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Trans-Mississippi Exposition, Historic Images Early West, Farming in the West, 1998, First Issue
United States Commemorative Postage Stamps, Trans-Mississippi, Engraved Designs, Historic Images Of The Early West,
Be sure to examine these stamps under magnification to appreciate the craftsmanship of the engravings,
The original stamps were issued in 1898 to commemorate the Trans-Mississippi exposition held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 1 through November 1, 1898. This exposition promoted the development of land and resources west of the Mississippi River. As a result of the increased demands to print revenue stamps for the Spanish-American War, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing decided to print the stamps as single-color designs instead of the intended two-color (bicolor) engraving.
Serious collectors have sought to acquire this engraved stamp set often paying premium prices for quality examples.
Using the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's only existing 1898 set of original Trans-Mississippi bicolor dies, this 1998 engraved set has been intaglio printed in 9 colors in three printing press passes for each sheet. Many consider the Trans-Mississippi stamps to be the greatest examples of artistry and craftsmanship involved in the engraving of postage stamps.
The Post Office Department described each of the nine stamps in 1898 as follows: 1 Cent Marquette on the Mississippi, from a painting by Lamprecht, now in possession of the Marquette College of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, representing Father Marquette in a boat on the Upper Mississippi, preaching to the Indians.
2 Cent: Farming in the West, from a photograph, representing a western grain field with a long row of plows at work.
4 Cent: Indian Hunting Buffalo, reproduction of an engraving in Schoolcraft's History of the Indian Tribes.
5 Cent: Fremont on Rocky Mountains, modified from a wood engraving, representing the Pathfinder planting the U.S. flag on the highest peak of the Rocky Mountains.
8 Cent: Troops Guarding Train, representing a detachment of U.S. soldiers, convoying an emigrant train across the prairies, from a drawing by Frederic Remington, permission to use was kindly given by the publisher, R.H. Russell, of New York.
10 Cent: Hardships of Emigration, from a painting kindly loaned by the artist, A.G. Heaton, representing an emigrant and his family on the plains in a "prairie schooner," one of the horses having fallen from exhaustion.
50 Cent: Western Mining Prospector, from a drawing by Frederic Remington (permission to use which has been kindly given by the publisher, R.H. Russell, of New York), representing a prospector with his pack-mules in the mountains, searching for gold.
$1.00:Western Cattle in Storm, representing a herd of cattle, preceded by the leader, seeking safety from a gathering storm, reproduced from a large steel engraving after a picture by J. MacWhirter--the engraving having been kindly loaned by Mrs. C.B. Johnson.
$2.00: Mississippi River Bridge, from an engraving--a representation of the great bridge over the Mississippi at St. Louis.
The vignettes of the $2.00 and the 2 cent values have been exchanged on the 1998 engravings. The $2 shows Harvesting in the West and the 2 cent value depicts the Mississippi River Bridge. The change in designs were as prepared for the original 1898 bicolor proofs.
Issued June 18, 1998, Anaheim, California,
First Day of Issue Cover, Artmaster Brookman Limited Edition Cachet,
Made in the USA
Be sure to examine these stamps under magnification to appreciate the craftsmanship of the engravings,
The original stamps were issued in 1898 to commemorate the Trans-Mississippi exposition held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 1 through November 1, 1898. This exposition promoted the development of land and resources west of the Mississippi River. As a result of the increased demands to print revenue stamps for the Spanish-American War, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing decided to print the stamps as single-color designs instead of the intended two-color (bicolor) engraving.
Serious collectors have sought to acquire this engraved stamp set often paying premium prices for quality examples.
Using the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's only existing 1898 set of original Trans-Mississippi bicolor dies, this 1998 engraved set has been intaglio printed in 9 colors in three printing press passes for each sheet. Many consider the Trans-Mississippi stamps to be the greatest examples of artistry and craftsmanship involved in the engraving of postage stamps.
The Post Office Department described each of the nine stamps in 1898 as follows: 1 Cent Marquette on the Mississippi, from a painting by Lamprecht, now in possession of the Marquette College of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, representing Father Marquette in a boat on the Upper Mississippi, preaching to the Indians.
2 Cent: Farming in the West, from a photograph, representing a western grain field with a long row of plows at work.
4 Cent: Indian Hunting Buffalo, reproduction of an engraving in Schoolcraft's History of the Indian Tribes.
5 Cent: Fremont on Rocky Mountains, modified from a wood engraving, representing the Pathfinder planting the U.S. flag on the highest peak of the Rocky Mountains.
8 Cent: Troops Guarding Train, representing a detachment of U.S. soldiers, convoying an emigrant train across the prairies, from a drawing by Frederic Remington, permission to use was kindly given by the publisher, R.H. Russell, of New York.
10 Cent: Hardships of Emigration, from a painting kindly loaned by the artist, A.G. Heaton, representing an emigrant and his family on the plains in a "prairie schooner," one of the horses having fallen from exhaustion.
50 Cent: Western Mining Prospector, from a drawing by Frederic Remington (permission to use which has been kindly given by the publisher, R.H. Russell, of New York), representing a prospector with his pack-mules in the mountains, searching for gold.
$1.00:Western Cattle in Storm, representing a herd of cattle, preceded by the leader, seeking safety from a gathering storm, reproduced from a large steel engraving after a picture by J. MacWhirter--the engraving having been kindly loaned by Mrs. C.B. Johnson.
$2.00: Mississippi River Bridge, from an engraving--a representation of the great bridge over the Mississippi at St. Louis.
The vignettes of the $2.00 and the 2 cent values have been exchanged on the 1998 engravings. The $2 shows Harvesting in the West and the 2 cent value depicts the Mississippi River Bridge. The change in designs were as prepared for the original 1898 bicolor proofs.
Issued June 18, 1998, Anaheim, California,
First Day of Issue Cover, Artmaster Brookman Limited Edition Cachet,
Made in the USA
