North Vietnam, Flowers, April 0th, 1962, Michel Nr. 206-210; Five values with the nominals of 12 xu (two stamps), 20 xu, 30 xu and 50 xu were issued. The stamps were intentionally released perforated (11.5) and im-perforated. Here is the official Xunhasaba stamp bulletin that announces the release of this set. Note that the printing volume of the im-perforated set and souvenir sheet only amounted to 30,000 each.
Here is the mint perforated set:
This is a mint im-perforated set:
Postal authorities also issued a souvenir sheet of the 30 xu value (perforated only). Here is the mint version:
Here is the cancelled souvenir-sheet with a standard Hai-Phong date canceller. Cancelled souvenir-sheets are at least a hundred times rarer than mint ones.
Letter sent to Klewitz in April of 1962 from Hai-Ba to Fulda, West Germany with the complete perforated set. The overall postage amounted to 1.24 Dong. The standard letter rate to West Germany was 50 xu plus the international registration fee of 60 xu would have demanded an overall postage of 1.1 Dong only.
Letter sent to Klewitz in West Germany in May of 1962 from Hoan Kiem with the complete im-perforated set. Im-perforated Vietnamese stamps were rarely ever used for postage. Most of the sets ended up mint in collector albums. The overall postage amounted to 1.24 Dong. The standard letter rate to West Germany was 50 xu plus the international registration fee of 60 xu would have demanded an overall postage of 1.1 Dong only.
Mint souvenir sheets outnumber used ones at least 100:1 as very few sheets were apparently cancelled in the early days. Most of them were collected mint and vanished thus in stamp albums. Souvenir sheets on postally used cover are virtually unheard of. Here is a very rare letter (ex Klewitz) that carries a single franking of Block Nr. 7 with a standard date canceler “Hanoi”. The postage for a standard letter to West Germany was actually 50 xu, so the 30 xu was technically insufficient. However, the clever sender had written “RDA” at the bottom of the address which stood for “East Germany”. The standard letter rate to East Germany was only 12 xu. So the postal clerk got duped into accepting the lower rate.
Very rare mixed franking of the Flower souvenir-sheet and the imperforate set paying an overall postage of 1.54D on a registered international air mail letter sent from Hanoi to East Germany in March of 1964. Postall used souvenir-sheets and imperforate stamps hardly exist.
Mixed franking of the 50 xu Fish value plus the 20 xu Flowers and 4 xu Agricultural Product stamps paying an overall postage of 74 xu on an air mail letter sent from Hanoi to Switzerland in January of 1969.
Late usage of the souvenir sheet plus the entire set in March of 1975 on a letter sent from Hanoi to Vienna, Austria. Again, souvenir sheets on cover are very rare. The letter features the entire set plus the souvenir sheet for an overall postage of 1.55D. The standard letter rate to Western countries amounted to 1.00D as of January 1st, 1975 so 1.55 for this large letter does not seem out of the ordinary.
Another late usage of the souvenir sheet on a mixed franking registered air mail letter sent from Hanoi to West Germany in February of 1978. Together with the other range of NVN stamps the overall postage amounted to 4.40D.
Rare single franking of one of the 12xu stamps on a postcard to East Germany from 1963. The sender must have been unaware that the required tariff was only 6xu so he affixed the standard letter rate of 12 xu instead.
Rare single franking, this time correct, on a letter to the Soviet Union from January 1st, 1965. Moscow airport cachet. Moscow arrival cancel on the reverse.
Exceedingly rare registered air-mail package wrapper sent by Xunhasaba to a stamp dealer in Belgium in the early 1960’s. Most package wrappers were simply thrown out after the package was opened so very few of them survive today. The wrapper is franked with two of the 20xu Flower stamps, the high nominal 2D Reunification stamp, the 50xu Animal stamp and the 8xu 950 Years Hanoi stamp for an overall postage of 2.98D. Unusual Brussels Customs arrival R-Label. Blue Vietnamese Customs declaration label, Blue-White Belgian Customs label. Black hand stamp indicating that the package was flown from Hanoi to East Berlin for further transit.
Rare registered letter mailed by Xunhasaba containing a stamp shipment to a client in Munich, West Germany. It was franked with four of the 50xu Geneva Convention stamps and a mix of other NVN stamps for an overall postage of 2.32D. The standard letter rate to West Germany (up to 20g) amounted to 50xu and the registration fee to 60xu. So the contents of this letter must have exceeded the standard 20g weight level.
Mixed franking of the 20xu and 50xu Flower stamps plus the 2xu Geological Research stamp for an overall postage of 72xu on a Xunhasaba bulletin that announces the release of the Flower set sent to Hamburg Youth Philatelist in April of 1962.
Very rare letter (ex Klewitz) featuring the entire Titow set im-perforated. Im-perforated stamps on postally used covers are very rare! There is also a block of four of the 12 xu im-perforated flower stamp from 1962 on the back plus one stamp perforated. The overall franking amounts to 1.84 Dong which looks tariff conform. The standard letter rate to West Germany was 50 xu, plus 60 xu international registration fee plus 50 xu express mail fee. So, the letter may have been a bit heavier than the standard 20 grams.
Another rare express mail letter (ex Klewitz) featuring two of the 50 xu im-perforated of the folk dance series plus four im-perforated 12 xu stamps from the 1962 flower series. Overall franking amounts to 1.72 Dong which appears to be correct (50 xu standard letter rate, 60 xu international registration fee, 50 xu express mail fee). Railmail transit stamp and Fulda arrival stamp on reverse.
Very rare express mail letter that features both, the perforated and im-perforated set sent to Klewitz in February of 1968. It also carries the im-perforated versions of the 12 xu and 50 xu of 1962. Im-perforated stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The overall postage of the letter amounted to 1.26 Dong which was above the required tariff for a standard express mail letter West Germany (1.00 Dong) . The letter may have contained some stamps that Klewitz had ordered from his contact as the red hand stamp “Kein Zollgut” (No Dutiable Merchandise) indicates. Stamps from Vietnam could be imported tariff free. East Berlin and Fulda transit/arrival cancels on the reverse.
Mixed franking using three of the 2xu Mountain Provinces stamp together with the 30xu Traffic Minister stamp and two im-perforated 50xu Flower stamps for an overall postage of 1.36D. Im-perforated stamps on postally used cover are very rare.
Here is a rare express mail letter sent to Klewitz in June of 1969. It features all four values of the set with identical corner selvage- It also shows an im-perforated block of four of the 12 xu flower series from 1962. Im-perforated stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The overall postage amounted to 1.86 Dong which was in excess of the required postage for a standard express mail letter to West Germany (Tariff of 1.00). The initial plan was to send the letter registered (Tariff of 1.60 Dong).
Very rare registered express mail letter featuring the entire set sent to Klewitz in October of 1970. It also features im-perforated pairs of the 20 xu and 30 xu flower series from 1962. Im-perforated stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The overall postage amounted to 1.68 Dong which was just a tad above the required tariff of 1.60 Dong for a 20 gram registered express mail letter to West Germany. Fulda arrival cancel on the reverse.
Mixed currency mailing from the Vietnamese Red Cross to the Red Cross Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland using four stamps denominated in Old Dong (Railroad and Handicraft sets) in the amount of 3,000 Old Dong (worth only 3 New Dong after the 1,000:1 devaluation on March 1st, 1959). Stamps in New Dong were added in the amount of 1.53D were added for an overall postage of 4.53 New Dong. The letter carries also an im-perforated 50xu stamp of the 1962 Flower set. Im-perforated stamps on postally used cover are very rare.
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 20xu Flower stamp) for an overall postage of 2.36D on a rare registered letter to Czechoslovakia mailed in December of 1964.
Mixed currency franking using the 2,000D Handicraft stamp that was still denominated in Old Dong (which were devalued by 1,000:1 on March 1st, 1959 and hence only worth 2D at the time of mailing) plus a range of other NVN stamps for a postage of 3.28D. Canada was still a rare destination in the mid 1960’s.
Registration Nr. 100690
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