Unified Vietnam, International Peace Meeting Prague, December 19th, 1983 (50xu and 20D nominal), June 25th, 1984 (3 and 5 Dong nominal), Michel Nr. 1398-1401; Four stamps with nominals of 50xu, 3 Dong, 5 Dong and 20 Dong were issued in perforation 10.75.

Here are the 50xu and 20 Dong value that were issued first.

Here are the 3 Dong and 5 Dong value that were issued six months later.

Mint pair of the 3D stamp on which the left stamp shows the plate-error “green dot in yellow hand.

Detailed scan of the affected area:

These stamps were not officially released imperforate however, a small number of imperforate trial proofs have come to market. Here are all finished designs as imperforate trial proofs.

Imperforate trial proof which misses the turquoise printing run.

Here is the same trial proof but this times in a perforated mint block of ten stamps.

Mint imperforate block of four of the turquoise printing run of the 20D as a trial proof.

Trial proof of the 20D value that was printed on waste paper. The back of the block shows a Vietnamese description of “Gold Star Balm” in Russian language. The piece shows a significant passer-shift and some print runs are upside down.

Reverse of the piece.

In the early 1980’s inflation was running high and as result there was constant consideration of potentially changing the standard domestic letter tariff and oversea rates. For that reason this set was already prepared with alternate nominal values.

Here is an imperforate sheetlet that shows both of the issued nominals of 50xu and 20D together. Note that the 20D base color is here the same as on the 50xu stamp. The sheetlet is complete but is overlapping with another sheetlet in the scan. Very rare.

Here is an imperforate sheetlet that shows the 3D value that was issued and an alternative of the same stamp with a 5D nominal. The sheetlet is complete but is overlapping with another sheetlet in the scan. Very rare.

Here is an imperforate sheetlet that shows the 5D value that was issued and an alternative of the same stamp with a 3D nominal. Very rare.

Imperforate sheetlet of the 50xu value but here showing nominals of 1D and 2 D and in the colors of the issued 3D and 5D stamps. Very rare.

Because the 50xu value covered the domestic standard letter rate at the time it was used most often. As a result a reprint of this value was done at the beginning of 1985. It is characterized by generally darker color tones. Here is a mint pair of the reprint.

Vertical mint pair of the 5D value. The top stamp shows the plate error of “thick dot on hand” and the bottom stamp the plate error “small dot between inscriptions”.

Detailed scans of the affected areas.

Mint horizontal pair of the 5D value. The left stamp shows the plate error of “white dot under DAI” and the right stamp the plate error of “broken hand”.

Detailed scans of the affected areas.

Mint block of fifteen 5 Dong stamps (light colors) that show the show the plate errors detailed above on the 5th, 6th and 11th stamp.

Mint block of twelve 5 Dong stamps (dark colors) that shows the plate error of “dove with legs” on the 6th stamp, “white dot under DAI” on the 8th stamp and “broken hand” on the 9th stamp.

Detailed scans of the affected area.

Mint strip of three of the 5D value on which the middle stamp shows the plate error of partially missing 5:

Detailed scan of the affected area:

Single franking of the 50xu value on a domestic air mail letter (full contents preserved) sent within HCM City in February of 1984.

Multiple franking of the 5D Peace Meeting value (2) paying an overall postage of 10D on a local letter sent from Dalat to HCM City in October of 1985. Various transit and arrival cancels on the reverse. Full contents preserved.

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.

Registered air mail letter sent in August of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz with a mixed currency franking. The letter carries a block of four of the 5D Peace Meeting value which shows a vertical double perforation strike in-between stamps , along with a mis-perforated version of the 5D Liberation of Haiphong stamp and the 12cu Lotus stamp with Post Master Perforation. Error stamps on postally used cover are very rare. There is also the Southern Resistance stamp set from 1958 which was devalued 1,000:1 in March of 1959 and hence only worth 20xu at the time of mailing and some stamps from the Ha Long set. The overall postage of the letter amounted to 228.82D (including the red free frank for 173D). Partial green Fulda custom cachet on the reverse.

Registered air mail letter documenting a mixed currency franking featuring six of the 5D Peace Meeting stamps and other contemporary NVN stamps in “Old Dong” (including an imperforate 3D Cactus stamp). Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The Dong was devalued 10:1 on September 14th, 1985 which meant that the stamps in old currency were only worth one tenth of their face value. The Democratic of Laos and the 40 Years Reconstruction stamps as well as the red free frank in front were already denominated in New Dong. This results in the following over postage count. Stamps for 39.74 Old Dong (=4 New Dong) plus stamps/free frank for 14.50 New Dong for an overall postage of 18.50D. Partial green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Multiple franking of the 20S stamp paying an overall postage of 40D on an international air mail letter sent from Dong Nai to Switzerland in April of 1985.

Registered air mail letter sent in April of 1984 from Nguyen Trai to Klewitz. The letter carries the imperforate 50xu and 20D Peace Meeting stamps, some Locomotive and Raffael stamps for an overall postage of 58D. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. Green Fulda custom cachet on the reverse.

Registered air mail letter sent in October of 1984 from Quan 5 to Klewitz. The letter carries pairs of the 50xu and 20D Peace Meeting stamps in pairs plus other contemporary NVN stamps for an overall postage 51.13D. Partial green Flda custom cachet on front.

Mixed franking of the end of WW II set together with stamps from the International Peace Meeting and Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship sets paying an overall postage of 298D (including the red free frank for 23D) on a registered international air mail letter sent from HCM City to Hong Kong in October of 1985.

Registered air mail letter sent in February of 1985 from Quan 5 to Klewitz. The letter carries the perforated and imperforate Peace Meeting set, the 3D Trade Union Confederation stamp with the plate error “incomplete dates” and the Friendship between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia stamp with the plate error of “dot in Lao flag”. There are also two paper varieties of the Karl Mary stamp. Imperforate and error stamps on postally used cover are very rare. The overall postage of the letter amounted to 45.40D. Partial green Fulda custom cachet.

Registered air mail letter sent in March of 1985 from HO Chi Minh City to Klewitz. Th letter carries six of the reprinted 50xu Peace Meeting stamp in darker colors. The pair on the right shows a significant passer-shift of the turquoise color downwards. There are also some Hymenoptera and Cooperation with the Soviet Union stamps for an overall postage of 35 Dong. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter featuring a mixed currency franking and sent in May of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries features the perforated Peace Meeting set and other contemporary NVN stamps with a total nominal of 62.7 Dong. There were four of the 150D Handicraft stamps from 1958 that had been devalued by 1,000:1 in March of 1959 so they were only worth 60xu at the time of mailing. So the overall postage (including the red free frank for 90xu) amounted to 63.6D. Partial green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter featuring a mixed currency franking and sent in June of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries two of the 5D Peace Meeting stamps, imperforate Flat Fish stamps and other contemporary NVN stamps for an overall franking of 244.62D (including the red free frank for 192D). There are also four Reunification stamps from 1958 valued at 200D that were devalued in March of 1959 by 1,000:1 and hence were only worth 20xu at the time of mailing. So, the overall postage of the letter amounted to 244.82D. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. Partial green Fulda custom cachet on front.

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.

Very rare local letter mailed in Quan 5 and featuring a block of four of the perforated 50xu trial proof without the turquoise color. Trial proof on postally used cover are basically unheard of. The letter also represents a mixed currency franking. The 50xu stamps were devalued by 10:1 in September of 1985 so were only worth 30xu at the time of mailing. The overall postage of the letter hence amounted to 20.3D.

Registered air mail letter sent in July of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the imperforate souvenir-sheet and the complete perforated Dien Bien Phu, Bulgaria, Peace Meeting and Vietnamese Painters set for an overall postage of 373.60D. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in May of 1985 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries a pair of the rare single rose overprint that show a faulty smeared overprint, double rose overprints that show different vertical heights of the overprint as well as different base colors. There are also different base colors of the yellow/black overprint. Errors stamps on postally used cover are very rare. There are also stamps from the Friendship between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, International Peace Meeting and  Ha Long Bay sets for an overall postage of 48.90 (inclduing the red free frank for 2.40D). Fragment of the green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Air mail letter sent in March of 1986 from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries the entire imperforate August Revolution set plus stamps from the Border Troops, Sailing Ship, Friendship and Peace Meeting sets. Imperforate stamps on postally used cover are very rare. All stamps on this cover were still denominated in old 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 162 oD =16.2 nD.

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 variationsThe 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.

Registration Nr. 103560

Comments are closed.