Roses

North Vietnam, Roses, April 25th, 1968, Michel Nr. 526-531; Six stamps in the nominals of 12 xu (three stamps), 20 xu, 30 xu and 50 xu were issued perforated 11.5:12 and imperforate.

Here is the perforated set.

Here is the mint imperforate set:

Here is the cancelled to order imperforate set:

According to the Official Vietnam Postage Stamp Catalogue 1945-2005 the issue was designed by Nguyễn Kim Điệp and printed in Hungary. Another popular designer of the time Trần Huy Khánh also submitted an alternative design (hand-drawn in water colors), ultimately rejected by the postal authorities, which is shown here (affixed on a cardboard paper and signed by him).

Very rare registered express mail letter sent to Klewitz in October of 1968 featuring the entire im-perfroated set of the Roses set. Im-perforated stamps on postally used covers are very rare. The overall franking amounted to 1.56 Dong which appears to be 4 xu short of the required tariff of 1.60 Dong but the letter passed without the assessment of any postage due.

Rare single franking of one of the 12 xu stamps on a military letter  to a fellow Vietnamese in Budapest, Hungary. The stamp was not cancelled upon departure so was pen cancelled later on.

Rare single franking of the 40xu value sent from Thai Binh to Vientiane, Laos paying the required 40xu tariff. Rare destination.

Mixed franking of two of the Rose stamps plus the 50 xu Chicken stamps paying an overall postage of 74 xu on a letter sent from Hai Phong to Switzerland.

Very rare express mail letter sent to Klewitz in December of 1975. It features the 40 and 50 xu values of the set plus some im-perforated stamps from the sculpture set. Im-perforated stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The over-all postage amounted to 3.66 Dong which appears to be in excess of the required tariff of 1.50 Dong for a standard 20 gram express mail letter to West Germany.

Registration Nr. 101560