Mighty Mississippi

First Day of Issue Date: May 23, 2022

First Day of Issue Location: Memphis, TN

The Mississippi River is at the core of the nation’s heritage and is variously referred to as America’s backbone, its heart, and its soul. This issuance honors the Mighty Mississippi with a portfolio of ten exquisite photographic stamps, each representing a state along the course of the river. With five rows of two stamps each, the pane's arrangement corresponds to the states’ north-south and west-east sequence.

Minnesota’s stamp shows the Mississippi’s source waters of Lake Itasca (photograph by Dana Holm); Wisconsin is represented by an autumn view of the Great River Road (photo by Jay Olson-Goude).

The Iowa stamp shows the steamboat American Queen near the city of Bettendorf (photo by David Sebben); in Illinois, a sailboat passes limestone bluffs adorned with fall foliage (photo by Walter Blackledge).

Missouri is represented by the St. Louis skyline at sundown, punctuated by the Gateway Arch (photo by Evan Spiler); Kentucky is seen in the city of Wickliffe, just downriver from where the Ohio River spills in (photo by Larry Braun).

An Arkansas levee curves parallel to a river meander near forest and farmland (photo by Mississippi River Parkway Commission); in Tennessee, a towboat pushes an immense tow of cargo barges upriver toward Memphis (photo by M. J. Scanlon).

The New Orleans skyline and the twin-span Crescent City Connection bridges represent Louisiana (photo by Sean Pavone); and in the state of Mississippi, within the wilds of a delta bayou, cypress trees seem to drip with Spanish moss (photo by Ron Levine).

The pane's verso features a map of the central United States detailing the river’s course and major tributaries.

By the end of an epic three-month, 2,300-mile journey, the Mississippi River’s source waters—an unassuming trickle from Minnesota’s remote Lake Itasca—have been joined by streams pouring in from much of the nation. The river's waters that pour into the Gulf of Mexico come from a drainage basin of 1.2 million square miles, about 40 percent of the land in the contiguous 48 states.

With relentless progress, diverse influences, and determined wildness, the Mississippi River perfectly epitomizes the nation it shapes and serves.

Art director Ethel Kessler designed the pane using existing photographs.

The Mighty Mississippi stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce price.

First Day of Issue Ceremony Video

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Sheet of 10 Stamps

Take a journey down America’s quintessential waterway with these stunning stamps. Each depicts a scene from a different state along the Mississippi River.

$6.30

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First Day Cover

Enjoy America’s quintessential waterway with this new set of 10 Mighty Mississippi First Day Covers. Each #6 ¾ envelope bears one affixed Forever® stamp cancelled with an official First Day of Issue postmark.

Depicting a scene from each state along the course of the Mississippi, the stamps feature photographs representing the river’s beauty and grandeur.

The pictorial postmark features a design evoking the many bridges that span the Mississippi. Also included is the stamp title, as well as the date and location of stamp issuance: May 23, 2022, Memphis, TN, 38101.

$11.30

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Digital Color Postmark

Enjoy America’s quintessential waterway with this new set of 10 Mighty Mississippi Digital Color Postmark First Day Covers. Each #6 ¾ envelope bears one affixed Forever® stamp cancelled with an official First Day of Issue postmark.

Depicting a scene from each state along the course of the Mississippi, the stamps feature photographs representing the river’s beauty and grandeur.

The digital color postmark evokes a stylized steamboat. Also included is the stamp title, as well as the date and location of stamp issuance: May 23, 2022, Memphis, TN, 38101.

$19.80

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Press Sheet with Die-Cuts

Enjoy America’s quintessential waterway with this new 10.925(w) x 24.25(h)-inch press sheet, containing six sheets of Mighty Mississippi Forever® stamps positioned two across by three down.

Depicting a scene from each state along the course of the Mississippi, the stamps feature photographs representing the river’s beauty and grandeur.

$37.80

Purchase

Press Sheet without Die-Cuts

Enjoy America’s quintessential waterway with this new 10.925(w) x 24.25(h)-inch press sheet, containing six sheets of Mighty Mississippi Forever® stamps positioned two across by three down.*

Depicting a scene from each state along the course of the Mississippi, the stamps feature photographs representing the river’s beauty and grandeur.

*The stamps on these sheets do not contain perforations for mail use.

Framed Stamps - Iowa

Enjoy America’s quintessential waterway with this new 15.5(w) x 12.5(h)-inch framed piece, which features the Iowa stamp image from the Mighty Mississippi stamps, plus a block of 10 mounted Forever® stamps and the First Day of Issue details.

Depicting a scene from each state along the course of the Mississippi, the stamps feature photographs representing the river’s beauty and grandeur.

Showcased in a classic black frame, the piece also includes a clear dust cover, protective felt bumpers, and a sawtooth hanger on the back for easy display.

$39.95

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Framed Stamps - Missouri

Enjoy America’s quintessential waterway with this new 15.5(w) x 12.5(h)-inch framed piece, which features the Missouri stamp image from the Mighty Mississippi stamps, plus a block of 10 mounted Forever® stamps and the First Day of Issue details.

Depicting a scene from each state along the course of the Mississippi, the stamps feature photographs representing the river’s beauty and grandeur.

Showcased in a classic black frame, the piece also includes a clear dust cover, protective felt bumpers, and a sawtooth hanger on the back for easy display.

$39.95

Purchase

Ceremony Memento

Enjoy America’s quintessential waterway with this new Mighty Mississippi Stamp Ceremony Memento.

This new collectible contains the First Day of Issue Ceremony Invitation, the First Day of Issue Ceremony Program, a set of 10 Digital Color Postmark First Day Covers, and a pane of 20 Mighty Mississippi Forever® stamps.

Depicting a scene from each state along the course of the Mississippi, the stamps feature photographs representing the river’s beauty and grandeur.

$39.95

Purchase

Field Notes® Notebooks

Reflect on your travels or keep track of to-dos with these pocket-sized notebooks from the classic FIELD NOTES® brand. The set includes five 3.5(w) x 5.5(h)-inch notebooks, each with two different Mighty Mississippi Forever® stamps affixed to the cover and cancelled with an official First Day of Issue postmark.

$26.95

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Postal Service To Honor Mighty Mississippi on Forever Stamps

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Mighty Mississippi

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