This 1968 First Day Cover features the 6¢ Marquette Explorer stamp issued by the United States Post Office on September 20, 1968, in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan. The Art Craft cachet depicts Jesuit missionary Jacques Marquette standing beside a map of the upper Midwest rivers he explored, commemorating the 300th anniversary of his 1668–1673 journeys.
Marquette’s expeditions opened the Great Lakes and Mississippi River regions to European knowledge, establishing early missions among Native American tribes and charting vast territories that later became part of the United States. His work remains a cornerstone of American colonial and religious history.
A notable detail is the cachet’s inclusion of the precise river names—Wisconsin, Mississippi, and Illinois—highlighting the scope of Marquette’s travels, along with the distinctive Art Craft “300th Anniversary” typography and period illustration style.
Collectors will appreciate this clean, well-centered cover as an attractive addition to religious, exploration, or Midwest history topical collections, with strong visual appeal for display.
