FREE: 1898 5¢ Fremont in Rockies - US Scott # 288

The listing, 1898 5¢ Fremont in Rockies - US Scott # 288 has ended.

U.S. #288
1898 5¢ Trans-Mississippi Exposition

First Day of Issue: June 17, 1898
Quantity issued: 7,694,180 (unknown quantity later destroyed)
Printed by: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Method: Flat Plate in sheets of 100 subjects
Watermark: Double-line watermark USPS
Perforation: 12
Color: Dull blue

The 5¢ Trans-Mississippi commemorative stamp pictures Captain John C. Fremont. Fremont was the son-in-law of Senator Thomas Hart Benton, who championed the expansionist movement know as Manifest Destiny. Benton and Fremont believed the entire North American continent should belong to the citizens of the U.S. – that it was the nation’s destiny. Benton arranged for Congressional appropriations to fund expeditions to the Oregon Trail, the Great Basin, the Sierra Mountains and California. Using his influence, Benton also arranged for Fremont to lead each expedition.

“Fremont on the Rocky Mountains” pictures the explorer raising a flag on the highest peak in the mountain range. The design is believed to be based on an old woodcut engraving. Officials considered using the Fremont image on the 8¢ and 2¢ stamps before eventually agreeing to the 5¢ denomination.

The 5¢ 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.