PRESIDENT JAMES E. "JIMMY" CARTER - COMMEMORATIVE ENVELOPE SIGNED - HFSID 48117

JIMMY CARTER. Commemorative Cover signed: "Jimmy Carter", 6¼x3½. Cover honoring the release of the Iranian hostages, 15-cent imprinted postage, postmarked Washington, D.C., January 27, 1981. Captioned at lower margin: "January 27, 1981 - The ceremony was filled with pageantry usually reserved for visiting heads of state. About 6,000 guests jammed the White House lawn and thousands more peeked through the fence from the outside. President Reagan greeted the freed hostages by saying 'Welcome home. You are home and, believe me you are welcome.'" James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, the 39th U.S. President (1977-1981), faced the greatest crisis of his presidency when the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran was stormed by Iranian students on November 4, 1979 and over 90 people were taken hostage. Although some captives, including women and children, non-Americans and Blacks, were released, 52 diplomats would be held for 444 days. On November 12, 1979, Carter imposed economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure on Iran, ending oil imports, expelling Iranians in the U.S. who had ties to the new regime and freezing some $8 billion in Iranian assets in America. The situation escalated when the exiled Shah of Iran was allowed into the country for surgery. Although the Shah died on July 27, 1980 and Iran was invaded by Iraq on September 22, 1980, Carter was unable to negotiate an end to the crisis and two rescue attempts failed. The hostage crisis became an issue in the 1980 presidential election, and likely cost Carter a second term. Carter had hoped to bring the hostages home during his presidency (he even carried a telephone with him on his way to Reagan's inauguration), but it was his successor, 40th U.S. President Ronald Reagan, who would announce during his inaugural address that the hostages had been released (in return for the lifting of trade sanctions and the release of the country's frozen U.S. assets). Carter, as an emissary for the Reagan administration, flew to Frankfurt to meet the hostages, who had been flown to West Germany after their release. The Americans were then flown to Washington, D.C. for the welcoming ceremony depicted on this envelope. Slightly soiled. Fine condition. Framed in the Gallery of History style: 20x15.