Unified Vietnam, For Military Personell 1978, June 3rd, 1978 (orange stamp) and October 10th,1978 (other two stamps), Michel Nr. M30-32; Three stamps were issued, all without a nominal amount. The stamps were produced by the Tien Bo Printing House in sheets of 100 stamps and in perforation 11.0. Michel shows all stamps as issued on October 20th, 1978 but that is likely incorrect. The above dates come from the official Vietnamese Postal Stamp Catalogue which probably has better information.

Here is the mint set.

Mint blocks of four of all three stamps.

Postally used stamp.

These stamps were not officially released imperforate, however a very small number of imperforate trial proofs have come to market. Hers is a mint imperforate sheetlet with positional marks of the violet stamp.

Here is a mint pair printed on issued paper of the turquoise stamp and with no printing on the reverse.

Here is another pair of imperforate trial proofs of the orange stamp printed on grey paper (instead of white paper as the issued stamps) that also had trial prints on the reverse. Both sides are shown here.

Hers is another imperforate single of the orange stamp that shows an additional orange curved print on front and print on the reverse.

Unique hand drawn essay of the orange stamp (27.5cmx19cm) signed by the stamps designer Nguyen Hiep of the orange stamp’s design.

Local letter sent from Son Luc (small post office) to a member of the military (Hom Thu Nr. 7A3404 A15) in July of 1980.

Local letter sent to Ho Chi Minh City in May of 1980.

Homemade local letter sent to Ho Chi Minh City in January of 1980. Various transit/arrival cancels on the reverse.

Local letter sent from a member of the military (Hom Thu Nr. 7A462 A2 bI c35) sent from Chau Thanh (small post office) to Ho Chi Minh City in June of 1980. HCM City machine arrival cancel on the reverse.

Handmade local letter sent from Hanoi to Quang Ninh in August of 1982. Hon Gai transit cancel on the reverse.

Local letter sent by a member of the military (Division 5A 210 C) sent from Thang Binh to Da Nang in January of 1979. Hoavang transit cancel on the reverse. The orange stamp is quite hard to find on postally used cover.

Local letter from a member of the military (Hom Thu Nr. 455 Hanam Ninh) sent to Ho Chi Minh City in December of 1983.

Local letter sent by a member of the military to Ho Chi Minh City in December of 1979.

Local letter sent by a member of the military to Ho Chi Minh City in December of 1980.

Here is a letter that should not exist. It was mailed in August of 1981 from Da Lat to Klewitz in West Germany and it carries four different military free franks. Since free franks without nominals were not valid for international postage the letter should have received a “T” hand-stamp indicating that postage was due. Apparently none of that happened here and the letter was delivered without any remarks indicating that the postal clerk simply did not notice or care.

Local letter from a military unit in Quan Khu 7 to Ho Chi Minh City in April of 1981. HCM City machine cancel arrival cancel on the reverse.

 

Local letter sent between two military units in March of 1981.

Local letter sent from Binh Phuc to Cong Long in October of 1981

Local letters ent to a member of the military in June of 1982.

Single franking of the turquoise stamp on a local letter from a soldier in Hom 3 sent from Go Vap (small post office) to Dong-Nai. Bien Hoa transit cancel on the reverse.

Rare multiple franking of the sailor stamp on an air-mail letter (see the remark “May Bay” on the top left) to Ho Chi Minh City in October of 1979. The air-mail surcharge required the second stamp.

Interesting mixed franking of the Marine military stamp together with the civilian HCM Mausoleum stamp from 1978. The military stamp alone was good enough for a standard domestic surface letter but in order to get it transported by air mail an additional stamp had to be added.

Registration Nr. 102691

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