Vietnam 1951 First Postage Stamps, Bao Dai Issue

Vietnam · 1951 · Various

This set of seven stamps represents the first definitive postage issue of the State of Vietnam. The designs feature a portrait of Chief of State Bảo Đại, a Vietnamese farmer plowing a field with a water buffalo, and the iconic Thien Mu Pagoda in Huế. The stamps symbolize the new nation's identity, blending traditional culture with its agricultural roots.

Issued in 1951, these were the first stamps of the State of Vietnam, established in 1949 as part of the French Union during the First Indochina War. They replaced the stamps of French Indochina and marked a step towards national sovereignty.