25 Years Border Troops

Unified Vietnam, 25 Years Border Troops, December 15th, 1984, Michel Nr. 1519-1520; Two stamps in the nominals of 50xu and 30D ere issued in perforation 10.75.

Here is the mint set

These stamps were not officially released imperforate however a small number of imperforate trial proofs and phase prints have come to market. Below are imperforate pairs.

Phase print of the black color for the 50xu value

Turquoise printing run of the 50 xu stamp

Phase print black and green of the 30D value

A plate error is known on the 30D value on which the “0” of the nominal value is broken. Here is a mint block of four with the error stamp on the top right.

Detailed scan of the plate error:

Below are rare individual sheetlets (10.1×14.9cm) that were produced for presentation purposes within the postal administration.

Here is a mint 30d stamp that shows a printing flaw resulting in a number of green spots across the face of the stamp.

Detailed scan of the affected area

Very rare single franking of the 50xu trial proof in black color on a domestic air mail letter sent from Ban Co (a suburb of HCM City) to HCM City in December of 1998. Ban Co 12/30/98 arrival cancel on the reverse. Trial proofs on postally used cover are virtually unheard of.

Registered air mail letter sent in May of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries pairs of the Border Troop set plus stamps from the Union Congress and Dien Bien Phu sets for an overall postage of 71.5D. Fragment of green Fulda custom cachet on front.

International air mail letter sent from Bien Hoa to the United States featuring a mixed franking of four of the 50D Cambodian Friendship stamps plus stamps from the Border Troops and the 10D Vietnamese Friendship stamp for an overall postage of 300D.

Air mail letter sent in June of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries half of the imperforate Animals and Plants set plus imperforate stamps from the Flat Fish and perforated Border Troops set for an overall postage of 35.1D. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare.

Registered air mail letter sent in November of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz as a very rare triple currency franking. The letter carries the Southern Resistance stamp from 1958 that was devalued by 1,000:1 on March 1st, 1959 and then again by 10:1 on September 14th, 1985. As a result it was only worth 1.5xu. All the other stamp were issued prior to the 1985 devaluation date so were only worth one tenth of their face value at the time of mailing (175.01oD = 17.5nD). The red free frank for 5.5nD is already in the new currency. The overall postage of the letter hence amounted to 23nD. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Air mail letter sent in March of 1986 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the entire imperforate August Revolution set plus stamps from the Border Troops, Sailing Ship, Friendship and Peace Meeting sets. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. All stamps on this cover were still denominated in old Dong. The Vietnamese Government conducted a devaluation of the Dong on September 14th, 1985. This meant that all stamps issued prior to this date were only worth one tenth at the time of mailing. The overall postage hence amounted to 162 oD =16.2 nD.

Registered air mail letter sent in June of 1986 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries four of the imperforate Prehistoric Animal stamps plus stamps from the Friendship, Labor Day, Le Lo’i, Halley Comet, Border Troops and Reconstruction sets. The Friendship, Border Troops and Prehistoric Animal stamps were still denominated in old Dong. The Vietnamese Government conducted a devaluation of the Dong on September 14th, 1985. This meant that all stamps issued prior to this date were only worth one tenth at the time of mailing. The overall postage hence amounted to 40.5 oD =4.05 nD. plus the red free frank for 17 nD and stamps already in new Dong for 24.3 for a total of 45.35 nD. Fragment of the green Fuda custom cachet on front.