# 5698a - 2022 First-Class Forever Stamp - Mighty Mississippi: Minnesota

US #5698a
2022 Minnesota – Mighty Mississippi

• 1 of 10 stamps in the Mighty Mississippi set
• Honors the Mississippi River and its important role in commerce, culture, and more
• Represents the headwaters of the Mississippi in Minnesota

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Set:  Mighty Mississippi
Value:  First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue:  May 23, 2022
First Day City:  Memphis, Tennessee
Quantity Issued:  40,000,000 stamps
Printed by:  Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset
Format:  Panes of 10
Tagging:  Nonphosphored Type III Block Tag

Why the stamp was issued:  To honor the Mississippi River and the impact it has on the state of Minnesota where the river’s path begins.

About the stamp design:  Pictures a photograph of the Mississippi River from along its banks in the state of Minnesota.

First Day City:  The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held in Memphis, Tennessee, at Beale Street Landing overlooking the Mississippi River.

About the Mighty Mississippi set:  Includes 10 stamps picturing scenic views of the Mississippi River from the different states it passes through on its way from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico:  Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. 

The designs picture the quiet scenic views of the Upper Mississippi as well as the bustling transportation highway that is the Lower Mississippi.  There’s also a stamp picturing the Great River Road.  This series of connected roads follows the Mississippi River all the way from Minnesota to Louisiana.  One design pictures a vintage steamboat, an iconic symbol of the American South.  There’s also a modern barge transporting goods, an impressive bridge spanning the width of the river, and stunning wetland habitat supported by the river’s floodplain.

The reverse side of the pane of stamps pictures a map of the central United States showing the Mississippi River’s course and its major tributaries. 

History the stamp represents:  The Mississippi River begins in Minnesota at Lake Itasca.  This body of water is quite small, measuring only 1.8 square miles in area, and was formed by glacier activity 14,000 years ago.  The Mississippi River flows 2,340 miles south from Lake Itasca before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico.

Lake Itasca was named Omashkoozo-zaaga’igan (Elk Lake) by the Ojibwe, but was renamed Itasca by Hendry Schoolcraft in 1832.  He came up with this name by combining the Latin words veritas (true) and caput (head), signifying the lake as the “true head” of the Mississippi River.  Today, the lake is protected as a state park encompassing 32,690 acres.  With many opportunities for recreation, Itasca State Park is visited by approximately 500,000 people every year.

Over the years, there have been several arguments as to whether Lake Itasca is the true headwaters of the Mississippi.  This is because there are several smaller tributaries that feed this lake.  However, back when these arguments were first made, the tributaries of Lake Itasca were considered too small to be the source of such a great river.  Today, however, other major rivers have headwaters that are just as small.  But, due to cultural and historical tradition, Lake Itasca is still the official source of the Mississippi River.