# 5698k - 2022 First-Class Forever Stamp - Imperforate Mighty Mississippi

US #5698k
2022 Mighty Mississippi (Imperforate)

• Honors the Mississippi River and its important role in commerce, culture, and more
• Includes 10 different stamp designs, each representing a different state the Mississippi River flows through
• Back of stamp pane pictures a map of the area traversed by the Mississippi River

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Value:  First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue:  May 23, 2022
First Day City:  Memphis, Tennessee
Quantity Issued:  40,000,000 stamps (Includes die-cut AND imperforate stamps.  The exact quantity of imperforate stamps is unknown, but it is only a tiny fraction of the total print quantity, making the imperforates much scarcer than traditional die-cut stamps.)
Printed by:  Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset
Format:  Panes of 10
Tagging:  Nonphosphored Type III Block Tag

Why the stamps were issued:  To honor the Mississippi River and the impact it has on the states it flows through on its way to the Gulf of Mexico.

About the stamp designs:  Each stamp pictures a scenic photograph of the Mississippi River from a different state along its banks.

Special design details:  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.

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

History the stamps represent:  The Mississippi River is the second-longest river in North America, traveling 2,340 miles from Lake Itasca in Minnesota to Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico.  The river borders or passes through 10 US states:  Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

In 2022, the United States Postal Service issued a set of 10 Forever stamps honoring the Mighty Mississippi.  Each stamp design represents a different state that the river passes through.  The stamps 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 Mississippi River has heavily influenced its surrounding states for thousands of years.  It supported early Native Americans and their hunter-gatherer societies, the first Europeans as they began settling in the New World, and, of course, modern-day communities, too.  Between its beautiful scenery and fascinating history and culture, it’s no wonder the Mississippi River is called “mighty.”