1998 $1 Trans-Mississippi: Western Cattle in Storm, Souvenir Sheet

US #3210
1998 Western Cattle in a Storm

• A Souvenir Sheet of Re-Issued 1898 stamp from Trans-Mississippi Exposition issue
• Reprint of stamp #292
• Printed in two colors as the original stamps were intended to be
  
  

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Set:  Trans-Mississippi Exposition
Value:  $2
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 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 vignette on the stamp is black, while the color of the frame was changed to red.  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. 

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:  The 1898 stamp is considered by many collectors to be one of the most beautiful stamps ever issued.  It was designed by Raymond Ostrander Smith, of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.  It shows a herd of cattle, preceded by the leader, seeking safety from an oncoming storm.
Smith reproduced the painting by Scottish artist J.A. MacWhirter, an image which was once used by a western cattle company for its logo.  Scottish cattle are depicted in the painting, “The Vanguard.”  Few Americans cared that the scene didn’t an event that happened west of the Mississippi River.  People liked the design, and cattle were an important part of the western way of life.  The original stamp, #292, was voted number 6 in the 100 Greatest American Stamps book.