Unified Vietnam, Locomotives, February 20th, 1983, Michel Nr. 1291-1297; Seven commemorative stamps with nominals of 30xu, 50xu, 1D, 2D, §D, 5D and 8D were issued in perforation K13 and imperforate.

For this set the Vietnamese Postal Authorities also produced so called de Luxe Sheetlets on shiny white thin cardboard. Here are the sheetlets with the imperforate stamp images imprinted.

Registered letter sent from Nguyen Trai to Klewitz in February of 1984 featuring the entire perforated Locomotives stamp set along with some October revolution stamps. The overall postage amounted to 25.02D (including the red free frank for 3.50D). Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Very rare air mail letter sent from Quan 5 (HCMC) to Klewitz in June of 1984. The letter features the entire imperforate Locomotive stamp set plus the perforated Aircraft souvenir sheet from 1983. Imperforate stamps and souvenir sheets on postally used cover are very rare.

Postal Authorities also produced an aerogramme with a 3D nominal and in the same design as the 3D Locomotive stamp.

A very rare printing error is known on the aerogramme on which the entire dark blue printing run is missing resulting in the missing train logo on front and the blue frames surrounding the three pictures on the reverse. The editor has only seen this one so far.

 

The mint aerogramme is rather easy to find but that is another story for postally used specimen such as the one featured below. It was sent with an additional franking of 30D postage stamps to Klewitz in April of 1984.

Another postally used aerogramme in a mixed franking with the 8,000D Gold Fish stamp sent internationally from Hanoi to New Zealand in March of 1997.

Registered air mail letter sent from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz in March of 1984. The letter carries four of the perforated Reptile stamps, a pair of the 6xu Socialist Republic stamp with small and large star varieties and Aircraft, Mushroom and Train stamps for an overall postage of 59.62D. Green Fulda custom cachet on front.

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 letter sent in June of 1984 from Ho Chi Minh City. The letter carries the yellow/black overprint in the light-yellow base color plus stamps from the Karl Marx, Socialist Republic, Locomotive, Vietnamese Summit and other contemporary sets for an overall postage of 83.86D (including the red free frank for 23D). Green Fulda custom cachet on front. Fulda arrival cancel on the reverse.

Mixed franking made up of the 5D Koch stamp together with the 30D Union Congress and 3D Locomotive stamp paying an overall postage of 38D on a rare international express air mail letter sets rom Ben Tre to the United States in August of 1984. Sacramento arrival cancels on the reverse.

Registered air mail letter sent in December of 1986 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries a mix of stamps denominated in old Dong (Train Engines) and new Dong (Labor Day, Vietnamese Post, KPdSU, Communist Party). The Labor Day stamps are present with all three different color variations and the Vietnamese Post stamps are imperforate. Errors stamps and imperforate 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  9 oD =0.90 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (34D) plus the red free frank for 376D for 410.9 nD. Fragment of green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registered air mail letter sent in December of 1986 as a mixed currency franking from Ho Chi Minh City to Klewitz. The letter carries stamps that were still denominated in old Dong (Train Engines) and new Dong (KPdSU, Traditional Houses, Dam Building, Post Office). There are a number of different color varieties on the Dam Building stamp. 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 10.8 oD =1.08 nD. plus the stamps in new Dong (15 nD) plus the red free frank for 397 nD for 413.08 nD. Fragment of green Fulda custom cachet on front.

Registration Key 103340

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