The new Scripophily magazine is out!

Scripophily is the world’s most comprehensive and insightful publication for passionate collectors and active researchers of antique securities. This three-yearly periodical, printed on high quality paper, is the flagship of The International Bond and Share Society (IBSS).

Its 2024 January issue brings over 40 pages of scripophily news, in depth articles, book reviews, and pictures of collector friends. Scripophily magazine is illustrated with tons of gorgious stock certificates. This one from the A/S Spitzbergen company is a highlight featured in one of the many auction reports included in the publication. 

A significant part of Scripophily magazine brings reports on auctions in this collecting field. This 1905 stock certificate from the AS Spitzbergen company shows a vignette of a whaler harpooning a whale. That year, the Tønsberg-based whaling company built a whaling station on Finneset, a peninsula located on the east side of Grønfjorden on Spitsbergen. The certificate sold for NOK6,200 at the auction of the Norwegian Scripophily Society. 

Here is a summary on the main topics brought in the new issue :

• Unique War Bond, a remarkable discovery of a World War I prisoner camp library bond 
• Gatling Ordnance Co Misfires
• The Case of the Missing Farmers, an Egyptologist traces back Crédit Agricole d'Égypte vignettes 
• Taking Stock of Pittsburgh 
• David and Goliath, The Winona and Southwestern railroad takes on The Chicago and Northwestern railroad 
• Scripophily Frozen, winter scenes in scripophily

Become a member of IBSS and receive three times per year this great magazine. The 1 year membership costs £28 or $35 or €32. And the magazine is not the only benefit you'll receive. 

More info can be found on-line here at the website of the International Bond & Share Society: https://scripophily.org/ 

F.L.

HWPH's 66th auction

Happy New Year! 2024 kicks off with Matthias Schmitt's 66th auction. It takes place as an online-only auction and includes almost 600 lots of antique shares and bond certificates.

For the time being this will be the auctioneer's last auction. The prime part of HWPH's business, Russian scripophily, is badly affected by the war of Russia against Ukraine. The auction offers mainly unsold items from previous auctions. With all lots starting at €5, you may strike a bargain!

Part of the sale is a section of roughly 100 lots of American railroad stocks and bonds. Illustrated here is L(ot) 171, a bond from the Savannah and Charleston Rail Road Company, South Carolina, issued in 1869. 

The sale features several shares designed by artists of the time. L224, a share in the Goedkoope Antwerpsche Beenhouwerij, literally translated: 'cheap Antwerp butchery', was designed by one of Belgium's most talented sculptors: Jef Lambeaux. Among the other artists to be hammered are Hermann Gradl, L452, and Demetrios Galanis, L239. 

About 100 lots span three centuries of German insurance activities. Shown here is, L476 a 1961 specimen share certificate from the Allianz Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft. Allianz, one of the largest insurers in the world, is part of the Euro Stoxx 50 stock market index. 

All major themes are represented such as railways, mining and government bonds. By means of the online search features you can find the lesser obvious themes as well. A few examples: 

• Bridges, L121 The Main Street Bridge Co, Indiana 
• Music, L242 EMI Ltd 
• Ceramics, L79 Ceramica Industrial de Osasco (Brazil)
• Casino, L461 Casino im Frankfurter Hof 

Another example is a share from the Tsingtao Brewery Company Ltd, China. The company originates from the Germania-Brauerei Tsingtao brewery founded in 1903 by English and German entrepreneurs. In 1993 it became the first Chinese firm listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. L23 was issued in 1996 to scripophily pioneer Wilhelm Kuhlmann. 

There is lots more to discover in the auction. Here are the auction details :

• Location: this is an Internet only auction
• Date: 18 January 2024 
• Further info : online catalog see here on the auctioneer's website, or via the Invaluable platform, see there  

F.L.

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