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NGUYEN
BAO TUNG, Philatelist
"I am in love with history and culture" said Nguyen-Bao-Tung, eminent
Philatelist, Numismatic, Journalist and Writer of Viet Nam explaining
why he has worked since the age of 12 to a mass collection of stamps,
coins and paper money. The coins reach back as far as the Dinh dynasty
(970-980 AD), the first coins minted in the Kingdom of Dai-Co-Viet (ancient
Viet Nam). "This collection and research of postage stamps and numismatics
is the channel leading me to master history and the ups and downs of the
economy, politics and events that shaped history of my fatherland".
Tung counts many rare stamps among his collection of more than 20,000
postage stamps, precious coins. There is coin minted under Emperor Quang-Trung
(1752-1792) to celebrate his glorious victory over the Ts'ing (Chinese)
troops in the Lunar Year of the Cock (Ky-Dau) 1789. Another coin minted
in 1833 under the Minh-Mang reign (1820-1840) to commemorate the solemn
inauguration of the Noon Gate (Ngo-Mon) of the Imperial Palace in Hue.
In addition to these stamps, coins, and banknote, are 3000 First Day Covers,
maximum cards, the historic philatelic document of the Viet Nam War, and
300 envelopes bearing the postmarks of all the post offices in South Viet
Nam, which recorded the Postal History.
As a specialist in collecting stamps of the Roman or Pontifical States,
Vatican City, Indochina and Viet Nam (North and South). His collection
of Roman or Pontifical States dated from 1852 to 1870, Vatican City since
the signing of the Lateran Pact on February 12, 1929. Indochina from 1889
to 1945, founding period of the Indo-Chinese Postal Service by the French
and ending with the Japanese invasion of Viet Nam during World War II.
North Viet Nam since 1945 and South Viet Nam began with the Ex-Emperor
Bao-Dai's return to his country as Chief of State. Ranging in value from
several hundred dollars to thousands of dollars each, Tung's collection
includes the first Vietnamese postage stamp, issued on June 6, 1951, less
than two years after the country recovered nominal independence. That
date marked the anniversary of the national reunification (Hung-Quoc Khanh-Niem)
decreed by Emperor Gia Long (1802-1819), The Founder of the Nguyen Dynasty
that ruled the Vietnamese people from 1802 to 1945.
The stamp, a 3-piaster value of dull blue color bore the portrait of the
Western attired Chief of State, Ex-Emperor Bao-Dai (Scott #9). Along with
the stamp on First Day of Issue are the official government seal and Bao-Dai's
signature.
Tung's collection also contains stamps from the Government led by the
late President Ngo-Dinh-Diem, (from 1055 to 1963), the Founder of the
Republic of Viet Nam who was assassinated after the military coup on November
1, 1963 and Former President Nguyen-Van-Thieu (from 1963 to 1975). These
collections bore the signatures of two presidents and official seals of
Government.
Prior to the fall of the Republic (on April 30, 1975) former Captain Nguyen-Bao-Tung
of Army of the Republic of Viet Nam (ARVN), was the commander of the 34th
MP-CID (Military Police-Criminal Investigation Detachment) in Saigon.
Since 1959, he was a member of South Viet Nam's Council for planning new
stamp designs and Secretary General of the Vietnamese-American Association
Stamp Club in Viet Nam.
In 1969, the Vatican rewarded him a Medal (VIIth Pontificate of H.H. Pope
Paul VI) for his book entitled "Journeys of Pope Paul VI". His best seller
is "20 Years of the Vietnamese Philately" (1951-1971, written in four
languages (Vietnamese, English, French and Chinese), published by South
Vietnamese Ministry of Cultural Affairs in 1971. This book gives a brief
history of philately followed by a short account of Indochinese stamps
from 1886. It lists special flights and cachets before cataloguing the
stamps. Technical and topical are thorough. Part two is in English. It
contains a foreword on the geography, history, religions and customs of
Viet-Nam, following which there is a simplified listing of the stamps
and their topical motifs. The French part contains an introduction somewhat
similar to the English section, and the fourth part is in Chinese. Finally,
the stamps are listed for a third time cross referenced by Scott and Yvert
catalogue numbers.
From 1972 to 1973, after military duty hours, he was put in charge of
a weekly philately program on Vietnamese television in Saigon, wherein,
he led the viewers through his collection of stamps thereby explaining
the history of Viet Nam, Oriental culture, Christian civilization and
others.
Before 1975, he wrote about stamps for foreign magazines such as "Echo
de la Timbrologie", "Le Monde des Philatelistes", (in French) and Jien-Tong
Ji-Pao (in Chinese) and the Viet Nam history and culture in many Vietnamese
newspapers.
Today, recognized as one of Viet Nam's most famous philatelists, Tung
is Secretary General of Vietnamese American Stamp Club, member of the
Vatican Philatelic Society (VPS) and an author of twelve books as follows:
a. On Stamp Collecting:
1. For better understanding the stamp collecting (1956) in Vietnamese.
2. History of Vietnamese Postage Stamps (1964) in Vietnamese.
3. Art of Stamp Collecting (1967) in Vietnamese.
4. Vatican Stamps (1969) in Vietnamese.
5. Postage Stamp and Bible Story (1970) in Vietnamese.
6. Philately and Art (1971) in Vietnamese.
7. Twenty Years of the Vietnamese Philately (1951-1971).
8. Buddhism on Stamps (in Vietnamese and Chinese) (1973).
9. Postage Stamps of the Republic of China (1974) in Vietnamese, Chinese,
English and French).
b. On Religion:
10. Our Lady of Fatima (1967) in Vietnamese.
11. Journeys of Pope Paul VI (1969) in Vietnamese.
12. Catechism through Gospel (1970) in Vietnamese.
Nguyen-Bao-Tung came to the United States in July, 1990, through the orderly
Departure Program (ODP-FIO), a joint resettlement program between the
United States and Viet Nam. Tung writes about stamps for Stamp Collector
magazine and about culture and history for various Vietnamese magazines
in the Bay area.
Tung
Bao Nguyen
3004 Sheldon Drive
Richmond, CA 94803
USA
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