Friday, April 19, 2019

Spink London launched its E-auction of world bonds & share certificates

Exactly 443 lots of scripophily will go on Spink's E-block. This online sale already started Apr 12 15:00. The bidding window closes on April 30 11:00. At stake are antique stocks and bonds from many countries. Larger sections include China, Japan, Australia & New Zealand, UK, Confederate States of America and the USA. 



5% Japanese Imperial Loan, Meiji 42 (1909), bond for 500 yen 
Historically, Japanese dates were expressed as years of a named era. Emperor Meiji, who ascended the throne in 1868 tied the era name to the reign of the current emperor. Meiji 42 indicates the 42th year of Meiji's reign. As the first year of the reign is year 1 and not year 0, one has the subtract 1. So Meiji 42 stands for 1868+42-1 = 1909. 
L(ot)89 in the auction, scarce 




Dun Mountain Copper Mining Company, Limited, 10 shares of £1, London, 1857 
Dun Mountain, named for its brown (dun) colour, is located near the city of Nelson. In the 1850s and 1860s, chromite and copper were mined on the mountain leading to the building of New Zealand's first railway. Marvellous embossed seal of a miner at work, click image to enlarge.  L136 is estimated at £80 


The oldest certificate in the sale, L237, is a handwritten warrant authorising a payment from 1655 and handsigned by Oliver Cromwell, see here. Estimated between £5000-£6000, it is expected to realize also the highest result.

The most rare certificates in the sale are indicated with R12. Rarity 12 stands for 'only one known'. The auction includes a handful of these. You can use 'R12' in the online search function to find them, e.g. L240, a specimen $5000 bond from The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, dated 1916.

The largest group lot is L158 and counts 2200 bonds from several loans issued by the Österreichische Staats-Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft  between 1855 and 1885.



£50 may buy you this stunning Casino Municipal de la Ville de Nice bond from 1881. 
L168 in the auction  




The Modern Comedies Company, Limited was a British company producing theatrical comedies. Founded with a £10,000 capital, very few certificates have been issued. The then famous actors Frank Curzon and Gertrude Silver aka Gertrude Kingston signed this share in 1902. L321 


More auction details :

  • Location : this is an Internet only sale
  • Date : April 12 15:00 - April 30 11:00. 
  • Further info : see here 

F.L.

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