Monroe’s 1822 Letter to China Nets $19,150
A 179-year-old letter from President Monroe to China’s emperor, seeking the return of a damaged vessel pillaged on southern Chinese shores, sold for a higher-than-expected $19,150, New York auction house Sotheby’s said.
The 1822 letter, thought to be the first direct communication between a U.S. president and the emperor of China, was bought by an absentee bidder.
Aside from its historical significance, the letter was interesting for its modern parallel--Washington’s request that Beijing return a damaged U.S. spy plane held on China’s Hainan Island, Sotheby’s said.
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