Issued: Introduced on June 17th, 1890. Earliest documented use, a first day cover from June 17th 1898

Interesting Note: Marquette did not discover the Mississippi, the French fur trader Joliet discovered the upper portion and De Soto discovered the lower portion. The design was supposed to state 'Marquette Discovers the Mississippi' until the error was discovered.

Plate Size: Sheets of 100 subjects (2 panes of 50)

full pane of #285

Printer: The Bureau of Printing and Engraving

Watermark: Double lined USPS watermark.

Quantity Issued: 65,000,000, a common stamp

CANCELS
By far most the commonest cancel is the flag cancel, because the date stamp is the left side of the cancel most stamps will just see the waves of the flag. The registered cancel is scarce as this would have been used as a supplementary stamp to the registered rate (8¢).

This stamp was used mainly for post cards which were now in their height of their popularity. Shown below are examples of a single town cancel and a cork cancel, both of which are less common.

Flag Cancel (primarily used on post cards)

A Trans-Mississippi Exposition postcard
Unlike the Columbian Exposition postcards these are scarce.
Unused copies sell for $75. Cards bearing a Trans-Tississippi issue are
valuable.


Cork Cancel example (a late use for this)


Killer Cancel


Large Town Cancel

The central design is taken from a painting by William Lamprech, the scene shows Father Jacques Marquette, a French Jesuit priest, preaching from his canoe, a group of first nation americans (probably Shawnee nation) The painting now resides in the Raynor Library at Marquette University, Wisconsin, where it has been ever since the time of the design.

"Father Marquette and the Indians" by William Lamprech

Father Jacques Marquette
He was to die later on in the
expedition.

There are no varieties of #285

#285 E4
Essay on india
die sunk on card



#285-E5
Large die essay on india
die sunk on card
The bi-color design had to be dropped as the bi-color printing process
was taxed to the max printing revenue stamps for the Spanish-American
war that had broken out

#285-E5
Small die essay on india
die sunk on card

#285 P2
Roosevelt Album Proof
Mounted on Gray Card