Ho-Chi-Minh Museum

Unified Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh Museum, May 15th, 1978, Michel Nr. 971-972; Two stamps with nominals of 10 xu and 12 xu were issued in perforation 11.0.

This issue shows significant tonality issues that may even occur within the same sheet. This was caused by a deficient printing process that did not allow for even color supply to the entire printing plate. Below is a strip of five mint stamps that clearly shows that the stamps towards the right become darker in color.

Here is a mint block of four of the 10 xu stamp that shows Ho Chi Minh directing the musical piece “Unite” based on a famous photograph. The top left stamp shows a printing flaw that was created when a small round object settled on the printing plate causing a circular white space.

Here is a detailed scan of the affected area:

Here is the same block of four probably from a few sheets printed later. Here the printing flaw is still visible but it has been diminished by a few rotations of the printing machine:

Another detailed scan of the affected area:

A re-occuring plate error that occurs on position 98 of a partial printing shows a broken “T” in the word “Vietnam”. The bottom left stamp is the one with the error.

Here is a detailed scan of the affected area:

Here is a mint pair of the stamps from the same position in the sheet after the plate error was re-touched. The pair is also missing the pink/red color, which appears in a mirror image on the back. Most likely the color was off-set by stacking still wet sheets directly after the pink/red print run causing most of the red/pink color to transfer to the back of the sheet on top.

Another detailed scan of the affected area:

Back of the pair of stamps:

Here is another block of six (two stamps folded over to show the reverse) that show a green color off-set on the back.

Perforation errors also did occur. Here is a mint block of four that shows a double strike of the horizontal perforation comb at the top of the block:

Passer-shifts did occur as well. Here is a block of four where the brown/gold color was moved downwards which looks like HCM has long his pants.

This color shift caused the entire image of the stamp to appear “fuzzy”:

Here is a mint block of four that shows another small printing flaw on the top right stamp. Again, a small piece of debris created a halo meteor type image:

Detailed scan of the affected area:

These stamps were not issued imperforate but a handful of imperforate trial proofs have come to market. Below is a single 12 xu stamp that is imperforate but also misses the red and black printing run:

Another rare trial proof that also misses the red and black printing run and that is only perforated horizontally but imperforate vertically:

Mint block of four that shows a reversal of the printing process. The yellow color was apparently printed after the other colors resulting in the yellow to dominate the left sky area.

Here is a block of four of the 12 xu stamp that shows a perforation error. The block is im-perforated horizontally and the vertical perforation is dislocated inside the stamps image.

Mint block of ten stamps that shows a multiple perforation comb strike on the left side resulting in a triple perforation.

Rare multiple franking of the 10xu HCM stamp on a local letter (full contents preserved) sent by the Australian Embassy to a visa applicant in April of 1980. HCM City machine arrival cancel on the reverse.

Multiple franking of the 10xu value (3) together with a red free frank of 27xu paying an overall postage of 57xu on an international letter sent in March of 1984 from Bing Thanh to France.

Rare single franking of the 12xu stamp on a local letter sent to Ho Chi Minh City in January of 1981. Two different HCM City machine arrival cancels on the reverse.

Another rare local letter sent from Nam Dinh to Dong Nam featuring a single franking of the 12xu stamp. Arrival cancel on the reverse.

Registered air mail letter sent to Klewitz in April of 1983. It features a number of the color variations and passer-shifts detailed above. The overall postage amounted to 2.68 Dong (including the 1.38 Dong free frank). Note that the two 10 xu flower stamps also show a printing flaw that looks like diagonal lines across the stamp image and pale inscriptions. Fulda arrival cancel and green Fulda custom cachet on the reverse.

Mixed ranking of six 10 xu HCM stamps (all showing a passer-shift that makes it look like HCM’s pants have slipped) together with stamps from the Philaserdica and Year of the Child sets paying an overall postage of 8.40D (including the red free frank for 5.50D) on a registered international air mail letter sent from HCM City to Klewitz in Germany in December of 1983. Green Fulda custom cachet on the reverse. A note inside the letter indicates that Klewitz was charging DM 100 (about €50 equivalent) for this letter due to the presence of the 10 xu error stamps.

This is a very rare letter sent to Klewitz in November of 1983. It features three 10 xu error stamps. One with the missing red/pink printing run, one with a missing brown color printing run and one with the passer-shift of the brown color moved downwards. Errors stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The overall postage amounted to 12.60 Dong (including the 5 Dong red free frank).

Mixed franking of the 10xu Day of the Child stamp together with a number of other NVN stamps (including the HCM Museum stamps) paying an overall postage of 3.38D on a registered air mail letter sent from Ho Chi Minh City to Marseille, France in July of 1978.

Rare registered letter sent to Klewitz in September of 1983. It carries one 10 xu stamp with the plate error “broken T”. Error stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The overall postage amounted to 11.16 Dong (including the 5.16 Dong red free frank). Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Mixed franking on a letter front of the 20xu Cuban Vietnamese Brotherhood stamp plus the 10xu HCM stamp and 1D October Revolution stamp for an overall postage of 1.30D on an air mail letter to Hong Kong.

Very rare air mail letter sent in September of 1978 from Ho Chi Minh City to California, USA. It carries two im-perfroated/mis-perforated 12 xu error stamps with the missing red and black printing run. Errors stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The overall postage amount ted to 3.64 Dong.

Another rare registered letter sent to Klewitz in November of 1983. It features the 10 xu HCM stamp and the 50 xu national assembly stamp in a pair with a double perforation on the right stamp plus passer-shifts of the red and gold/black color on the two right most stamps. Error stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The overall postage amounted to 12.60 Dong. Fulda arrival cancel on the reverse. Fulda green customs cachet on the front.

Rare express mail letter sent to Klewitz in October of 1978. It carries the HCM Museum set four times plus other NVN stamps for an overall postage of 4.90 Dong. Fulda arrival cancel on the reverse.

Rare registered express mail letter sent to Klewitz in October of 1978.It carries the set plus some other NVN stamps for an overall postage of 4.82 Dong. The zero money free-frank was required to produce the R-label as it was produced by the same franking machine. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Rare Expressmail letter sent from Dien Bien Phu to Klewitz in August of 1980. It carries the set in blocks of four. The overall postage of the letter amounted to 4.80 Dong. Fulda arrival cancel on the reverse. Green Fulda custom cachet and hand-made R-label in front.

Very rare registered express mail letter sent to Klewitz in October of 1980. It carries the souvenir sheet for HCM’s 70th Birthday and a 20 xu Year of the Child that shows a small perforation error (missing perforation holes). Souvenir sheets on postally used cover are very rare. There is also a 10 xu HCM Museum stamp. The overall postage amounted to 4.82 Dong. Fulda arrival cancel on the reverse.

Very rare registered express mail letter featuring two 6 xu stamps and two 12 xu stamps with the post master perforation of the Socialist Republic stamps sent from Da-Lat (a mountain resort outside of HCM City) to West Germany sent in July of 1980. It also carries a number of the HCM Museum set. The overall postage amounted to 4.80 Dong. Fulda arrival stamp on the reverse. Green Fulda custom cachet on front. Unusual hand-made express mail label.

Registered letter sent from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz in April of 1982. The letter carries three of the Day of the Child stamps plus one of the HCM Museum stamps for an overall postage of 8.22 Dong. Red hand stamp “franked by sender”. Unusual red cancels. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registern letter sent from Nguyen Trai to Klewitz in July of 1983. It features three stamps (Michel Nr. 1187) with a double printing of the red color and one stamp with a smeared “V” in “Vietnam”. There is also a Ho Chi Minh stamp that shows an obscured “30” (bottom stamp). Error stamps on postally used cover are very rare. HCM Museum stamp on the reverse. The overall postage of the letter amounted to 12.6 Done (including the red free frank of 9.8 Dong. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered letter sent from Ban Co to Klewitz in February of 1984. The letter carries various printing errors of the 50 xu and 5 Dong World Congress set. There are passer-shifts and double prints of the black color. Error stamps on postally used cover are very rare. HCM Muesum stamp on the back. In contravention to UPU Regulations the Vietnamese Postal Authorities started to charge postal customers in Vietnam with a surcharge on letters sent from and to capitalist Western countries. This was intended to stifle communication with the class enemy. The black hand stamp in front was struck as a confirmation that the “anti-capitalist tax” had been paid on this outbound letter. The overall postage of the letter amounted to 67.6 Dong. Fulda arrival cancel on the reverse. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.