Unified Vietnam, 600. Birthday of Le’Lo’i, March 1st, 1986, Michel Nr. 1663; Le’Lo’i was the founder of the LE-Dynasty and he won a decisive victory against Chinese intruders in the year 1427 in the battle close to a hamlet called Chi-Linh (today called Chi-Lang). A single stamp with a 1D nominal and in perforation 10.75 was released.
There is a distinct color variation between the first printing (darker green color) and the second printing (lighter green color).
Here is a stamp from the first printing
and a mint pair of the second printing on which the bottom stamp shows the plate error “shortened M nd N in NAM”. Also the passer sign was mistakenly inserted into the stamps image on the left.
Detailed scans of the affected areas
Here is a mint strip of sixteen stamps from the second printing (Fields 61-68 and 71-78) on which the third and seventh stamp in the top row and the first and fifth stamp in the bottom shows the plate error “shortened M nd N in NAM”. Also, the 4th stamp in the bottom row shows the plate error of “missing apostrophe in AI.
Detailed scans of the affected areas
Mint stamp from a sheet of 91 stamps (first printing) on which eight stamp in the fifth and tenth row shows the plate error of “Damaged H in CHINH”
Detailed scan of the affected area
This stamp was not officially released imperforate however some imperforate trial proofs have come to market. Here is an imperforate mint block of six stamps (first printing) on which the bottom right stamp shows plate error “shortened M nd N in NAM”.
Mint block of four imperforate trial proof which shows a significant passer-shift of the black color downwards. The block has an additional printing the green printing stage on the reverse.
Front
Reverse
Mint imperforate trial proof block of four stamp on which the red printing phase is shifted significantly towards the bottom right. There are also multiple prints of the green printing run on the reverse.
Front
Reverse
Mint imperforate trial proof of four stamps on which only the black printing stage is visible in front and the green and red printing stage on the reverse.
Front
Reverse
Here is a very rare trial proof sheetlet that shows that initially two different values were intended for release but that the postal authority in the end only issued the value on top. The editor has never seen another example of this complete sheetlet specimen (ex Klewitz).
Here are imperforate pairs of both stamps that were cut from from a sheetlet.
Much more common is an imperforate sheetlet that shows the designs (but not the nominal value) of the Laos stamps (Michel Nr. 1641-1642) and the two stamps planned for the Le’Lo’i set.
Mint strip of four stamps that shows a perforation error of an additional horizontal perforation strike across the bottom of the stamps.
Mint block of ten stamps (first printing) which shows a perforation error of four vertical additional perforation strikes on the right side of the block
Detailed scan of the affected area
Single franking of the 1D value on a domestic letter sent in January of 1987 by a member of the military (note the Hom Thu Nr. in the sender line) to Bien Giang.
Single franking of the 1D stamp on a local letter sent from HCM City to Thuan Hai from June of 1988. Arrival cancel on the reverse.
Another single franking of the 1D stamp on a local letter sent between two members of the Vietnamese military (note the Hom Thu numbers in both sender and address lines). The letter originated in Thanh Hoa and was sent to HCM City.HCM City machine arrival cancel on the reverse.
Mixed franking of the 1D Le’Lo’i stamp (7) plus one of the 1D Geological Research stamp paying an overall postage of 8D on an international letter sent from Hanoi to Czechoslovakia in April of 1986.
Multiple franking of the 1D value (7) paying an overall postage of 7D on an international air mail letter sent from Luong Son (small post office) to Czechoslovakia in April of 1986.
Multiple franking of the 1D value (8) paying sn overall postage of 8D on an international letter sent from Huyen Hong Ngu to the Soviet Union in October of 1988. Soviet arrival cancel on the reverse.
Very similar franking of eight 1D stamps paying an overall postage of 8D on an international aerogramme sent from Dong Thap Province to the Soviet Union in November of 1986.
Rare multiple “stair franking” of the 1D value (13) on an international air mail letter sent from HCM Province to the United States. These overlapping frankings were required due to a general lack of high nominals at Vietnamese post offices.
Very unusual mixed currency franking that features stamps with three different currencies. The Southern Resistance stamps with a nominal of 200D were still valid for postage but were devalued by 1,000: 1 on March 1st, 1959 and again by 10:1 on September 14th, 1985. So at the time of mailing they were only worth 0.02 nD. The stamps from the Socialist Republic and International Year of the Child sets were devalued by 10:1 for a postage of 0.524 nD and the stamps from the Reconstruction and Le’Lo’i were worth 23 nD. So the overall postage amounted to 23.54D. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.
Registered air mail letter send as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City in April of 1986 to Klewitz. The letter carries stamps from the Friendship set that were still denominated in old Dong while all other stamps were denominated already in new Dong. The Le’Lo’i stamp is represented in both 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 2 oD =0.2 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (29D) plus the red free frank for 10D for 39.2 nD. Fragment of green Fulda custom cachet on front.
Very interesting mixed franking of National Liberation Front (NLF) and North Vietnamese (Unified Vietnam) stamps on a triple mixed currency cover mailed in May of 1986 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. NLF stamps were not valid in the North until reunification in April of 1986. After that the NLF stamps that were denominated in South Vietnamese Dong became valid but were devalued by 500:1. This means that the four 30D stamps (Michel Nr. NLF 64) were only worth 0.24 nD. The North Vietnamese/Unified Vietnam stamps issued prior to the currency reform on September 14th, 1985 (i.e. Sun Flower, Intercosmos, Hai Phong Liberation) were devalued by 10:1 so only worth 11.26 oD : 10 = 1.13 nD. at time of mailing. Together with stamps in new Dong (Le’ Lo’i and National Assembly stamps) for 4.5D and the red free frank of 34.5 nD the overall postage of the letter amounted to 40.37 nD. There is also one military free frank from 1984 that was not valid for international postage but that was nevertheless accepted by the postal clerk. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.
Registered air mail letter send as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City in April of 1986 to Klewitz. The letter carries stamps from the Chrysanthemum set that were still denominated in old Dong while all other stamps were denominated already in new Dong. The Le’Lo’i stamp is represented in both color variations and one of the shows the plate error of “missing apostrophe in AI” . Error 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 2.7 oD =0.27 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (14D) plus the red free frank for 25D for 39.27 nD. Fragment of green Fulda custom cachet on front.
Local letter franked with a pair of imperforate Le’Lo’i stamps and mailed within Ho Chi Minh City. The left stamp also carries the plate error “shortened M nd N in NAM”. Imperforate and error stamps on postal used cover are very rare.
Registered air mail letter sent in January of 1989 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the imperforate Le’Lo’i stamp plus a block of six stamps that show a perforation error (additional vertical perforation strikes towards the right). Imperforate and error stamps on postally used cover are very rare. There are also stamps from the Vancouver Stamp Exhibition (imperforate), Offshore Oil Production, Water Power Stations, Peace Agreement with the USSR (imperforate) and Ton Du’c Thang sets for an overall postage of 3,352D. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.
Registered express air mail letter sent in October of 1988 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the Union Congress set plus stamps from the Red Cross (including one imperforate), Fish (imperforate), Ocean Creatures, Roses, Le’ Lo’i (imperforate) sets. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The Ocean Creature stamps were still denominated in old Dong while all 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 this date were only worth one tenth at the time of mailing. The overall postage hence amounted to 9 oD = 0.90 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (386 nD) and the red free frank for 4,691D for 5,077.9 nD.
Registered air mail letter sent in October of 1988 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the perforated and imperforate 3,000D Hydro Station stamp plus stamps from the Cacti, Bach Dang, Le Lo’i and Liberation of Hai Phong sets. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The Hai Phong Liberation set was still denominated in old Dong, while all other stamps were 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 this date were only worth one tenth at the time of mailing. The overall postage hence amounted to 5 oD = 0.50 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (6,342 nD) and the red free frank for 1,730D for 8,072.5nD. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet.
Registered air mail letter sent in February of 1989 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the perforated and imperforate Union Congress set plus stamps from the 5 Billion Humans, Hydro Stations, Le’ Lo’i, Locomotives (imperforate) and Laos sets for an overall postage of 4,810D (including the red free frank for 4,110D). The Le’ Lo’i block of four is severely misperforated. Imperforate and error stamps on postally mused cover are very rare. Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.
Registration Nr. 104020
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