Often referred as the greatest real estate deal in history, the 1803 Louisiana Purchase created one of the largest nations in the world. On April 30, the United States Postal Service will commemorate the bicentennial of this event by issuing a postage stamp. The dedication ceremony will take place at 11:00 a.m. in the Cabildo of the Louisiana State Museum, 701 Chartres St. New Orleans, Louisiana. The 37-cent self-adhesive stamp will be available at post offices nationwide beginning May 1.

Toward the end of the 18th century, the question of who controlled navigation rights on the Mississippi River - then the western border of the United States - became one of vital importance. Thomas Jefferson sent Robert R. Livingston and James Monroe to France, where they negotiated the purchase of the entire territory of Louisiana for $15 million, and in early May they signed a treaty to seal the transaction. The treaty was dated April 30, 1803.

The background of the composite stamp art consists of a map of the United States overlaid with a facsimile of the first page of the English translation of the treaty. In the foreground is a painting by Garin Baker that depicts the signing of the treaty. Livingston and Barbé-Marbois (with his back to the viewer) are depicted shaking hands; Monroe is signing the document. Two unidentified men observe the proceedings. Baker based his painting on a half-tone engraving of an illustration by André Castaigne. The engraving was executed by H. Davidson and published in the June 1904 issue of The Century Magazine. Castaigne’s original illustration appeared in the Rose of Old St. Louis, a historical novel about the Louisiana Purchase that was published in 1904 by The Century Co.

http://www.usps.com/communications/news/stamps/welcome.htm