U.S. #5698k
2022 58¢ Mighty Mississippi
Issue Date: May 23, 2022
First Day City: Memphis, TN
Type of Stamp: Commemorative
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Pane of 10
Self-Adhesive
Quantity Printed: 40,000,000
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 wodner the Mississippi River is called "mighty."