110. Birthday of Lenin

Unified Vietnam, 110. Birthday of Lenin, April 22nd, 1980, Michel Nr. 1090-1092; Three stamps with identical design were issued in nominations of 6 xu, 12 xu and 1 Dong.

Here is the mint set:

Blocks of six of the mint of the 12xu and 1D stamps

A color variation is known on all three values that shows the star in an grey-ocre instead of orange color. Below are the three color variations:

There are also two plate errors that have occurred on this issue. Below is a mint block of four of the 6 xu value. The top left stamp shows a “partially missing mustache”. The bottom left stamps shows the plate error “damaged script in Lenin”.

Detailed scan of the affected areas:

Printing flaws are known in the shape of different color intensity of Lenin’s face and the star. Here is a mint block of four of the 1 Dong stamp. The right two stamps show the normal orange color in the face and star while the two right stamps show grey-ocre colors in face and star:

Here is a printing error on the 12xu value that misses the entire orange printing run.

Here is a diagonal paper fold on a block of the 6xu stamps affecting four of the stamps

There are also known perforation errors. Here is the 6xu stamp that shows an additional perforation line across the stamps image.

Mint block of four of the 12 xu stamps that shows a severe perforation error in which some of the horizontal perforation runs through the stamps image:

Here is a single 12xu stamp that is imperforated at the bottom but shows two perforation strikes on top.

Mint block of four 12xu stamps that shows an additional slanted perforation line affecting the stamps image.

Below is a mint pair of the 1 Dong value which shows the bottom stamp to as imperforate in the margin.

Mint pair of the 1D value in a lighter blue tone that is mis-perforated resulting in all perforations shifted to the left.

Single franking of the 1D Lenin value on a post card sent in July of 1981 from Hanoi to Czechoslovakia.

Mixed franking of the 1D Lenin value together with the 60 xu Einstein stamp paying an overall postage 1.60D on an air mail letter sent from Hanoi to Czechoslovakia in June of 1981.

Multiple franking of the 1D Lenin value (2) on a letter sent from Thuan Hai to Columbus, Ohio, USA in June of 1980. Full contents preserved.

Mixed franking of the Nguyen Trai, Lenin, Socialist Republic Vietnam, Cuban Revolution plus stamps from the Birds and Year of the Child paying an overall postage of 4.30D on a registered international air mail letter sent from HCM City to Hong Kong in December of 1980.

Registered air mail letter featuring stamps from the Ciconiiformes, Lenin and National Assembly sets paying an overall postage of 23.5D (including the red free frank for 3.82D) and sent to Klewitz from Nguyen Trai. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Rare registered express mail letter sent from Quan 5 (Cholon) to Klewitz in March of 1981. The letter carries two complete Lenin sets. The 1 Dong stamps show both color variations of the star (orange and grey-ocre). The overall postage amounted to 13.90 Dong. Fulda arrival cancel on the reverse. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered letter sent from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz in July of 1980. The letter carries the entire Lenin set. The 1 Dong stamps show the color variance of an grey-ocre star instead of an orange star. There are also three 10 xu Flower stamps in different color variations. Error stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The overall postage amounted to 3 Dong. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered letter sent from Ho Chi Minh City to Huntington Beach, CA in May of 1980. The letter features the entire Lenin set plus a 1D Lenin stamp that is im-perforated at the bottom margin. Error saps on postally used cover are very rare. Along with the other NVN stamps the overall postage amounted to 2.84D. Huntington Beach arrival cancel on the reverse.

Registered letter sent to Klewitz in June of 1982 sent from Nguyen Trai. It carries the National Union Congress set plus the complete lenin set for an overall postage of 11.04 (including the 8 Dong from the red free frank on the back). Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Rare registered express mail letter sent to Klewitz in July of 1980. The letter carries the complete Lenin set plus other NVN stamps for an overall postage of 4.80 Dong. Fulda arrival cancel on the reverse. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Rare express mail letter sent in October, 1980 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries one of the 1 Dong Lenin stamps plus a 2 Dong Lenin stamp issued by the National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) in South Vietnam. Since the NLF stamps were denominated in South Vietnamese Dong and so the two currencies are not compatible the NLF stamps were not valid for postage in North Vietnam. However, it appears that the postal clerk was not familiar with this regulation and hence he/she accepted the 3 Dong franking without any postage due. Unusual item.

Interesting letter with a mixed franking of the 1D Lenin stamp and 60xu Einstein stamp paying an overall tariff of 1.60D. The letter was mailed on September 12th, 1981 and addressed to East Germany. The cancel used on the letter is unusual. It appears to be an old canceler (note the Year “76” at the bottom of the cancel) that was adapted with a new date wheel making the year at the bottom redundant.

Detailed scan of the cancel.

Very rare registered letter sent in March of 1982 from Ho Chi Minh City to West Germany. It carries the entire Socialist Republic set with “normal” perforation and a pair of the 12 xu Map stamp with the rouletted perforation. There are also two fo the 6 xu Lenin stamps. The overall postage (including the red free frank for 8.00 Dong) amounted to 11.04 Dong. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Very rare registered express mail letter sent from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz in November of 1980. The letter carries a block of four of the 1 Dong Lenin stamp, two of which show a deficient orange printing run resulting in three stars showing a grey-ocre color instead. Error stamps on postal used cover are very rare. The overall postage amounted to 4.40 Dong. Fulda arrival cancel on the reverse. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Very rare registered letter sent from Quan 5 (Cholon) to Klewitz in March of 1981. The letter carries four 6 xu Lenin stamps. Two of them show the plate error “partially missing mustache” and the other two the plate error “damaged script in Lenin”. Also the strip of three of the 12 xu rose stamp shows a severe perforation error in which the perforation comb struck through the left stamps image. The overall postage amounted to 8.20 Dong. Unusual red cancel.

Very large registered letter sent from Nguyen-Trai to Klewitz in May of 1982. It carries a mass franking of the 12 xu Train stamp plus other NVN stamps for an overall postage of 11.98 Dong (excluding the military free franks). There are two military free franks which were not valid for international mail due to the missing nominal. Nevertheless it appears that the postal clerk did not object to the use of these stamps. 12 xu Lenin stamp in front. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered letter sent from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz in April of 1982. The letter carris two each of the 50 xu and 2 Dong value of the Nutritional Day set plus one Lenin stamp for an overall postage of 8.20 Dong. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered letter sent from Nguyen Trai to Klewitz in August of 1982. The letter carries the Women Congress set plus other NVN stamps for an overall postage of 22.82 Dong (including the red free frank for 15.5 Dong). Lenin stamp in front. Transit cancel on the reverse. Green Fulda custom cachet one front.

Registered letter sent from Nguyen Trai to Klewitz in November of 1982. The letter carries half of the perforated Harmful Insect set and one 1 Dong Lenin stamp for an overall postage of 14.4 Dong (including the red free frank for 9 Dong). Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Another registered letter sent from Nguyen Trai to Klewitz in November of 1982. The letter carries the other half of the perforated Harmful Insect set and one of the 1 Dong Lenin stamps for an overall postage of 13.86 Dong (including the red free frank for 8 Dong). Green Fulda custom cachet on front.