Orchids

South Vietnam, Orchids, August 18th, 1974, Michel Nr. SVN 569-571; Three stamps in nominals of 10D, 20D and 200D were issued in perforation 14.25:13.5.

Here is the mint set in blocks of four.

Complete mint sheets of the 10D and 20D values.

Postally used 10D value

Very rare “Fall of Saigon” cover. A domestic letter (full contents preserved dated April 19th, 1975) sent within Saigon on April 21st, 1975 or just nine days prior to the surrender of the ARVN troops and the evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon. Postal traffic at the time was rather restricted as most areas were already controlled by the Viet Cong but a city mailing within the larger Saigon area was still possible. The letter is only franked with a 10D orchid stamp which was too little for a domestic letter (Tariff of 25D) but apparently some postal clerks no longer bothered to apply a postage due remark.

Here is a very similar cover but this time clearly marked as correspondence originating from a member of the military (KBC 4217/Armored Squadron attached to 259th Regional Forces Battalion located in Quan Duc in the II. Corps area). The cover was mailed on April 13th, 1975 (so 17 days before the fall of Saigon) and paid the 10D discounted military rate. Addressed to a civilian in Gia Dinh, a suburb of Saigon. Red circular KBC seal on front.

Mixed franking of the 10D Sampan Boats value together with stamps from the Orchids, Interpol and overprinted Harvest sets paying an overall postage of 130D on an international air mail letter sent from Ben Tre to France in March of 1975.

Mixed franking of the 10D Orchid stamp together with stamps from the Sights, Calligraphy and Buy Government Bonds sets paying an overall postage of 100D on an international surface letter sent from Saigon to England in March 4th of 1975. The letter took a full nine weeks to arrive as is confirmed by the Reading arrival cancel on front.

Mixed franking of the Human Rights set together with stamps from the Year of the Buffalo, Sights, Farmer Day, Orchids and Wounded Soldiers sets paying an overall postage of 730D on a rare international registered express air mail letter sent from Can Tho to West Germany in December of 1974. Red Post Office Fulda arrival cancel. Circular Fulda arrival cancel on the reverse.

Single franking of the 20D value on a domestic a very rare domestic printed matter mailing (full contents preserved) sent within Saigon in February of 1975.

Single franking of the 20D Orchid value on a very rare printed matter mailing of a pharmaceutical supply company mailed within Saigon in March of 1975. Black propaganda cachet on front.

Single franking of the 20D orchid value on a domestic letter mailed within Saigon on April 25th, 1975. This was only five days prior to the “Fall of Saigon” but clearly mailings inside the larger Saigon area were still possible. The domestic letter rate at the time was already 25D and so the letter received a black hand stamp “Tho Phat” which stands for postage due.

Mixed franking of the 20D Orchid stamp together with the 5D Sight stamp paying an overall postage of 25D on a domestic letter sent within Saigon in 1975.

Mixed franking of the 20D Orchid stamp together with the 5D Sight stamp paying an overall postage of 25D on a domestic letter sent to Saigon in February of 1975.

Mixed franking of the overprinted WMO stamps (2) together with stamps from the Orchid set paying an overall postage of 90D on a registered domestic letter sent from Phu Vinh to Gia Dinh in November of 1974. Gia Dinh arrival cancel on the reverse.

Mixed franking of the 20D orchid stamp together with the 100D Wounded Soldiers and 60D Development Aid stamp paying an overall postage of 180D on an international letter sent from Go Vap to France in November of 1974.

Very rare mixed franking of the 20D (3) and 200D(2) Orchid stamps together with the 100D Wounded Soldier stamp paying an overall postage of 560D on an international air mail letter sent from Saigon to the United States in October of 1974. The 200D orchid value is very hard to find on postally used cover.

Mixed franking of the 300D UPU stamp together wit stamps from the Orchid, Development Aid and National Library sets paying an overall postage of 730D on a rare registered express mail letter sent from Saigon to West Germany in January of 1975. The 300D UPU stamp on postally used cover is very hard to find. Fulda arrival cancels on front and reverse. Frankfurt transit cancel on the reverse. Ex Klewitz.

Rare mass franking of the 200D Orchid stamp (10) together with 20D orchid and 50D (2) Fisheries stamps paying an overall postage of 2,120D on a large registered international air mail letter sent from Saigon to the United States in August of 1974. Los Angeles arrival cancel on the reverse.