*As a boy he dreamed of making his fortune in America, the country without a king. When he tried it, fortune dealt him an evil hand. Entrepreneur and inventor Joshua Abraham Norton's investments made him poor and plunged him into the grip of Despair. He escaped her clutches with a dream; declaring himself Emperor of the United States, Norton published royal proclamations, levied "taxes," sold money engraved with his image, and dispensed wisdom and kindness to the citizens of mid-19th century San Francisco. Regarded a madman by some and a benign eccentric by most, Emperor Norton never despaired again. *Source: Back of card