Partly-printed DS as president, one page, 8 x 10, June 19, 1867. President Johnson authorizes and directs the Secretary of State to affix the Seal of the United States to “the envelope of a letter of Ceremony addressed to His Majesty the Emperor of Austria.” Signed neatly at the conclusion by Andrew Johnson. In fine condition, with light corner creasing and faint toning along the folds. Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as “NM-MT 8.”
This document finds President Johnson sending his congratulations to Franz Joseph I of Austria, whose coronation took place in Budapest, Hungary, on June 8, 1867, following the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, also known as the Ausgleich. The Compromise of 1867 established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, granting significant autonomy to Hungary within the empire. Franz Joseph I was crowned as the King of Hungary during this ceremony, marking the beginning of a new era in the empire's governance. The Compromise of 1867 and Franz Joseph's coronation as King of Hungary helped to stabilize the empire and mitigate tensions between the different ethnic groups within its borders, at least for a time. However, it did not fully resolve the underlying issues, and nationalist aspirations continued to simmer, eventually contributing to the empire's dissolution in the early 20th century.
