5 Years Vietnamese-Cambodian Friendship Agreement

Unified Vietnam, 5 Years Vietnamese-Cambodian Friendship Agreement, August 30th, 1984, Michel Nr. 1488-1490; After a number of hostilities between Cambodia and Vietnam, Vietnam invaded Cambodia on December 25th, 1978. The intent of this was to purge the Communist Khmer Rouge Government under Lon Nol which Vietnam felt was too loyal to China and anti-Vietnamese. The war was over within two weeks after the Vietnamese Army simply overran the country. On January 8th, 1979 the pro Vietnamese Peoples Republic of Cambodia was established and after some reforms the Vietnamese Occupation Force withdrew their troops in September 1989. So this was a rather forced friendship. Klewitz reports in his collection that the stamp set was initially intended to be released on February 2nd, 1984, five years since the peace treaty between the two countries was signed but that the issuance of the set got delayed to September 30th, 1984. Three stamps with nominals of 50xu, 3D and 50D were issued in perforation 10.75.

Here is the mint set

Mint block of the 50D value on which the bottom left stamp shows the plate error of “green flower on the right of dancer”.

Mint block of four 50D values which shows a passer-shift of the green print towards the right.

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

Turquoise phase print of the 50xu value

Yellow phase print of the 50xu value

Yellow and turquoise phase print of the 50xu value

Yellow, turquoise and red phase print of the 50xu value

Yellow, turquoise and black phase print of the 50xu value

Completed print on an imperforate pair

Phase print of the 50xu value which shows a very significant shift of the red and black printing color

Phase printed on both sides. The front shows an inverted black and red print run. The reverse the black and red printing stage.

Imperforate sheetlet (10.1×14.3cm) of the 50xu value that was produced for presentation purposes inside the postal administration.

Green phase print of the 3D value

Pair of the yellow phase print of the 3D value

Green and yellow phase print of the 3D value

Red and black phase print of the 3D value

Imperforate pair of the finished design

Imperforate sheetlet (10.1×14.0cm) of the 3D value that was produced for presentation purposes inside the postal administration.

Green phase print of the 50D value

Yellow phase print of the 50D value

Green and yellow phase print of the 50D value

Red and black phase print of the 50D value

Imperforate pair of the finished design

Alternative imperforate print of the 50D which shows a pale green color on the dress of the left dancer but lacks the green inscription on top.

Imperforate sheetlet (10.1×14.1cm) of the 50D value that was produced for presentation purposes inside the postal administration.

Air mail letter sent in December of 1985 from Hanoi to Czechoslovakia. The letter carries three of the 5D Peace Meeting stamps plus the 50D Cambodian Friendship and 10D Interior Ministry Troop stamps for an overall postage of 75D.

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.

Postcard by the famous author John Stockwell who wrote the book “Secret Wars of there CIA” from Hanoi to the United States. The card features the 50D Cambodian Friendship, 5D Hai Phong Liberation and 30D Union Congress stamp for an overall postage of 95D. Signature by the author on the reverse.

Registered air mail letter sent in May of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries stamps from the Friendship Contract and Peace Meeting sets for an overall postage of 70.50D. Fragment of green Fulda customs cachet.

Registered air mail letter sent on September 12th, 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries a iced currency franking of stamps denominated in Old and New Dong. The Reunification stamps were devalued by 1,000:1 on March 1st, 1959 and hence were worth only 30xu at the time of mailing. The other stamps from the Ha Long, Friendship and Radio Station stamps were already in new Dong (193.12D). So the overall postage of the letter amounted to 207.12D (including the red free frank for 13.7D). Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent on September 12th, 1985 (two days prior to the new currency reform) to Klewitz. The letter carries eleven of the 50xu Union Congress stamps. These stamps show passer-shifts and some of the plate errors detailed above (missing blue column of building). They are also of two different color shades. Errors stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The overall postage of the letter amounted to 243.50 (Including the red free frank for 26D).

Registered air mail letter sent as a mixed currency franking in November of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries a large number of Friendship stamps, some of which carry the plate errors featured above. The letter also carries stamps from the Ha Long, Harmful Insects, Provisional Overprints, Prehistoric Animal and Friendship Contract set for an overall postage of 312 Old Dong (worth only 31.2D due to the currency devaluation on September 14th, 1985) plus the red free frank for 0.25 New Dong. The Prehistoric Animal stamps are imperforate Plate errors and imoperforate on postally used cover are very rare. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in December of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. All stamps issued prior to September 14th, 1985 were devalued by 10:1 and hence only worth one tenth of their face value. All the stamps on this letter (Friendship Contract, Vietnamese, Laos, Cambodian Friendship and Liberation of Hanoi) were denominated in old Dong (314 oD) so the letter was franked with 31.4 new Dong. The 10D Friendship value shows the plate error “blue dot under A of VIETNAM and 0 of 10 extension. Error stamps on postally used over are very rare.

Registered air mail letter sent in December of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. On September 14th, 1985 the Vietnamese Dong was devalued by 10:1. This meant that the Union Congress stamps that were issued prior to this date were only worth one tenth of their face value in New Dong (8D = 80xu). The stamps and red free frank issued after the devaluation maintained their face value as they were already issued in New Dong. The overall postage of the letter amounted to 104 New Dong. The 1D Union Congress stamps all show a double printing of the black color. Errors stamps on postally used cover are very rare. Partial green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in October of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries a mass franking of the 2D Communist Party value plus the Vietnamese Painters set. 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 (including there Vietnamese Painter set) 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 247.80 = 24.78 plus 18D of the red free frank for 42.78D. Fragment of green Fulda custom cachet.

Registered air mail letter sent in November of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The carries a block of four of the Communist Party value on which the lower left stamp shows the plate error “broken VIETNAM”. Error stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The letter also carries the rare 6xu Flower stamp from 1974 plus stamps from the World Communication Year, Friendship Contract and Union Congress stamps for an overall postage of 216.68 old Dong. The military free frank from 1981 was technically not valid for international mail as it lacked any displayed nominal value but apparently was accepted by the postal clerk. 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 on this cover were only worth one tenth of their face value at the time of mailing (=21.66 nD). Together with the red free frank of 1.3 nD the overall postage of the letter amounted to 22.96nD. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent on September 12th, 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the perforated HCM Birthday set plus stamps from the Friendship Contract, Hai Phong Liberation and World Food Day sets for an overall postage of 244D (including the red free frank for 110D). Fragment of green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in June of 1986 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries stamps from the Friendship Treaty, Peace Meeting and Hanoi Liberation sets still denominated in old Dong and stamps from the Laos, Reconstruction Dyke Works sets denominated in new Dong. The Laos stamp is present in bot major color variations. 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 79.5 oD =7.95 nD. plus stamps in new Dong (15D) and the red free frank for 10 nD or 32.95 nD. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in November of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries perforated stamps from the August Revolution set plus stamps from the Union Conference, Communist Part and Vietnamese-Cambodian Friendship sets for an overall postage of 203D (including the red free frank for 3D). Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.