FREE: 1898 1¢ Trans-Mississippi Marquette - US Scott # 285

The listing, 1898 1¢ Trans-Mississippi Marquette - US Scott # 285 has ended.

U.S. #285
1898 1¢ Trans-Mississippi Exposition
Quantity issued: 70,993,400 (unknown quantity later destroyed)
First Day of Issue: June 17, 1898
Printed by: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Method: Flat Plate
Watermark: Double-line watermark USPS
Perforation: 12
Color: Yellow green

The 1¢ Trans-Mississippi Exposition stamp pictures Father Jacques Marquette preaching to a group of Native Americans. The design is based on a William Lamprecht painting owned by Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Marquette (1637-1675) was a French Jesuit missionary and the founder of Michigan’s first European settlement, Sault Ste. Marie. In 1673, Marquette and Louis Jolliet were the first explorers to map the northern portion of the Mississippi River.

The stamp features the same border as the rest of the values. Unlike the 1893 Columbian series, the Trans-Mississippi Exposition commemoratives didn’t include the name or dates of the event. Instead, each stamp features a caption with the name of the photograph or painting upon which its design is based.