Year of the Cat

Unified Vietnam, Year of the Cat, January 6th, 1987, Michel Nr. 1768; A single stamp with a 3D nominal was issued in perforation 11.

In 1987 a set of new banknotes was issued by the Government. Below are samples of the 200D and 500D notes.

Front

Reverse

Front

Reverse

Mint block of four printed on white paper. The top left stamp shows the plate error of “wart on cheek of girl” and the bottom left stamp the plate error “left lower leaf broken”.

Detailed scans of the affected area

Mint block of four printed on grey paper. The top left stamp shows the plate error of “left lower leaf broken”.

Detailed scan of the affected area

Mint block of ten stamps on white paper on which the 1st, 2nd and 4th stamp from the left in the top row shows the plate error “left lower leaf broken”. The 4th stamp in the top row also shows the additional plate error of “girl missing eye-brow”.

Detailed scans of the affected areas

This stamp was not officially released imperforate however a number of imperforate trial proofs have come to market. Here are two mint blocks of four. The first one is printed on white and the second on grey paper.

Single franking of the 3D stamp on a local ai mail letter sent in December of 1987 within HCM City. New type machine cancel.

Multiple franking of the 3D value (2) on a folded air mail letter sent from Lam Dong to HCM City in September of 1987.

Mixed franking of two 1D Fincus Glomerata stamps together with the 3D Year of Cat stamp paying an overall postage of 5D on a domestic air mail letter sent in February of 1988 to HCM City. Bin Than transit and HCM City machine arrival cancel on the reverse.

Mixed franking of the 10D Solidarity Committee stamp together with the 3D Year of Cat stamp paying an overall postage of 13D on local air mail letter mailed within HCM City in 1988.

Mixed franking of three 2D Indochina War stamps together with seven Year of the Cat stamps paying a total postage of 27D on an international air mail letter sent Vuon Xoai (small post office) to Romania in August of 1987.

Registered air mail letter sent in April of 1987 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the imperforate Year of the Cat stamp plus stamps from the Chinese New Year, Union Congress, Poultry, Traditional Instruments (imperforate), Peace Meeting and Reconstruction sets. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The Chinese New Year and Peace Meeting 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 18 oD =1.80 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (52 nD) plus the red free frank for 276 nD for 329.8 nD. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in April of 1987 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries eight of the Year of the Cat stamps plus stamps from the August Revolution (souvenir-sheet), Flat Fish (imperforate) Reconstruction and Communist Party sets. Imperforate stamps and souvenir-sheets on postally used cover are very rare. The August Revolution stamps are in the yet unlisted perforation 10.75. The August Revolution and Flat 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 10.70 oD =1.07 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (164 nD) plus the red free frank for 422 nD for 587.07 nD.

Registered air mail letter sent in May of 1987 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries three of the Year of the Cat stamp plus stamps from the Chinese New Year (color variations), October Revolution, Traditional Houses, Union Congress, KPdSU and Reconstruction sets. The October Revolution stamps are all perforated 12.5. The Chinese New Year 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 26 oD =2.60 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (55.5 nD) plus the red free frank for 318 nD for 376.1 nD. 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 eight Year of the Cat stamp plus stamps from the Communist Party, Union Congress and National Assembly sets. The October Revolution stamps are all perforated 12.5. The bottom left Year of the Cat stamp in the blok of four shows the plate error “left lower leaf broken”. Error stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The Union Congress 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 4 oD =0.40 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (104 nD) plus the red free frank for 279 nD for383.4 nD. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in April of 1987 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries stamps that were still denominated in old Dong (Protected Animals) and new Dong (Vietnamese Post, Bronze Vessels, Reconstruction, Traditional Houses, Year of the Cat). The Traditional House stamps and Protected Animal stamps are imperforate. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. 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 (112 nD) plus the red free frank for 236 nD for 348.35 nD.

Registered air mail letter sent in February of 1987 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the Communist Party souvenir-sheet, the 1D, 2D and 5D stamp in Perf. 11.0 and the 4D stamp in rare Perf 11.0:12.5. The Year of the Cat stamp is imperforate. Souvenir-sheets and imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. Together with the stamps from the Reconstruction, Laos, Year of the Cat and Indochina War stamps and the red free frank (171D) the overall postage amounted to 242D. Fragment of green Fulda custom cachet on the reverse.

Registered air mail letter sent in December of 1986 as a mixed currency mailing from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the Communist Party set in Perf. 12.5. There are also stamps from the Reconstruction and Year of the Cat and Vietnamese Post sets. All of these stamps were already denominated in new Dong. The 30xu Communist Party stamps, however, were still denominated in old Dong.The 30xu stamps are represented with different plate errors and passer-shifts. Error stamps on stall used cover are veryy rare. 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 2.10 oD =0.21 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (81 nD) plus the red free frank for 462 nD for 543.21 nD.

Registered air mail letter sent in April of 1987 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries stamps from the Indochina War, Labor Day, Reunification, Traditional Houses (imperforate), Year of the Car (Imperforate), Union Congress and Asian Games (color varieties) sets. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The Union Congress and Asian Games 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 oD =0.30 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (59 nD) plus the red free frank for 275 nD for 334.3nD. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in April of 1987 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries stamps from the Indochina War (including one imperforate stamp), Reunification, Poultry (partially imperforate), Year of the Car (Imperforate), Union Congress and Dam Building sets. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The Union Congress 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 8 oD =0.80 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (61 nD) plus the red free frank for 187 nD for 248.80 nD. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in November of 1987 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the perforated Water and Mountain Spirits sets plus stamps from the Communist Party, Red Cross and Year of the Cat sets for an overall postage of 1,831D (including the red free frank for 1774). Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in June of 1987 from Binh Thanh to Klewitz and featuring stamps from the Red Cross, Year of the Cat, United Nations and Union Congress sets for an overall postage of 658D (including the red free frank for 647D). Fragment of green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in April of 1987 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries half of the perforated Butterflies set plus stamps from the Flat Fish, Traditional Houses (Imperforate), Reconstruction and Year of the Cat sets. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The Flat 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 2.4 oD =0.24 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (51 nD) plus the red free frank for 297 nD for 348.24 nD.

Registered air mail letter sent in April of 1987 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the other half of the perforated Butterflies set plus stamps from the Flat Fish, Traditional Houses (Imperforate), Reconstruction and Year of the Cat sets. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The Flat 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 1.6 oD =0.16 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (55 nD) plus the red free frank for 275 nD for 330.16 nD.

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 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 December of 1987 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the imperforate German Railway set in matching top right sheet margin with sheet numbers plus stamps from the Year of the Cat, Haley, 5 Billion Humans, Humane Living and Intercosmos (souvenir-sheet) sets. Imperforate stamps and Souvenir-Sheets on postally used cover are very rare. The Intercosmos stamps were still denominated in old Dong while the 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 October 13th were only worth one tenth at the time of mailing. The overall postage hence amounted to 3 oD = 0.3 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (48 nD) plus the red free frank for 1,077 nD for 1,125.3 nD. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.