United States Postal History continued...

FINE. A SPECTACULAR UNITED STATES BANK NOTE ISSUE COVER INTENDED TO REACH GUANGXU, THE 9TH EMPEROR OF THE QING DYNASTY.

During the last 25 years of the 19th Century, Americans would send registered mail to famous world leaders, usually in an effort to obtain their autographs. Some mail was refused and returned to the sender or Dead Letter Office. This is the only piece of mail we have seen from the United States addressed to the Emperor of China.

This registered cover was sent a few years after Guangxu's ascension to the throne at the age of four. He was born in 1871 with the name Zaitian, the nephew of the notorious Empress Dowager Cixi. She adopted him and chose him to become Guangxu, the 9th Emperor of the Qing Dynasty after the death of her 19-year old son. Cixi had also made her son emperor as a child after her husband's death. Although the adoption of her nephew violated the dynastic laws of succession, Cixi was determined to maintain total control over the Chinese government, which she did for the rest of her life. When the adult Emperor Guangxu attempted to reform the government in 1898, Cixi crushed his efforts and kept him captive in the palace. Before her death in 1908, she had Guangxu poisoned and put his brother's three-year old child, Pu Yi, on the throne, who became China's "Last Emperor" until the Revolution of 1911 brought an end to the Qing Dynasty and created the Republic of China. (Image)