Postage Free Official Mail of South Vietnam

South Vietnam, Official Mail of South Vietnam;

Official mail is defined as mail that was exchanged between the various Government offices (i.e. Municipal Governments, Police Authorities, Post Offices) or between Government offices and civilians. This included additional services such as registration or express mail. Government mail is not exactly in plenty supply because most of it was destroyed as archives were routinely cleaned-out, were damaged during the multi-decadal war or ransacked by the enemy. The humid climate and insect damage often did the rest.

In the early days after independence the French were still involved in the administration, which included the High Commissioner for Indochina. Here is a registered air mail letter sent in June of 1951 by the commissioner’s office in Saigon to a person apparently involved in the production of stamps for overseas French territories in France. Red circular “Etat du Vietnam” of the Post and Telecommunication Department. Illegible transit/arrival cancel on the reverse.

Domestic letters ent by the High Commissioner for Indochina sent to a colonel that was located at the U.S. Embassy in Saigon. The letter was left open so it most likely contained an invitation for a function the colonel was invited to. Cancelled by the Saigon machine cancel from March of 1953.

Domestic municipal letter (full contents preserved) sent by the Saigon authorities to a recipient in Saigon in November of 1956. The letter is marked “KHAN” which means “URGENT” and carries a boxed propaganda cachet on front. Red Viet Nam Cong Hua circular cachet on front. There is no postal cancel or other postal markings on the letter so it may have been transported by a municipal courier due to it’s urgency.

Domestic letter sent through the military postal system (Note the mute “Quan Buu” military cancel) to a recipient in Cholon in October of 1956. “QUAN-VU” (= Military Service) hand stamp on front. Purple Government Seal “Viet-nam Cong-Hoa” on front. The purple color is simply a reaction to using blue and then red inking pads (or vice versa) for applying the seal. Propaganda cachet at top right. Cholon transit and Saigon machine arrival cancel on the reverse.

Government letter sent from Tay Ninh to a recipient in Saigon in October of 1957. Faint Government seal applied at bottom left. Red rectangular propaganda cachet on front. Saigon machine arrival cancel on the reverse.

Municipal mailing of a tax invoices sent as a folded letter (full contents preserved) from Vung Tau (also called Cape Saint Jacques) to a recipient in Saigon in March of 1957 and November, 1957 respectively. Black Government Viet-Nam Cong-Hoa applied on front to seal the letter. Saigon machine arrival cancel on the reverse of the first letter.

Official letter that most likely contained internal postal communications. Red Government Viet-Nam Cong-Hoa applied at bottom left. Cancelled with the mute “P.P” Saigon cancel without date that was used for internal postal matters.

Official letter sent by registered mail that most likely contained a postal notification to a client. Blue Government Viet-Nam Cong-Hoa applied at bottom left. Cancelled with the mute “P.P” Saigon cancel without date that was used for internal postal matters. Mailed in November of 1958. Saigon Tran Hung arrival cancel on the reverse.

Very unusual Government letter sent within Saigon in January of 1959. While the standard circular Government seal was applied in red at the bottom of the enclosed letter, the envelope itself shows two Government cachets the editor has not seen another time.

Postal Bordereaux provided to a postal client who had mailed a large number of printed matter items in September of 1961. Rare use of the “IMPRIMES P.P.” cancel. Red propaganda cachet at bottom left. Unusual item.

Postal notification delivery in My Tho in March of 1962 that contained a client telegram.

Registered Government letter sent in November of 1964 that contained the equivalent of a “refund-check”. Here the customer received a refund in the shape of mint postage stamps of the time period paying what amounts to 25D of an overall refund pot of 300,000D. Circular red Government seal at bottom left.

Official letter sent within Saigon in October of 1965. Red circular VIET-NAM CONG-HOA seal applied at bottom left and twice as seal on the reverse.

Official Government letter sent from Loc Ninh to Saigon in May of 1966. Red Government seal on the left and as seal applied to the reverse. Saigon machine arrival cancel on the reverse.

Official letter sent from Than Hoa to Nha Trang in July of 1969. Nha Trang arrival cancel on the reverse.

Rare official letter sent by the House of Commons (Vietnamese Parlament) to a recipient in Nha Trang sent in January of 1970.

Government letter set in December of 1970 within Colon. Red circular VIET-NAM CONG-HOA cachet applied at bottom right. The editor cannot explain why a postage stamp of 1.50D was applied to the letter. Normally Government mail was transported free of charge. If you have any information as to why that should be the case please respond by using the communication feature of this website.

Postal notification letter (full content preserved) sent from Hue Vu to Saigon in March of 1971. Unusual machine arrival cancel on fron and reverse. Red Government seal at bottom left. Cancelled with the mute “P.P.” cancel that was used for internal postal communications.

International postal communication set from Can Tho in December of 1974 to the well known philatelist Theo Klewitz in West Germany. Klewitz frequently communicated with postal officials in order to obtain information about stamps or to obtain stamps could not get through his usual contacts.

Large registered envelope used by the post office in Saigon to communicate with a notary in France in August of 1959. Black Government seal at bottom left. Thouars arrival cancel on the reverse.