Color: Black Subject: Western Cattle in Storm Watermark: Watermarked double-lined USPS Paper: Soft porous paper Printing method: line-engraved intaglio on flat plates Perforations: 12 Scott #: 292 Quantity issued: 56,900 Issued:June 17th, 1898
Value
An unused stamp with perfect gum:$850-$1,300 An unused stamp with gum and a hinge mark:$250-$350 A used stamp:$175-$200
About the Trans-Mississippi Series
A pane of #292
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Promoting the "New West" The primary reasoning was to showcase the prosperity and progress of the states and territories west of the Mississippi River. Unlike the previous 1893 Columbian stamps, which focused on historical discovery, the Trans-Mississippi designs highlighted modern achievements and frontier life. Key themes included: Settlement and Agriculture: Encouraging people to move to and invest in "unclaimed" Western lands. Technological Advancement: Depicting engineering feats like the Eads Bridge in St. Louis to represent the region's industrial growth. Pioneer Spirit: Using images of buffalo hunting and farming to evoke a nostalgic but promising vision of the frontier.
Strategic Revenue Generation Following the massive success of the 1893 Columbian series, the Post Office Department recognized that special commemorative sets were highly profitable. By offering a wide range of denominations—from 1¢ to $2—they aimed to generate substantial revenue through sales to collectors.
About the Trans-Mississippi Exhibition
The Lagoon and Arts Building
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The Grand Court
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The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition, also known as the Omaha Worlds Fair, was a grand world’s fair held in Omaha, Nebraska, from June 1 to November 1, 1898. Often referred to as the Omaha World's Fair, its primary goal was to showcase the rapid development and economic recovery of the American West following the financial panic of 1893.
Key Features & Attractions The Grand Court: The heart of the 184-acre site featured a two-thousand foot-long lagoon designed to resemble Venetian canals hosted gondola rides as a whimsical form of transportation throughout the fair. The "White City": Like the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, the buildings were constructed of staff (a mixture of plaster and horsehair) and painted white, giving them a marble-like appearance. Designed in Renaissance style reflected ancient Greek and Roman influences and possessed strenuous constraints on color, scale and height. All was built out of cheap materials or designed not to last, at the end of the exposition it was all removed. Electrical Illumination: One of the most stunning features was the use of over 20,000 electric light bulbs to illuminate the fairgrounds and lagoon at night—a brand-new marvel at the time. Indian Congress: A massive gathering of over 500 Native Americans from 35 different tribes, including notable figures like Apache leader Geronimo. Entertainment: Visitors enjoyed carnival rides, a giant seesaw, and Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West show
Attendance & Legacy Visitors: Over 2.6 million people attended the five-month event, including President William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan. Economic Success: Unlike many other world's fairs, it was a financial success, paying back roughly 90% of its initial investment. Current Site: Most of the temporary structures were demolished shortly after the fair closed. Today, the site of the Grand Court is home to Kountze Park in North Omaha.Exhibits Today: You can still see artifacts, souvenirs, and a scale model of the fairgrounds at The Durham Museum in Omaha.
The Abandoned Bi-Color Plan
292E1
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The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) intended for the stamps to be bi-colored, with black centers and colored frames. When the Spanish-American war broke out in April 1898, the BEP was suddenly overwhelmed with orders for revenue stamps to fund the military effort. To save labor and press time, the BEP abandoned the complex two-stage printing process and produced the series in single colors instead. (The original bi-color vision was eventually realised in a 1998 USPS centenary re-issue).
Usage
A #292 first day cover dated June 17th, 1898. Ten panes of fifty #292 stamps were shipped to Post Offices for the first day of sale. This is the only surviving first day cover
#292 was primarily used to pay postage for high-weight, registered, or foreign-destination mail, though its high value and stunning design led many to be saved by collectors. It was a popular high-value stamp in the 1898 Omaha Exposition commemorative series and it my personal favorite US stamp.
Plates
#292 was issued with the following plate #'s
606
The Inspiration for the Design
Vanguard James A. MacWhirter
The Dillon Engraving
The vignette was based on the "Vanguard' painting by Scottish artist John A. MacWhirter.
MacWhirter painted these cattle in the West Highlands of Scotland. In the US the painting was reproduced in and engraving by James Dillon, who gave it the title ‘Western Cattle in Storm".