FREE: 1898 2¢ Farming in the West - US Scott # 286

The listing, 1898 2¢ Farming in the West - US Scott # 286 has ended.

U.S. #286
1898 2¢ Trans-Mississippi Exposition

First Day of Issue: June 17, 1898
Quantity issued: 159,720,800 (unknown quantity destroyed)
Printed by: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Method: Flat Plate in sheets of 100 subjects
Watermark: Double-line watermark USPS
Perforation: 12
Color: Copper red

The 2¢ Trans-Mississippi Exposition stamp entitled “Farming in the West” pictures a team of horses plowing a wheat field. The design is based on a photograph taken in the field of the Amenia and Sharon Land Company, a 27,000 acre “bonanza farm” in North Dakota. Bonanza farms were very large operations that grew and harvested wheat on a large scale.

The scene was originally designated for the $2 stamp. However, officials believed the photograph was the best representation of the “Western” theme they planned for the Trans-Mississippi stamp series. Therefore, a change was made to place it on the 2¢ stamp where it would see much greater use.

The photograph features sixty-one horses and their drivers. The man closest to the camera was Evan Nybakken, and he was captured trying to keep his hat from blowing away when the photographer snapped the picture. Although the attempt blocked his face, Nybakken is arguably the first living human to be pictured on a U.S. postage stamp. (A point of pride that was included in his obituary thirty-six years later.)

The 2¢ 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.