North Vietnam, Jade Tempel and The-Huy Bridge, December 1st, 1958, Michel Nr. 89-90; Two values (150D and 2,000D) were issued to commemorate the Jade Tempel and the The-Huy Bridge.The lower value covered the domestic standard letter rate until 1959 while the 2,000D value was most likely intended for large commercial envelopes or packages. Below is the official stamp bulletin that was published upon announcement of the Jade Tempel issued the postage due stamps from the same year.
Here is the mint set
Mint blocks of four (Note that the bottom right 2,000D stamp shows the plate error of “short vertical right line in H of THANH”):
Here is the cancelled to order set
These stamps were not officially issued imperforate however a small number of imperforate trial proofs have come to market. Here is the imperforate 2000D value.
Here is a very rare local letter from a member of the military (witness the Home Thu field post number H.T. 31.235 in the top left of the envelope) to an address in Hanoi. The stamp was used after the old currency had been devalued and so it was worth 15 xu. This is above the standard letter rate of 12 xu and hence represents a letter that was heavier than normal. Most local letters were lost due to the many decades of war, the very humid climate and the fact that raw materials were very tight for a long time resulting in most paper being recycled (ex Klewitz). Note that the stamp shows the plate error of “right vertical line of H in KHANH short”.
Very rare multiple franking of the 150D stamp for the 300D surface letter postage to France (routed via Siberian Railway and Moscow).
Mixed franking of two of the 150D value with a number of other early NVN stamps for an overall postage of 1,000D. The letter was sent by the Trade Policy Department of the East German Embassy to East Berlin in December of 1958. The base surface letter rate at the time amounted to 300D, the surcharge for East Germany 350D and the air-mail sucharge to 300D. So, the letter appears to be slightly over-franked.
Mixed franking sent on June 24th, 1959 to the well known philatelist Theo Klewitz. The air mail letter carried a single stamp of the 150 Dong Jade Temple stamp plus other early North Vietnamese stamps for an overall franking of 1,350 Dong.
Mixed franking of the 150D Jade Tempel stamp with other early NVN stamps for an overall postage of 770D mailed in December of 1958.
Air Mail letter sent, most likely by member of the East German Embassy in Hanoi, to a relative in Muenster, West Germany in January of 1959. West Germany was a rare destination at that time. The letters is franked with a mixture of official stamps (three stamps from the Opening of Hanoi Stadium set) plus some general purpose stamps (from the Jade Tempe, HCM Birthday and Southern Resistance sets) paying an overall postage of 650D
Registered letter mailed to Klewitz on the First Day of Issuance of the 20 Years Republic issue and featuring a mixed currency franking and the 150 Dong stamp. The Jade Temple stamp from 1958 of 150 Dong had been devalued by 1965 (1,000:1) so it was only worth 15 xu and the overall franking amounted to 112 xu which was 2 xu above the required postage for a standard registered letter to West Germany. Note that the 150D Jade Tempel stamp on the reverse shows the plate error “short vertical right line in H in THANH”.
Mixed franking of the 500D Agricultural Aid and the 150D Jade Tempel stamps for an overall postage of 650D on an air mail letter to a company in East Germany. The letter dates from December of 1958.
Interesting mixed currency franking of two stamps in Old Dong (including the Jade Tempel stamp) and four stamps in New Dong. The 200D old stamps were devalued by 1,000:1 on March 1st, 1959, so were only worth 20xu in November of 1959. The overall franking hence amounted to 30xu which represented the standard surface letter rate since March of 1957. England was still a rare destination in the early 60’s.
Very rare large envelope mailed as printed matter by Xunhasaba to a stamp collector/dealer in England. It features the very hard to find 2,000D Jade Temple value in Old Dong (worth 2 New Dong after it the devaluation on Mach 1st, 1959) plus two stamps in New Dong worth 4xu for an overall postage of 2.04D.
Exceedingly rare package wrapper cut from a stamp mailing by Xunhasaba from 1960. Most of them were simply thrown away. It features four(!) of the hard to find 2,000D value on cover and one of the 500D October revolution stamps. Both had been devalued by 1,000:1 on March 1st, 1959 so were only worth 8.5 New Dong. Together with the stamps in new currency (30xu Fruits and 2xu Costumes) the overall postage amounted to 8.82D.
Registered air mail letter sent as a mixed currency franking in March of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter features the entire Hanoi Liberation set in pairs and a single set plus stamps from the Friendship set. There are also two Jade Temple stamps issued in 1958 the were devalued by 1,000:1 on March 1st, 1959 so were only worth 30xu at the time of mailing. The overall postage of the letter amounted to 50.8D (including the red free frank for 15D). Green Fulda custom cachet on front.
Registration Nr. 100160
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