North Vietnamese and Unified Vietnam Free Franks and Postage Free Mail;

The first free franks the editor was able to find are likely from the middle fo the 1950’s. They are hard to date as they often do not have date annotations, however, the two logos (pagodas in lake and two peace doves) were primarily used in the early to mid 1950’s which allows to approximately date them. The letters below (ex Klewitz) were sent by the State Philatelic Agency to stamp dealers/customers in England. Apart from the red Air Mail hand stamp they carry a black “Ha-Noi P.P” free frank cachet that stands for Hanoi Postage Paid.

This hand stamp was apparently used until the 1960’s as this rare newspaper wrapper sent by the State Philatelic Agency to the International Federation  of Stamp Dealers in England in 1960. Red propaganda cachet on front.

Another hand stamped free frank appeared in the late 1950’s. It is a red cachet that reads “Postes Hanoi- Taxe Percue” and was applied in front on this Xunhasaba air mailing sent to a customer in the United States. Xunhasaba was one of the State owned agencies that sold books, periodicals and stamps to domestic and foreign customers

Here is a very similar Xunhasaba lettre that was mailed in December of 1963 to a stamp customer in England. It also carries the red “Postes-Hanoi- TAXE PERCUE” (= Hanoi Post-Postage Paid) free frank. Hanoi departure cancel on front.

Here is a slightly different version of the “Postes-Hanoi-TAXE PERCUE” hand stamp, this time struck in black, from September 1978 on a registered air mail letters ent from Xunhasabato Klewitz . Note that Posted Hanoi is written not in all capital letters.

It appears that the “POSTES-HANOI-TAXE PERCUE” was used for a long time and may even be in use today. Here is a registered letter sent in July of 1985 by the Postal Headquarters in Hanoi to Klewitz in West Germany.

Here is another slightly different “Postes-Hanoi-TAXE PERCUE” black hand stamp that carries a circular accent marking under the “c” of “PERCUE” on a registered air mail letter sent from the Vietnamese Stamp Corporation to Klewitz in West Germany. Green Fulda custom office cachet on front.

National official stamps were discontinued after 1958. Below is an envelope from the Parcel Division (“Buu Kien”) of the Hanoi Post Office from January of 1963. It like contained a notification of a package that had arrive and required pick.up.

Rare letter sent from Ha Dong in March of 1961 to an official in the ruling Vietnamese Party (V.N.D.C.C.H) in Hanoi. Hanoi machine arrival cancel on the reverse.

New Year’s Greeting Card (full contents preserved) sent by the Director of the Hanoi Post Office (Pam Tu’oc) to a fellow postal employee located in Hungary. The letter was sent from Hanoi in November of 1965 and it received a red hand stamp that stated “Service des Postes” (=Postal Matters) on front. Budapest arrival cancel on the reverse.

Registered air mail letter sent by the Post Office in Da Nang to the well known philatelist Theo Klewitz in July of 1977. Green Fulda custom cachet on front. Hanoi transit and Fulda arrival cancel on the reverse.

Here is a very similar letter, but this time sent by standard mail, from the Da Nang Post Office to Klewitz in West Germany. Hanoi transit cancel on the reverse.

DA2.1. Camp (MV) on a registered international air mail letter sent from HCM City in September fo 1977 to France.

DA2.1. Camp (MV) on a registered international air mail letter sent in October of 1981 from Dalat to Klewitz in West Germany.

Another version of a postal free frank appeared on this envelope in 1983. It was struck in a rectangular box in red and reads “SERVICES DES POSTES”. The letter was sent by the postal administration in Hanoi to the Package Post Office in Amsterdam, Holland.

DA1.4. Satas “P” (MV). Free frank that is very similar to DA1.4 but does not carry the “$” sign in front of “VN”. So far unlisted in the International Postage Meter Stamp Catalogue.

Large letter sent by the Direction Generale des Postes et Telecommunications in Hanoi to Klewitz in West Germany in November of 1980.

Unusual free frank that is not yet listed in the International Postage Meter Stamp Catalogue on a rare express mail letter (full content preserved) sent from HCM City to France in December of 1980. 32x28mm in size and the name of the post office (T.H.HO CHI MINH) on top and “BUU CUC” at the bottom.

F1. Havas “M” (MV) on an international air mail letter (full contents preserved) sent  from HCM City to France in November of 1981.

DA3.1. Pitney Bowes-GB “6300” (MV) on an international air mail letter (full contents preserved) sent from HCM City to France in December of 1984.

DA3.1. Pitney Bowes-GB “6300” (MV) on an international air mail letter sent from Tinh Kien GIang to the United States in December of 1986.

DA1.3. Satas “R” (MV on an international air mail letter sent from HCM City to Klewitz in West Germany in August of 1986.

Unusual, yet unlisted in the International Postage Meter Stamp Catalogue, that shows a double frame. The inner is flat and the outer shows a perforation like appearance. The bottom inscription is BD 03. Sent on an international air mail letter from Tanh Phoha Not to France in May of 1988.

Here is a very similar, yet unlisted Free Frank that also shows a double frame. The inner frame is made up of flat lines  that are interrupted and the outer line shows a perforation like appearance. The bottom is inscribed SO:017. Sent from Hanoi to France in May of 1989.

F2. Hasler “Mailmaster” (MV) on an international air mail letter sent from Hanoi to France in October of 1988.

F2. Hasler “Mailmaster” (MV) on an international air mail letter sent from Hanoi to France in November of 1989.

DB2.1. Pitney Bowes-GB “6300” (MV) on an international air mail letter sent from Bien Hoa to France in July of 1989.

DB2.1. Pitney Bowes-GB “6300” (MV) on an international air mail letter sent from Bien Hoa to France in December of 1989.

Red Free Frank very similar to DB2.1. Pitney Bowes-GB “6300” (MV), yet unlisted in the International Postage Meter Stamp Catalogue. Rhombus and three short horizontal lines to the left of the value. Struck on an domestic air mail letter sent from Quan 5 to Chau Nguyen in October of 1990.

Red Free Frank very similar to DB2.1. Pitney Bowes-GB “6300” (MV), yet unlisted in the International Postage Meter Stamp Catalogue. Large cross to the left of the value. Struck on an international air mail letter sent from HCM City to Canada in October of 1990.

DA1.5. Satas “J” (MV) on an intrebtaional air mail letter sent from HCM City to East Germany in December of 1989 just a few months before the country was reunified with West Germany.

DA1.6. Satas “J” (MV) on an international air mail letter sent from Hanoi to Czechoslovakia in November of 1988.

E1.2. Hasler “Mailmaster” (MV) on an international air mail letter sent from Hanoi to Klewitz in West Germany in August of 1995.

Red Free Frank, yet unlisted in the International Postage Meter Stamp Catalogue, similar to DA4.2. Frama “M/E bzw.100” (MV) but with the perforated border being separated in the center. Also the “d” after the value imprint almost touches the perforated line. Struck on a rare express mail letters ent in November of 1986 from Tan Binh to the United Startes in November of 1995. Note that the “95” was inserted upside down into the free frank.

DA6. Hasler “Mailmaster” (MV) on a registered air mail letter sent by Xunhasaba in Hanoi to Klewitz in West Germany in March of 2004. Orange German machine coding at bottom front.

Red Free Frank, yet unlisted in the International Postage Meter Stamp Catalogue. It measures 30x27mm and shows the inscription of BUU CHINH HNI 05 12 at the bottom.

Red Free Frank, yet unlisted in the International Postage Meter Stamp Catalogue. It measures 24.5×25.5mm and shows the inscription of BUU CHINH HTY 05 4 at the bottom.

Unusual Free Frank struck in violet color and reading “RADIO 3W8AA Boîte postage 109B HA-NOI VIET-NAM”. There is no date or contents but given the imagery on the cover the editor would date it to the late 50’a to early 1960’s. This was like a short wave propaganda station that was apparently trying to reach customers in the United States.

Red Cross letter from March of 1987 sent from Hanoi to the Red Cross in Switzerland in March of 1987 postage free. There are no postal markings so this letter may have been transported by courier pouch.

Registration Nr. 102155

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