FHW auction features more than 1500 historic bonds and shares including several German collections

Freunde Historischer Wertpapiere (FHW) has scheduled its 124th sale for October 7, 2023. This time the auctioneer selected more than 1500 lots of historic bonds and share certificates. Major sections have been reserved for scripophily from the USA, Germany, the German DM era, and a series of more than 300 lots from other countries.

One of the auction's highlights is this gorgeous share from the Société des Fermes Réunies du Kurhaus et de la Banque de Nauheim Hesse Électorale. It was the Frenchman Jacques Roland Viali who founded the casino and the accompanying health resort. In addition to the roulette hall, there was also a reading room, a concert hall and a dance hall. Spa guests strolled in the adjoining parc around the large pond and boats were purchased to provided more entertainment. Within a year after its opening, 1 Jan 1854,  Nauheim received city rights, and soon new avenues were constructed. Few companies would change a town's history so quickly. This 1854 share, with Viali signature, is part of the Deutschland Top 20 chapter and starts at €2,600. L(ot) 626 in the auction

Traditionally FHW is know for its strong emphasis on German scripophily. On top of that, several collections are now going under the hammer. The Hans-Werner Schmidt collection of Oberfranken (Upper Franconia) features 338 certificates in 146 lots from all themes, including brewery shares, such as L162, a rare share from the Erste Bamberger Export-Bierbrauerei Frankenbrau. 

Collectors of DM securities will be pleased to find a large section in the catalog counting almost 400 lots of securities from the Deutsche Mark era. However, this SchmidtBank KGaA 1000 shares certificate, is part of the Hans-Werner Schmidt Oberfranken collection, L225. Bidding starts at €500. 

The USA forms the largest non-German chapter in the sale with about 200 lots such as:

• L1350, Barkley-Grow Aircraft Corp, stock certificate, 1936, airplane vignette, €240 
• L1419, Massachusetts Fish Co, specimen share, 1907, crowded harbour scene, €100 
• L1461, Petaluma and Sebastopol Railroad, stock certificate, 1889, rare, €600 

The Sebago and Long-Pond Steam-Navigation Company built its Fawn steamboat in 1847. It had a shallow hull to navigate Maine's winding Songo River, with passengers asked to shift sides as ballast to keep both paddlewheels in the water around sharp curves. This 1848 share features three vignettes, two paddlewheel steamers and a church, and a green company seal. L1483, €400 

There is a lot more to discover in the sale, so here are the details :

• Date : 7 October, 2023
• Location : Wolfenbüttel 
• Further info, see here; PDF catalog see there; live bidding is possible through https://connect.invaluable.com/dwa/  

F.L.

IBSS surprises members with full publications of Drumm & Henseler scripophily catalogues

The International Bond & Share Society is an association of people interested in scripophily. The society was founded in 1978 as a non-profit organization with the aim to promote, encourage and develop all aspects of scripophily. 

With members all over the world, the society publishes its flagship publication Scripophily three times a year.

Over a timespan of several months a small group of members cooperated in obtaining the copyrights of the pioneering Drumm & Henseler catalogs, digitizing those works, and making them available to its members as downloadable publications.  

The following catalogues can now be found on the IBSS site :

Italian Railways, by Drumm, Henseler, Witula

Ottoman Empire and Turkey, by Drumm, Henseler, Glasemann

Russian City Bonds, by Drumm, Henseler

Russian Railway Bonds, by Drumm, Henseler

You can find the publications here, but you must be logged in as a member to access this information. Still not a member ? Then this will help you out. 

F.L.

Predecessor FC Bayern München to be sold at HWPH auction

Historisches Wertpapierhaus AG (HWPH) has scheduled its next double-session sale for 9 and 11 September 2023. Specialist Matthias Schmitt and his team brought together some 1,900 lots of scripophily and related documents for this occasion. Included is an ultra rare and stunning share certificate from FC Bayern München's predecessor, Munich's gymnastics club MTV.

One of the most iconic football clubs FC Bayern doesn't need an introduction. With an average of 75,000 attendees its Allianz Arena mostly runs at 100 per cent capacity level. The club originates from the Männer-Turn-Verein München (Men's Gymnastics Club Munich) when 11 members of the football division left the club and founded Fußball-Club Bayern München in 1900. This share certificate dates from 1886 and is one of only two known. L(ot) 591 in the auction starts at €2,800. 

The first part of the sale is a public auction at Zorneding, Germany, followed two days later by an online auction. Both parts offer historic and beautiful antique stocks and bonds from all continents. 

specimen share certificate from 1953 in the Rheinisch-Westfälische Eisen- und Stahlwerke, L566

To give an idea, here's very small selection of what will go on the block:

• L139, La Hispano Suiza Fábrica de Automóviles, share from 1905, great design by the Spanish painter Ramon Casas
• L592, Boston American League Base-Ball Club, stock certificate, 1911, issued to and signed by centre fielder Jim R. McAleer
• L594, Flamingo Films, Inc., stock certificate, 1933, issued to and signed by actor comedian Buster Keaton 
• L793, Akcionarsky Pivovar na Smichove, 1939, splendid share certificate of this brewery from Prague
• L1737, Republic of El Salvado, $1000 bond,1923 

L27 is a 10 shares certificate from the Toyo Automobile Company, issued in 1912 and a rare example of how Japanese artists became influenced by the Art Nouveau movement. Bidding starts at €400.

You can find more of these fascinating stocks and bonds in HWPH's auction catalogs. Here are the details of this event:

• Dates
•  9 September 2023, Zorneding, Germany, public auction
• 11 September 2023, online auction
• Further info and catalogs, see here on HWPH's site, as well as there on the Invaluable platform . 

F.L.