Army 1984

Unified Vietnam, Army 1984, April 30th, 1983, Michel Nr. M41; A single stamp with no nominal value and in perforation 11.0 was issued. There are questions about the actual issuance date of this stamp. The official Vietnamese Postage Stamp Catalogue indicates that Michel Nr. M40 and M41 were issued on the same date but Michel states the issuance date as March of 1984. The editor suggest that the Vietnamese Government probably has better information on this subject than Michel.

Here is the mint perforated stamp.

The stamp was not officially released imperforate however a number of imperforate trial proofs have come to market. Here is one of them from the top selvage

Some imperforate phase prints have come to market. Below are the various color combinations that occur during the stamp’s production.

Phase print of the black printing run

Phase print of the black-grey-blue print run

Phase print of the light green print run

Phase print with the black-grey-blue and black print run

Phase print of the black and light green print run

Phase print of the black-grey-blue and light green print run

Completed imperforate stamp

Single franking of the stamp on a local letter sent in February of 1987 from HCM City to a soldier in Cambodia.

Single franking of the stamp on a local letter that went in the other direction. It was sent by a soldier in Cambodia to HCM City in October of 1986. Quan 5 transit cancel on the reverse. Note that all mail that originated from the Cambodian theatre of war was processed centrally in HCM City.

Single franking of the stamp on a letter (full content preserved) sent from a soldier stationed in Cambodia to Thu Duc. Red illegible army division hand stamp with manuscript date insertion, Thu Duc arrival cancel on the reverse. HCM machine cancel as all mail originated in the Cambodian theatre of war was centrally processed in HCM City.