 49/50 & 59/60;
Mint block of four on tan paper (featuring fields 47/47 & 57-58) that shows the plate error “dress with stains” on the first stamp, “yellow line on left side” on the second stamp and “butterfly on face/chest wart” on the third stamp.
Detailed scans of the affected fields.
Mint pair from fields 42-43. The right stamp shows the plate error of “wart on neck”.
Detailed scan of the affected area:
Mint pair representing fields 51-52. The left stamp shows the plate error “wart on cheek” and the right stamp “wart on ear”.
Detailed scan of the affected areas:
Mint block of eight. The fifth stamps features the plate error “overflowing rice basket” and the eight stamp the plate error “damaged IE in VIETNAM”.
Detailed scans of the affected areas.
The state printing works did not always maintain their machinery very well. Below is a mint block of six on which the left row shows a number of the horizontal perforation pegs missing resulting in partially imperforate areas.
This stamp was not officially released imperforate however a small number of imperforate trial proofs have come to market. Here is one in completed design but with a light-ochre instead of yellow color.
Imperforate pair of a trial proof. The left stamp shows the plate error “bird in rice husk”. The yellow this proof is lighter than the one before.
Here another imperforate trial proof with missing the yellow color.
Imperforate trial proof pair that shows a slanted yellow printing run.
Imperforate trial proof pair with a double print of the yellow color (one time upside down!).
Perforated trial proof pair which shows a double print of the yellow color and an upside down print in yellow of the 2 Dong value of this set!
Mint strip of four on which the two left stamps show a complete or partial failure of the yellow printing run.
The 1 Dong value comes printed on two different paper varieties. One is white and the other is tan color.
Mint pair on white paper.
Mint pair on tanned paper.
Here is a mint pair that shows the plate error of “bomb explosion under airplane”. It occurs in field 20 within the sheet 90 stamps.
Detailed scan of the affected area.
Mint block of six stamps on tanned paper. The first stamp (Field 1) shows the plate error of “missing dot after DAN”.
Detailed scan of the affected area.
Mint stamp on white paper showing he plate error of “green dot on ammunition pocket” (Field 90).
Detailed scan of the affected area.
Mint block of eight stamps from Fields 1-5 and 11-15 that shows a range of plate errors and an over-inking of the green color printing run. The first stamp shows the plate error “missing dot after DAN”, the sixth stamp are dots next to face”, the eight stamp (Field 13) “green mark on left side” and the final stamp (Field 15) the “bomb explosion under airplane”.
Detailed scan of the affected areas.
These stamps were not officially released imperforate however a small number of imperforate trial proofs have come to market. Here is an imperforate pair of which the left stamp missies the entire light brown printing run.
Imperforate trial proof which shows a significant passer shift of the light-brown color towards the right.
Imperforate trial proof with a blue-grey ghost print of the light-brown color print run in the selvage.
Mis-perforated trial proof that shows a significant passer-shift of the light-brown color upwards.
The 2 Dong stamp exist in two distinct varieties which are both shown in the mint pair below. The left stamp (Type 1) shows no additional lines above the scarf brooch while the right stamp (Type 2) shows small lines. Type 2 can be found on all stamps in the 2nd and 7th vertical row of 90 stamps.
Type 1
Type 2
There are also some plate errors known on this stamp. Here is a mint strip of three.Th two left stamps show a weak printing of the country name “VIETNAM”.
Detailed scan of the affected area.
Here is a mint strip of four on which the most left stamp shows a partial failure of the flower at the bottom right of the bunch.
Detailed scan of the plate error.
These stamps were not officially released imperforate however a small number of imperforate trial proofs has come to market. Below is an imperforate pair. The left stamp is of Type 2 while the right stamp is of Type 1.
Imperforate trial proofs only showing the violet color.
Type I
Here is the same proof but this time perforated.
Type 2 imperforate
Perforated trial proof pair with Type 1 and 2 that is grossly mis-perforated and shows a significant passer shift of the two printing colors.
Mint block of twenty stamps featuring fields 1-5, 6-10, 16-20 and 26.30. The second vertical row is all of Type 2. The eleventh stamp shows a plate error “horizontal line and small defect on binder” and second stamp from the bottom left shows the plate error “broken binder”.
Detailed scans of the affected areas.
The stamp exists on two different paper varieties. One is white while the other has more of a tan color. Below is a mint pair (white paper) that shows the plate error “missing hand and flowers” on the left stamp.
Pair on tanned paper with the same plate error.
Detailed scan of the affected area.
Pair on white paper and tanned paper on which the right stamp shows the plate error of “thick flowers”.
Detailed scan of the affected area.
Rare local letter featuring one of the 30 xu Defense and Production stamp on a local letter from Thanh Hoa province to Hai Phong.
Mixed franking of two of the yellow 30 xu value together with the 1D Red Cross stamp paying an overall postage of 1.60D on an international letter sent from Hanoi to East Germany in January of 1983.
Multiple franking of the 1D Defense and production stamps paying a 2 D postage on an international letter sent by a member of the military (note the Hom Thu number instead of the sender line) to Czechoslovakia.
Mixed franking of two of the 1D Defense and production stamps together with the 50 xu KPdSU stamp paying an overall postage of 2.50Don a registered domestic letter sent from Then Hai (small post office) to HCM City in August of 1983.
Rare multiple franking of the 2D Defense and production value (10) paying an overall postage of 20D on an international air mail letter sent in August of 1983 to France.
Rare registered letter sent from Nguyen Trai to Klewitz in January of 1983. The letter features the most of the set paying an overall postage of 10.92D (including the red free frank for 32xu). The 2D stamp is represented with three Type 1 and two Type 2 stamps. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.
Mixed franking of the 60 xu Flat Fish value together with the 1D Defense and production stamp paying an overall postage of 1.60D on an international letter from Hanoi to Czechoslovakia in April of 1983.
Air mail letter sent in October of 1983 from Hanoi to Czechoslovakia paying the 6D tariff by using one of the 5D Koch and 1D Defense and production stamp.
Air mail letter sent from Nguyen Trai to Klewitz in December of 1983 featuring a strip of five 1D Defense and Production and three 40xu Butterfly stamps. The right most 1D stamp features the plate error “exploding bomb below aircraft”. Plate error on postal yused cover are very rare. The overall postage amounted to 11.10D (including the red free frank for 4.90D). Green Fulda custom cachet on front.
Mixed franking featuring the entire Production and Defense set and World Congress stamps for an overall postage of 21.50D. The World Congress stamp on front shows the error “missing nominal value” and the 2D value the plate error “missing hand and flowers”. Errors stamps on postally used cover are very rare. Green FUlda custom cachet on front. Red UIT special cachet documenting the World Communication Year. The letter was sent in may of 1983 from Cholon to Fulda.
Mixed franking featuring the entire set plus some Wild Animal stamps on a registered letter setoff rom Nguyen Trai to Klewitz in May of 1983. The third 1D stamp shows the plate error “bomb exploding below aircraft”. Plate errors on postal used cover are very rare. The overall postage amounted to 26.40D. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.
Mixed franking on a rare registered letter sent from Nguyen Trai to Klewitz in October of 1983. The letter features a block of four of the 1D Production and Defense stamps that show an over-inking of the green printing run, the two color versions off the Communist Party stamp and other NVN stamps for an overall postage of 18.50D (including the red free frank for 8.50D). Errors stamps on postal used cover are very rare. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.
Very rare registered letter sent from Nguyen Trai to Ho ChiMInh City on October 28th of 1982 and featuring two imperforate stamps of the production and Defense set. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The cancel date would also question the official date (December 25th, 1982). Clearly these two imperforate stamps were used almost two months earlier than the issue date. Quan 5 arrival cancel on the reverse.
Very rare registered letter sent from Nguyen Trai to Ho ChiMInh City on December 4th of 1982 and featuring two imperforate stamps of the production and Defense set. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. Additional red free frank for 10 xu paying an overall postage of 1.40D. The cancel date would also question the official date (December 25th, 1982). Clearly these two imperforate stamps were used almost three weeks earlier than the issue date. HCM City arrival cancel on the reverse.
Here is a rather interesting registered letter from April of 1983 that was sent by relatives of a “Boat-People” family that found asylum in West Germany. The envelope used is an official U.S. army stationary that threatens a penalty of U.S. $300 for private use. According to Klewitz these envelopes were left behind in Thang That by the U.S. Army in 1975 and were then re-porpused as booty. The letter carries two of the 30D Defense and production stamps plus a blocmof four of the 2D Bulgaria stamp for an overall postage of 68 Dong.
Registered air mail letter sent in September of 1984 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the yellow/black overprint in two different base colors plus a block of six of the double rose overprints that shows different vertical heights of the overprint (from center of the sheet). There are also stamps from the Karl Marx, Union Congress and Defense and Production sets for an overall postage of 34.50 (the red free frank is illegible). Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet.
Registered air mail letter sent in February of 1985 from Quan 5 (Cholon) to Klewitz. Th letter features the entire perforated and imperforate Hanoi Liberation set. There are also stamps from the Defense and production, Karl Marx, Friendship and Communication Day sets for an overall postage of 45.50D. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.
Registered air mail letter sent in April of 1986 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries pairs of the New Year set and the 30xu Defense and Production stamp. These were still denominated in old Dong. On September 14th, 1985 the Vietnamese Government conducted a currency reform in which the Dong was devalued 10:1. This means the old stamps were only worth one tenth of their face value at the time of mailing (16.82D = 1.68nD). Together with the 10D Reconstruction stamps, the Le Loi stamps and the 15D red free frank the overall postage of the letter amounted to 39.68 nD. Fragment of green Fulda custom cachet on front.
Registration Nr. 103310
Comments are closed.