Discover the world's oldest share

The antique share certificate, dated 9 September 1606, was issued by the Dutch East India Company (VOC). The recent finding was done in the Westfries Archive in Hoorn by Ruben Schalk, a Dutch history student. Its value is estimated by the Boone auction house at 600,000 Euro.

In 1602, the Dutch East India Company (in Dutch : Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC) was established for the purpose of trade, exploration and colonization. It became one of the first worldwide operating corporations, determining the path of our history.

The shipyard of the Dutch East India Company in Amsterdam, circa 1750.
Image: Amsterdam Municipal Department for the
Preservation and Restoration of Historic Buildings and Sites

From 10 September and until 21 November, this historical share will be the master show piece at the VOC exhibition in the West Frisian Museum. But for those who can't make it, you can discover it on the website, developed for the event. Some pretty interactive features allow you to

• view a short instruction video
• browse through and zoom into the 4 page document
• go through individual passages to discover the meaning of the transcriptions

 Here is the link : http://www.worldsoldestshare.com/