Birds

North Vietnam, Birds, October 15th, 1963, Michel Nr. 275-280; The topic “birds” and the improved quality of the stamps indicates further advancement in the Vietnamese Postal Authorities as they started to more focus on the international philatelic market to market stamps. Three stamps with 12 xu, and one each with 20, 30 and 40 xu were issued. The stamps were released perforated (11.5) and im-perforated.

Here is the mint perforated set:

This is the mint im-perforated set in lower right corner blocks

A souvenir sheet (Block Nr. 8) with the same image of the 30 xu value but with a nominal of 50 xu was also issued, however it only comes perforated.

Here is the souvenir-sheet with a standard Hanoi date canceler from the first day of issuance. Cancelled souvenir-sheets are about 100 times rarer than mint ones.

Smal printing errors occur. Here is the 50 xu value that shows a very significant passer error. The various print colors were not lined up properly so that the dark won color was shifted lower. This caused the legs of the bird to become separated from the body.

Rare single franking of one of the 12xu values on a letter to Czechoslovakia mailed in January of 1964.

Singe franking of the 50 xu value on a letter sent by the “Voice of Vietnam” to Germany in October of 1969.

Multiple franking of all three 12 xu values on an air-mail letter sent to the editor of a newspaper called “The People” in Weimar, East Germany in November of 1963. The standard letter rate to Esst Germany was only 12xu so either this letter was heavier than the standard 20g or it was a philatelic franking.

Letter from the same correspondence that features the entire Bird set on a registered letter to East Germany sent from Hai-Phong to East Germany in October 1963. The required tariff for a registered letter to East Germany was 12xu postage plus 60xu registration fee, so this letter was probably philatelically inspired.

Letter (ex Klewitz) that contains the entire perforated set plus some additional stamps on the reverse. The overall franking applied was 1.93 Dong which was in excess of the standard 20g registered letter rate to West Germany (1.1 Dong) however, Klewitz’ liaison in Vietnam was not known to waste any postage. So, the letter probably contained mint stamps and was hence heavier than the standard 20 grams.

Very rare letter (ex Klewitz) that features the entire im-perforated bird set in front and other Vietnamese stamps on the reverse. Overall postage applied was 1.62 Dong. The required postage was 1.60 Dong (50 xu base letter rate, 60 xu registration fee, 50 xu express fee). Fulda numerical arrival cancel on the reverse.

Very rare letter (ex Klewitz) that features the souvenir sheet among other Vietnamese stamps. Souvenir sheets on postally used covers are very rare. The editor has only seen one other postally used letter with this souvenir sheet. Overall postage applied of 1.13 Dong. The required postage to West Germany was 1.1 (50 xu base letter rate, 60 xu registration fee).

Air mail letter sent from Hanoi to France featuring the 30xu Bird value, the 40xu Lunar Calendar and 4xu Agricultural Products stamps for an overall franking of 74xu.

Mixed franking of the 50 xu Wild Animal value together with the 20 xu Birds and 3 xu Dien Bien Phu stamp paying an overall postage of 73 xu sent in October of 1967 from Hanoi to Switzerland.

Mixed franking of the 40xu Bird stamp plus the 12xu Fish stamp for an overall postage of 52xu. The standard letter rate to East germany ws only 12xu so this letter must have been much heavier than the standard 20g.

Postcard with a mixed franking of the 40xu Bird stamp plus the 6xu Anniversary of the Revolution stamp for an overall postage of 46xu. 46xu was the required postcard rate to Western countries as of March 1st, 1960. For Hungary, being a socialist country in 1968 the 6 xu Eastern postcard tariff would have sufficed but it appears the writer was not aware of that.

Here is the same franking but this time on a letter to the Soviet Union. The envelope probably contained a post or greeting card so was left open for postal inspection. The postcard rate to the Soviet Union was only 6xu so the sender mistakenly used the Western postcard rate instead.

Very rare letter mailed registered and per express mail to Klewitz featuring a block of four of the 12 xu bird stamp. It also features im-perfroated stamps of the wood print series. Im-perforated stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The overall franking of the letter amounted to 1.98 Dong which may have been a bit much as a standard 20 gram registered express mail letter to West Germany only cost 1.60 Dong.

Colorful mixed currency franking of the 1,000D Handicraft stamp (that was devalued 1,000:1 on March 1st, 1959 and hence only worth 1D at the time of mailing) with other NVN stamps (including the 40xu Wild Animal stamp) for an overall postage of 2.36D on a rare registered letter to Czechoslovakia mailed in December of 1964.