Unified Vietnam, 30. Anniversary of the Liberation of Hanoi, October 5th, 1984 (the First Day Covers actually show a first date of October 10th which is the correct anniversary date, so the catalogue is wrong here), Michel Nr. 1491-1493; Three stamps with nominals of 50xu, 1D and 2D were issued in perforation 10.75.

Here is the mint set in pairs

Set in mint blocks of four

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

Here is the imperforate set in mint pairs

The stamps were printed in two distinct printing phases which are represented in the phase prints in pairs below

Here is a rare imperforate trial proof pair printed on carton paper.

Rare mint block of four printed on shiny newsprint paper. On the reverse is an upside down print of the brown color of the 1D stamp plus the green color phase of the Friendship Contract set.

Mint block of nine of the 50xu value that shows a double printing of the green color. The block is also mis-perforated.

Detailed scan of the affected area

Mint block of eight of the 50xu stamps that show a very weak print of the top inscription of the top row and a weak print of I in VIETNAM on the bottom right stamp. The second stamp from the top left shows a plate error of “nail head under E of VIETNAM”.

Detailed scan of the affected areas

Mint block of six of the 50xu value on which the middle left stamp shows the plate error of “rock in the water”.

Detailed scan of the affected area

Mint block of four of the 50xu value which features a double printing of the green color. Also there is a plate error resulting in a light green slash in-between the two top stamps.

Detailed scan of the affected area.

Mint block of ten 50 xu stamps in very light colors. The second stamp from the top left shows the plate error “rock in water” and the bottom right stamp the plate error of “engraver mark almost missing and Chinh weak”.

Detailed scan of the affected area

Mint block of eighteen 50xu stamps (only 16shonw for technical reasons) that show a vertical double perforation strike.

Detailed scan of the affected area

Mint block of four of the 1D value on which the top right stamp shows the plate error of  “birds on horizon” and the bottom right stamp “semi-colon in 1954”.

Detailed scans of the affected areas

Mint block of nine of the 1D value which shows a significant paper fold affecting three of the stamps. The first stamp on the top left also shows the plate error of “weak lower line in E of VIETNAM”.

Detailed scan of the affected area

Mint strips of the 1D stamps that shows an uneven color application on the two rows. The lower row shows much heavier color saturation resulting in the windows of the pagoda looking almost closed. The third stamp fro the top left shows the plate error “weak lower line in E of VIETNAM”, the bottom left stamp the plate error “dot left on T of VIETNAM” and the second stamp from the bottom left the plate error “dot at A of VIETNAM”.

Mint block of thirty-five stamps (twenty-five stamps folded over)  that shows a color off-set of the dark brown color .

Mint block of four of the 1D stamps that shows an even heavier color-offset.

Mint block of four of the 2D value on which the top left stamp shows the plate error of “symbol next to the engraver mark”.

Detailed scan of the affected area.

First Day Covers of all three values

First Day Cover featuring the postal stationary produced for the anniversary of the Hanoi liberation along with the stamp set issued for the same purpose.

Mint specimen of the postal stationary

Postally used postal stationary cancelled with First Day cancel

Multiple franking of the 1D value (2) on a local letter sent from Song be to HCM City paying an overall postage of 2D in September of 1985. Illegible transit/arrival cancel on there reverse.

Registered air mail letter sent as a mixed currency franking in March of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter features the entire Hanoi Liberation set in pairs and a single set plus stamps from the Friendship set. There are also two Jade Temple stamps issued in 1958 the were devalued by 1,000:1 on March 1st, 1959 so were only worth 30xu at the time of mailing. The overall postage of the letter amounted to 50.8D (including the red free frank for 15D). Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in February of 1985 from Quan 5 (Cholon) to Klewitz. Th letter features the entire perforated and imperforate Hanoi Liberation set. There are also stamps from the Defense and production, Karl Marx, Friendship and Communication Day sets for an overall postage of 45.50D. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in July of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter features a block of eight of the 50xu Hanoi Liberation stamps on which the top row shows a weak print of the top inscription. There are also imperforate Bird stamps and stamps from the Friendship and Peace Meeting stamps for an overall postage of 209.80D (including the red free frank for 164D). Error and imperforate stamps on postally used over are very rare. It is not clear what the triangular “-1” hand stamp signifies.

Registered air mail letter sent in July of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carris two blocks of four of the 50xu Hanoi Liberation stamp. The first shows a vertical double perforation in-bewteen stamps and the second on a double printing of the green color. Error stamps on postally used over are very rare. There are also imperforate Bird stamps and stamps from the Friendship, Liberation of Hai-Phong and Provisional Overprint stamps for an overall postage of 216.30D (including the red free frank for 171D). It is not clear what the triangular “-1” hand stamp signifies.

Registered air mail letter sent in April of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the imperforate Peoples Army souvenir-sheet plus perforated stamps from the same set,  Hanoi Liberation, Dien Bien Phu and Union Congress stamps for an overall postage of 85D (Including the red free frank for 23D). Souvenir-Sheet and error stamps on postally used cover are very rare. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in May of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the rare purple 3D New Year stamp plus stamps from the Union Congress, Hanoi Liberation, Winter Olympics and Provisional Overprint stamps for an overall postage of 81D (including the red free frank for 33D). Fragment of green Fulda custom cachet on front. The first Union Congress stamp on the reverse shows the plate error “rose over NAM of VIETNAM”. Plate errors on postally yused cover are very rare.

Registered air mail letter sent in January of 1986 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the rare pink color shade of the Communist Party stamp and the rare dark brown color shade and other color shaded of the Union Congress stamp. The Vietnamese Government conducted a currency reform on September 14th, 1985 by which the Dong was devalued by 10:1. This meant that all the stamps (other than the Laos stamps that were already in the new currency) on this cover were only worth one tenth of their face value at the time of mailing. The overall postage of the letter hence was 84.5 oD = 8.45 nD plus 14 nD for the Laos stamps and the red free frank for 22.45 nDD. Fragment of green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Large envelope mailed as registered air mail letter from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz in December of 1985. The letter carries the Union Congress and Liberation Hai Phong souvenir-sheets plus stamps from the Hai Phon Liberation, Hanoi Liberation, Friendship, Union Conference and other contemporary stamps for an overall postage of 183.72 oD. There are also two of the 1976 military free frank in both color versions that was technically not valid for international postage but apparently was accepted by the postal clerk nevertheless. 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. This was true for all stamps on the cover. The overall postage hence amounted to 183.72 oD = 18.37 nD. plus the red free frank for 23.3 nD for a total of 41.67 nD Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in May of 1986 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The Hanoi Liberation and Cacti stamps on the reverse were still denominated in old Dong while the stamps from the KPdSU and Reconstruction sets on the cover are already denominated in new Dong. The KPdSU stamps are present in both color variations. The Cactus stamp on the reverse is imperforate. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. 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  12 oD =1.20 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (27.5D) plus the red free frank for 12 nD for 40.7 nD.

Registered air mail letter sent in April of 1988 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the imperforate German Railway souvenir-sheet plus stamps from the Elephants, Hanoi Liberation, Corals, Bach Dang and MEXICO World Cup sets. Souvenir-Sheets and imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The Hanoi Liberation stamps  were still denominated in old Dong while the other stamps were already denominated in new Dong.  The Vietnamese Government conducted a devaluation of the Dong on September 14th, 1985. This meant that all stamps issued prior to October 13th were only worth one tenth at the time of mailing. The overall postage hence amounted to 3.50 oD = 0.35 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (255 nD) plus the red free frank for 252 nD for 507.35 nD. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registration Nr. 103740

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