North Vietnam, Author and Artist Congress, November 18th, 1961, Michel Nr. 185-188; Four stamps with nominals of 12 xu (two), 30xu and 50 xu were issued . There was also a souvenir-sheet that contained all four values partially perforated (20,000 sheetlets). The 12 xu covered the standard domestic letter rate and the 50 xu the standard letter rate to Western Europe. It is unknown what the 30 xu value was intended for. These stamps were intentionally issued perforated (13.5) and imperforate (230,000 perforated and 20,000 imperforate sets).
Here is the mint perforated set:
Here is the mint im-perferforated set:
There is a very rare color error known on the 30 xu stamp. Here the entire green printing phase is missing. Spectacular used block of four of this error.
Mint souvenir-sheet.
Souvenir-sheet carrying a special red First Day Cancellation. Cancelled souvenir-sheets are about 100:1 rarer than mint souvenir sheets and hence very much under-valued in all catalogues.
Here is the souvenir-sheet featuring the black First Day Cancel.
Here is the souvenir-sheet with a standard Hanoi date canceller.
Rare local letter franked with a single 12xu Artist Conference stamp mailed from a member of the North Vietnamese Military (see the Hom Thu Nr. in the sender address line) to Abc-Thai. The letter was cancelled on April 6th, 1971 in Phuong Viet (small post office). This cancel is the earliest registered cancel that already shows the zip code at the bottom.
Another rare local letter sent from a member of the military (note the Hom Thu sender number) from Hanoi in December of 1967 to Phan Quoc Sung.
Single franking of the green 12 xu stamp paying the correct tariff for an international air mail letter to a socialist brother country and mailed from Hanoi to Czechoslovakia in April of 1962.
Rare single franking of the 30 xu value on a letter from Hanoi to Paris, France paying to what appears to be a printed matter tariff (the standard letter tariff to Western countries was 50 xu).
Single franking of the 30xu value on a postcard sent in May of 1973 from Hanoi to East Germany.
Letter mailed to Klewitz in December of 1961. It features the entire set. Overall postage was 1.04 Dong which was actually not sufficient for a registered letter to West Germany (standard letter rate 50 xu plus 60 xu international registration fee), however, the clever sender had written “CHDC Duc” which stood for “East Germany”. The standard letter rate to this fellow socialist country was only 12 xu so for the postal clerk an overall franking of 1.04 Dong was sufficient.
Very rare registered express mail letter sent from Hai-Phong to Klewitz in February of 1970 featuring the souvenir sheet, the entire im-perforated set and stamps from the Peoples Sports set for an overall postage of 2.49D. Souvenir sheets and imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare.
Rare registered letter using three of the 12xu GANEFO stamps plus other NVN stamps (including the 30xu Artist Congress stamp) for an overall postage of 1.57D addressed to an editor of a newspaper called “The People” in East Germany. Given that the standard letter postage to East Germany was only 12xu and the registration fee 60xu this letter must have been heavier than the standard 20g.
Mixed franking of the 5xu value together with the 20xu Air Mail stamp and the 50xu Artit Congress stamp for an overall postage of 75xu mailed from Nghe-An (small post office) to France. The standard letter tariff to France amounted to 50xu so this letter must have been of the second weight level.
Colorful mixed franking of the 30xu Artist stamp with other NVN stamps for an overall postage of 72xu. The letter, sent from Bin Luc (small post office) was addressed to Theo Klewitz in West Germany and so should have cost 50xu postage plus 60xu registration fee for a total of 1.10D. However, the sender only wrote “Germany” on the envelope leaving it open if the letter was going to East or West Germany. The postal clerk hence accepted the lower 12xu postage to East Germany by mistake.
Rare express mail letter sent in November 1971 to Klewitz. It features a pair of the 30 xu and 50 xu value. Overall postage for the letter was 2.08 Dong on account of the registration and express mail fee. Fulda arrival cancel.
Spectacular multiple franking of the 12 xu New Year stamp in two different color shades. The red and green colors on the left four stamps are lighter than the block of four on the right. The letter was sent registered and by express mail to Klwitz in March of 1972. The overall postage of 1.96 can be explained with the 50 xu standard letter rate, the 60 xu international registration fee and the express mail fee. Note the passer markings on the selvage.
Mixed franking of the 30xu Artist stamp plus various other NVN stamps for an overall postage of 72xu (12 xu postage, 60xu registration fee). Th letter was sent from a small post office (Binh Luc) and it appears that the postal clerk was unaware that letters to West Germany actually cost 50xu postage. He/She therefore accepted the 12xu postage that would have been sufficient for a letter to East Germany.
Mixed currency franking mailed as “Specimen/Printed Matter” to England in 1964 using two of the 100D Russian Revolution stamps denominated in old Dong (and worth only 20xu after the March 1st, 1959 devaluation), plus one 50xu Artist Congress and 4xu Start of the War stamp for an overall postage of 74xu.
Very rare express mail letter sent to Klewitz in Mach of 1972. It features four stamps of the 12 xu value, 2 stamps of the 50 xu value plus values from the Chinese New Year set for an overall postage of 1.78 Dong. The strip is on vertically ribbed paper. The single stamp is on horizontally ribbed paper. Express mail letters from North Vietnam are very hard to find. The postage can be explained by the 50 xu standard letter rate to West germany, the international registration fee (60 xu) and the express mail fee (exact amount unknown).
Very rare large envelope mailed registered and via express mail to Klewitz in July of 1972 Apart from a strip of the first 12 xu stamps it also carries im-perforated stamps of the artist and writer as well as the fish stamp set. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The overall postage amounted to 2.02 Dong which appears to be in line with the postal tariff for such a large envelope.
Another very rare registered express mail letter sent to Klewitz in July of 1972. The letter features the im-perforated 12 xu stamp plus other im-perfroated stamps. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The overall postage here amounted to 1.80 Dong which may have been a bit above the required tariff of 1.60 Dong.
Very rare letter mailed registered and via express mail to Klewitz in July of 1972. It features the im-perforated 40 xu stamps plus an im-perforated 50 xu stamp of the artist and writer set. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The overall postage of 2.02 Dong may have been in excess of the required tariff for a standard 20 gram registered express mail letter to West Germany.
Very rare registered express mail cover mailed to Klewitz in July of 1972. It carries the im-perforated 50 xu wood cut stamps plus im-perforated stamps of the artist and writer set. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The overall postage on the letter amounted to 1.84 Dong which may have been a bit above the required tariff od 1.60 Dong.
Rare registered express mail letter sent to Klewitz in December of 1978. It features one of the 12 xu stamps of the issue plus a range of other NVN stamps from the period. The overall postage amounted to 5.74 Dong. Fulda arrival cancel on the reverse. Fulda green custom cachet on front.
Rare registered express mail letter set to Klewitz in December of 1970. Late usage of one of the 12 xu stamps plus other NVN stamps from the 1970’s period for an overall postage of 5.77 Dong. Fulda arrival cancel on the reverse. Fulda green custom cachet on front.
Registration Nr. 100640
Comments are closed.