Unified Vietnam, For Military Personell 1976, October 21st, 1976 (vivid red) and 1977 (rose carmine), Michel Nr. M28; The stamp was produced by the Tien Bo Printing House in sheets of 100 stamps and in perforation 11.0. This stamp was issued in two printings (see dates above). The vivid red stamp (as per the Michel Color Guide) is significantly scarcer than the rose carmine stamp so Michel got the pricing of the stamps reversed. The rose carmine stamp was, according to SICP Member Steve Carol issued specifically for troops in Cambodia. Vietnam was at the time engaged in a war against the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia aiding Cambodian Government troops.

Hers is the mint stamp in vivid red.

This is the mint stamp in rose-carmine.

Block of sixteen stamps (“rose-carmine) of which the most right stamp in the third row from the top shows a re-occuring plate error “broken frame”.

Detailed scan of the affected area.

Local letter with the vivid red stamp sent from Ho Chi Minh City to Go Cong Tay in October of 1980. Go Cong Tay arrival cancel fragment on the reverse.

Letter sent by a member of the military to another military unit in Vinh Phu featuring the vivid red stamp. The stamp shows the plate error “broken frame” on the top right.

Local letter sent from Mytho to Ben Tre using the vivid red stamp. Ben Tre arrival cancel on the reverse.

Local letter sent to Ho Chi Minh City using the vivid red stamp in 1977.

While this local letter has no return address it was most likely mailed in May of 1979 from Cambodia as it carries the rose carmine stamp . It was addressed to a solider/patient at the 7th Tactical Regional Army Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City . This hospital handled the troops in Cambodia. Ho Chi Minh City arrival cancel on the reverse.

Local letter with the rose carmine stamp sent in January of 1981 from Go Cong to Ho Chi Minh City carrying the rose carmine stamp. HCM City arrival cancel on the reverse.

International letter with the rose carmine stamp sent from Army Unit B68 in Cambodia to Minh City. These letters were transported without cancelling the stamp first. The letters were cancelled upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City.

Local letter with the rose carmine stamp sent from an army unit in Ho Chi Minh City (7A H20H) to Quan Binh Thanh in February of 1979. Ho Chi Minh transit cancel on the reverse.

Mixed franking on a local letter with the rose carmine stamp and Michel Nr. M38 issued in 1982 on a letter to Cholon. This is most likely a letter of philatelic origin.

Rare multiple franking of the rose carmine stamps paying the correct air mail rate (that required two stamps) on a local letter (full contents preserved) sent to Ho Chi Minh City in November of 1979. “May Bay” stands for “Air Mail”. Machine transit cancel fragment on the reverse.

Rare multiple franking of three of the rose carmine stamps on an air-mail letter sent from Pleicu to Ho Chi Minh City. Red Bien Ho cancels from November 2006. Arrival cancel on the reverse. This letter must have been of the second weight level.

Spectacular mass franking of the rose-carmine value (7) on a registered letter paying an overall tariff of 2.30D. The Free Franks were valued at 30xu each in 1983 as that represented the standard letter rate then. 

Military Free Franks without any nominal value were not valid for international postage according to UPU rules so they were only intended for domestic usage. Here is a very rare international express mail letter sent to Klewitz from Quan 5 in April of 1981. The letter features both perforation versions (11.0 & 12.5) of the blue military stamp and the red military stamp with the plate error “tank in action” along with other military stamps from the period. It appears that the stamps were accepted by the postal clerk without any issue and that they credited with a 12 xu nominal. The overall postage amounted to 14.76D (including the two red free franks). Kassel transit and Fulda arrival cancels on the reverse.  Fragment of green Fukda custom cancel on front.

Registration Nr. 102591

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