First Session of the reunified National Assembly

National Liberation Front, First Session of the reunified National Assembly, June 24th, 1976, Michel Nr. NLF 68-69; Just eight days ahead of reunification two stamps in nominals of 6xu and 12xu (in North Vietnamese currency) were issued. These were there final stamps that were issued with the country name “Cong Hoa Mien Nam Viet Nam”. An identical set except for the country name was issued by North Vietnam on the same day.

Here is the cancelled to order set.

Here is the First Day Cover featuring the set and the special cancel that was produced for the occasion.

Single franking of the 6xu value using the 50% discounted intra-city rate on a letter sent within Chi Minh. Chi Minh is located North-West of Hai-Phong so in the North. NLF stamps used in the North are scarce. Arrival cancel on the reverse.

Single franking of the 6xu stamp on a regional letter from Chau Doc to Vinh Long for which, it appears the 50% discounted intra-city rate was also applicable. Can-Tho transit and Vinh Long arrival cancel on the reverse.

Single franking of the 6xu value on a letter from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi sent on September 17th, 1976. Clearly the intra-city/regional rate did not make any sense for this long distance letter so it probably represents a clerical error as no postage due remarks were added to the envelope.

Multiple franking of the 6xu value paying the 12xu domestic letter rate on a letter (full contents preserved) sent from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City in February of 1979. Ho Chi Minh machine arrival cancel on the reverse.

Multiple franking of the 6xu stamp paying the 12xu standard domestic letter rate on a letter sent from Ho Chi Minh City to Dalat on July of 1978. Note the new circular cancel that now includes the zip code.

Mixed franking of the 6xu National Assembly stamps (2) and the North Vietnamese 12xi Final Victory stamp on a letter sent in January of 1977 and paying the second weight level letter rate from Thy Nhonh to Ho Chi Minh City. These mixed frankings between NLF and North Vietnamese stamps ere legal as the currency of both territories had been aligned by that time. Ho Chi Minh machine arrival cancel on the reverse.

Mixed franking of the 6xu National Assembly stamp and the 30D Ho Chi Minh among soldiers stamp. The 30D stamp was devalued by 500:1 in April of 1976 so was only worth 6xu in North Vietnamese Dong paying an overall 12xu standard letter tariff on a letter from Can-Tho to Ho Chi Minh City in October of 1976. Ho Chi Minh machine arrival cancel on the reverse.

Single franking of the 12xu stamp paying the standard domestic letter rate on a letter from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. Since the NLF stamps now used the same currency as the North they could be used there but usage in the North is still scarce. Ho Chi Minh machine arrival cancel on the reverse.

Single franking of the 12xu stamp paying the domestic letter rate on a letter sent in April of 1977 from Vun Tau to Ho Chi Minh City.

Single franking of the 12xu stamp paying the domestic letter rate on a letter (full contents preserved) sent from Mytho to Song Be in January of 1977. Ho Chi Minh City machine transit cancel on the reverse.

Single franking of the 12xu value sent within Ho Chi Minh City in August of 1978. It is not clear why the sender did not avail himself of the 50% discounted intra-city rate. HCM City arrival cancel with zip code on the reverse.

Single franking of the 12xu stamp paying the domestic letter rate on a letter sent from Cantho to Ho Chi Minh City in April of 1977.

Mixed franking of the 6xu Election and 12xu National Assembly stamps paying an 18xu rate that most likely represented the standard letter rate in March of 1977 (raised from the previous 12xu tariff). The letter was mailed from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi.

Very rare registered letter (full contents preserved) franked with the 12xu National Assembly stamp plus North Vietnam’s Cuban-Vietnamese Weapon Friendship stamp from 1968 paying a tariff of 32xu in March of 1977. Registered letters so shortly after the war were very rare as money was still extremely tight and not many people could afford the extra service. Nah Trang transit cancel on the reverse.

Mixed franking of the two NLF stamps with stamps from North Vietnam. All stamps were already expressed in the new unified currency so the overall postage amounted to 2.60D. Addressed to France in June of 1979.

Interesting mixed currency franking between the NLF Dong and the North Vietnamese Dong. The two 300D NLF stamps, the 10 and 30D NLF stamp were devalued by 500:1 in April of 1976 so were only worth 1.28 new Dong at the time of mailing. Together with the NLF stamp in new Dong the overall postage hence amounted to 1.40 new Dong on this letter (full contents preserved) sent to France.

Interesting mixed currency franking of four stamps in the NLF Dong (620D) together with three stamps in unified currency (36xu). The NLF Dong was devalued by 500:1 on April 1st, 1976 which meant the two stamps in old currency were only worth 1.24D in new currency at the time of mailing. Together with the 36xu stamps in new currency the overall postage hence amounted to 1.60D on this letters ent to Australia in July of 1976.