Description:

Haile Selassie Signed Exile-Dated Photo on Stamp Drive Receipt Fundraising for Refugees

A 1p document signed by exiled Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie (1892-1975) in Amharic near and across his portrait at upper left. November 10, 1936. [N.p. but distributed in New York, New York.] The partly printed and partly manuscript receipt on watermarked paper, no. 1908, states in part: "His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I acknowledges with thanks receipt of the sum of One Dollar" from a Harlem resident named Elease Owen, who was most likely African American. Countersigned by Dr. Malaku E. Bayen (1900-1940), the Emperor's special envoy to the United States, as "Malaku E Bayen" in green ink near the bottom. A canceled 1-Thaler violet Ethiopian Red Cross stamp (the mode of the fundraising) is affixed near the bottom center. Expected wear including flattened folds, creases, and wrinkles. Scattered minor closed tears. Else near fine. 8.375" x 6.75."

Emperor Haile Selassie had fled Ethiopia in advance of Italian forces who assumed control of the country in May 1936, declaring it as part of a new empire, Italian East Africa. Selassie spent the majority of his exile from 1936-1941 in England, where he directed fundraising efforts earmarked for the Ethiopian liberation movement and Ethiopian refugees. Selassie appointed Dr. Malaku E. Bayen as his special envoy to the United States after African-American delegates of United Aid for Ethiopia, a charitable organization, urged the emperor to tap African-American donors.

Dr. Bayen was the emperor's personal physician, who had been educated in British India and received his medical degree from Howard University. Dr. Bayen announced the launch of the Haile Selassie Fund Drive, primarily a stamp drive, in November 1936 from his New York City headquarters. The stamp drive consisted of the sale of prize-redeemable Ethiopian stamps. Emperor Selassie and Dr. Bayen co-founded the Ethiopian World Federation, an expanded organization dedicated to Ethiopian freedom from Italian fascism, the following year, in 1937. These and similar charitable causes did contribute to the growth of pan-African sentiment among African Americans.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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