U S Stamp Plate Block of 4 stamps. 4 cent Louisiana Statehood 1812-1962 U.S. #1197 1962 4 Louisiana Statehood Issue Date: April 30, 1962 City: New Orleans, Louisiana Quantity: 118,690,000 Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing Printing Method: Giori Press Perforations: 11 Color: Blue, dark slate, green and red U.S. #1197 showcases the 150th anniversary of the addition of Louisiana as a U.S state. It was added in 1812, just nine years after President Thomas Jefferson authorized the Louisiana Purchase. The stamp pictures a steamboat, which was a common sight on the Mississippi River. New Orleans was a major trading port, and steamboats brought goods there from the length of the Mississippi.