1998 5c Trans-Mississippi: Fremont on Rocky Mountains

US #3209d
1998 Fremont on Rocky Mountains

• Part of Souvenir Sheet of Re-Issued 1898 Trans-Mississippi Exposition stamps
• Reprint of stamp #288
• Printed in two colors as the original stamps were intended to be
  
  

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Set:  Trans-Mississippi Exposition
Value:  5¢
First Day of Issue:  June 18, 1998
First Day City:  Anaheim, California
Quantity Issued:  2,200,000
Printed by:  Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method:  Lithographed and engraved
Format:  Souvenir Pane of 9
Perforations:  12.2 X 12.4

Why the stamp was issued:  This stamp is part of a souvenir sheet of nine stamps issued to honor the 100^th anniversary of the issuance of the first Trans-Mississippi Exposition stamps.

About the stamp design:  The same design used on the 1898 stamps were used on these, with some changes.  A small 1998 was added to each stamp.  The center image doesn’t fill the whole space like it did in the originals.  This is because some space is needed in bi-color stamps in case the vignette and frame don’t line up exactly.  The vignette on the stamp is black, while the color of the frames are similar to the original stamps.

About the printing process:  The Banknote Corporation of America used the dies made by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing when they intended to produce the 1898 stamps in two colors.  The stamps were sent through the printing presses three times, first for the borders, then the black vignettes, and the final pass was for the frame colors.

First Day City: The stamps were dedicated during the Stamp Mega-Event held in Anaheim, California.

Unusual fact about this stamp:  The USPS sold 12,500 uncut press sheets.  The Stamp Fulfillment Services sold out the day before the official first day of issue of the stamps.

About the Trans-Mississippi Exposition set:  The Trans-Mississippi Exposition was held in Omaha, Nebraska, June 1 through November 1, 1898. Its goal was to further the progress and development of resources west of the Mississippi.
To publicize this event, a set of nine commemorative stamps was issued. Each was printed in a single color and featured an engraving depicting a different western scene.
The original intent for the 1898 issues was to print them in two colors. However, due to the Spanish-American War and the increased demand for revenue stamps, resources were re-allocated and the stamps were printed in one color. The 1998 issues have been printed in two colors, using the only existing original bi-color dies.
One of these stamps, Western Cattle in Storm, is still considered one of the most beautiful, finely engraved stamps ever issued.

History the stamp represents:  Nicknamed “The Great pathfinder,” John Charles Fremont (1813-1890) was one of the most daring explorers of the western territory.  His detailed reports of the area between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean helped guide future explorers.
On August 14, 1842, Fremont and five of his men climbed a peak in the Wind River chain of the Rocky Mountains, in what is now Wyoming.  At the top, the explorer planted an American flag on what he believed was the highest peak in the Rockies.  Even though at least 150 peaks in the Rockies are known to be taller than the one Fremont scaled, it was still a proud moment.
The source for the design for the five-cent stamp has been a mystery for 100 years.  A black and white drawing discovered at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing is thought to be the original artwork.  It has been attributed to Marcus Baldwin, an engraver at the Bureau at the time the stamps were issued.  Baldwin’s work was based on a wood engraving by John W. Orr, which appeared in an 1856 biography of Fremont.