Veissid Auctions features 850 lots of antique stocks and bonds .. tomorrow!

My apologies for the timing, but here is a late incoming announcement for the Veissid Auctions' event that ends tomorrow. The auction features 850 lots of scripophily representing all parts of the world. 

Some examples:

This share from The Melbourne and Suburban Railway Company was issued in 1859. The vignette features a surveyor and a miner, a train approaching a bridge and a real-estate development map. The embossed company seal depicting a train is stunning. L(ot)37 starts at GBP60.

This 25 shares certificate in the Roodepoort United Main Reef Gold Mining Company was issued in 1900. The company registered in the South African Republic, then an independent Boer republic. Two years later, after the Second Boer War, the British Empire annexed the republic which became the Transvaal Colony. L243, a Waterlow & Sons print, may be acquired from GBP100. 

Yukon is the westernmost of Canada's three territories. Yet, the Yukon Gold Company was incorporated in the state of Maine, with a capital stock of $25,000,000. The company conducted hydraulic mining operations on Bonanza Creek, Klondyke River and Hunker Creek, Klondyke Gold Fields, Yukon Territory. This 100 shares certificate was issued in 1910 and printed by the New York Bank Note Company. L601 starts at GBP80. 

Scottish scripophily is not that common. This Campsie Public Hall Company share was issued in 1904 to Miss Anna B. Patton, then a Glasgow resident. The company ran a library and reading room. Printed by Gilmour & Dean somewhere in the 1800s century, L530 starts at GBP25.

There is a lot more to discover, so quickly have a look at Veissid Auctions here. 

F.L.

FHW's 125th auction is online with exceptional antique stocks and bonds

Jörg Benecke has scheduled FHW's 125th sale for 2 March 2024. With his team he brought together 2000 lots of scripophily and related documents. The event, a live auction held at FHW's home base Wolfenbüttel, offers historic and beautiful antique stocks and bonds from all continents. 

A highlight in FHW's auction is L(ot)962, a 1858 share in the Eisenhütten-AG Blücher, an early steel company from Dortmund. Germany's Ruhr area counted almost 300 coal mines by the 1850s. Coal was exported or processed in coking ovens into coke, used in blast furnaces, producing iron and steel. This 200 Thaler share depicts Generalfeldmarschall Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher who won several battles against Napoleon’s troops. He joined Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo, his army playing a decisive role in the final victory. The vignette shows von Blücher wearing the Star of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross awarded only twice in history. This rare and spectacular lithoprint by H. Kaufmann from Münster starts at €2,800. 

The Eisenhütten-AG Blücher certificate is part of the Deutschland bis 1945 chapter that includes about 650 lots. Some of the other historic items here are:

• Deutsche Bank, Berlin, 200 Thaler share, 1881, extremely rare and a top object in any international finance collection 
• Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke AG, 1000 shares certificate, from the Reichsbank archives
• LLoyd-Werft Aktiengesellschaft, builder of boats, 10000 Mark share 1923, underprint of a sailboat and a hand emerging from the water rescuing a canoe.
• Münchener Trambahn-Actien-Gesellschaft, 400 Mark share, 1882, rare founder's share 

Part of the 200 lots in the Deutschland ab 1945 chapter, is this BASF specimen 1000 shares certificate. BASF as we know it today was reorganized in 1952 and became the largest producer of chemicals in the world. In the 1960s and 1970s BASF succesfully sold computer tape and other storage devices. At the end of the 1970s the company marketed Hitachi's mainframe computers and soon thereafter launched their own line of business microcomputers like the BASF 7120 model. The certificate dates from 1967 and shows the Ludwigshafen production site.  L1457 starts at €500. 

A surprise is the sale of a complete collection of stocks and bonds related to Israel. About 130 certificates, spanning two centuries, are initially offered as one lot at €20,000, L24. In case of no bids, buyers have the opportunity to bid on the individual lots. 

This certificate from The Arab Cigarettes and Tombac Company Ltd is part of the Israel collection. The company was founded in Nazareth, which is the largest Arab city in Israel today. The company traded in cigarettes and tombac, a unwashed natural tobacco leaf used with the waterpipe. This unissued share of 1 Palestine pound with text in English and Arabic might be available from €240. 

Over 350 lots are comprised in the USA chapter. Among the many interesting items are: 

• L1743 Florida Land Rock Phosphate Company, Western Bank Note engraving, 1894, unique vignette of phosphate miners in forest 
• L1835 New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Westeren Rail Road Company, stock certificate, 1855, large train vignette, signed by Benjamin Franklin Flanders, Governor of Louisiana and mayor of New Orleans, who formed the 'Friends of Universal Suffrage' 
• L1680 Central New England Railway Company, preferred stock, 1906, large Poughkeepsie Bridge vignette 
• L1652 Apperson Bros. Automobile Company 

Steel engraving is the trademark of the American Bank Note Company. With no sales recorded during the past ten years in the coxrail.com database, this stock from the Tennesee based Morristown and Cumberland Gap Railroad can find a new home from €500 onwards. L1824 

The auction catalog counts over 200 pages. You'll find several more chapters in it, including two with items offered at half of their previous start price. So, lots to discover there. Here are the details :

• Location : The event takes place at the company headquarters in Wolfenbüttel.
• Date : 2 March, 2024
• Further info, see here; PDF catalog see there; live bidding is possible through https://connect.invaluable.com/dwa/  

L277: Sociedad del Teatro Chapi de Villena, 25 pesetas share from 1915, vignette of the Spanish composer Ruperto Chapi, lovely Art Nouveau design, €150 

F.L.

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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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Booneshares offers rare US railroad and South American certificates in December scripophily auction

Mario Boone is a major player in the field of antique share certificates and financial documents. The auctioneer scheduled his 71st scripophily auction on 2 December 2023. This auction will take place live on the internet via the Invaluable platform. On the agenda are more than 1000 lots of bonds and shares.

The auction features stunning shares from all parts of the world. This founders share from the Banque de Cochinchine was issued in 1907 and printed by the well-known security printer Crabbé. The share is signed by Noël Pardon, who previously was acting governor of Cochinchina and New Caledonia, and then governor of Guadeloupe and Martinique. L(ot) 46 starts at €400.

For this occasion, auctioneer Mario Boone has compiled a strong section of US railroad certificates. To give an example: L777, starting at €300, comprises a 1877 bond from The Cheraw and Chester Railroad Company, South Carolina. Only two examples known and coxrail.com reports no sales recorded within the last ten years. 

The US railroad section counts over 200 lots. A few more examples:

• 5% First Mortgage Gold Bond $1000 from The Canon City and Cripple Creek Electric Railway Company, mountain vignette, 1897, L762
• L949, The Western Virginia and Kentucky Rail Road and Coal Company, $1000 bond, 1857, several vignettes, amazing scrollwork and very rare
• L769, The Central Union Depot and Railway Company, $100 shares, 1885, vignette of Cincinnati building and street scene 
• A rare print from the American Bank Note Company is L876, Nevada Southern Railway Company, First Mortgage 5% 30 Year Gold Bond of $1000, 1893 

The auction catalog includes stock certificates from companies involved in all types of activities. Such as this CELTA share. This cooperative was founded in 1931 to compete with Sudam, a private company providing electricity to the city of Tres Arroyos in Argentina. The still existing cooperative expanded its activities over the years also including telephone, funeral, health and dental services. This share, issued in 1939, presents a bold Art Deco scene conceived by the artist T. Menna. 

Often these old securities have been designed by the artists of the day. The auction catalog lists a special index of the artists and engravers featured in the offerings. The certificate illustrated below depicts a Congolese woman with basket, an elephant tusk, a village, a map of the Basankusu region and the Star of Congo in the underprint. 

The early 20th century share shown here is from the notorious ABIR. The company harvested rubber in the Congo Free State, then private property of King Leopold II of Belgium. ABIR forced the local population to pay taxes and to harvest rubber under inhumane conditions. Those who failed where beated, mutilated, killed or their relatives were kidnapped or raped. This share from 1904 is a testament to Belgium's awful low point in history. 

It was Frans Hens who made the design of the certificate. He was the first Belgian artist to travel in the 1880s through the Congo and paint its nature, villages and people. He became known as a painter of the Belgian coast and the Schelde river. L82 is listed with a start price of €50. 

Another major topic in the sale is South America. The auction includes several single-item lots but also group lots from most South American countries. Collectors have the opportunity to acquire several certificates in these lots at reduced average item prices. However, in case no group bids are received most of these groups will be split into single-item lots during the auction.  

Illustrated above is L1002 a 1909 Banco de Guatemala share. Printed by Waterlow & Sons it shows several vignettes and many guilloches. Very lovely printed is the Resplendent Quetzal - featured in the coat of arms of Guatemala: the country's national bird representing freedom and independence.  L1002 is part of the Guatemala group lot, L992.

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

• Location: this is an Internet only auction
• Date: 2 December 2023
• Further info : online catalog, PDF file & bidding, see here on the auctioneer's website, or via the Invaluable platform, see there  

F.L.

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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.

Auctioneer Boone celebrates 40th anniversary in Antwerp: oldest stock exchange building houses international scripophily auction and bourse

Mario Boone's 70th scripophily event spans 4 days! On Saturday May 6, a live auction with nearly 800 lots of historic and splendid antique shares and bonds takes place at the "Handelsbeurs" in Antwerp, the oldest stock exchange building in the world.

An international scripophily bourse with free entrance for any visitor is organized at the same location on Sunday May 7. A great opportunity to see antique securities in the center of Antwerp.

On Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 May, roughly 1500 more interesting lots will be sold through the Invaluable platform (live internet auctioning) or via the usual absentee bidding options.

This 1884 share in the Fabrica de Faianças das Caldas da Rainha, a porcelain factory from Portugal, is superbly designed and printed. Against a background of tiles the drawing combines a still life with more than 10 animals. Can you find them? L(ot) 463 starts at €1000. 

Saturday morning kicks off with a section of some 200 lots from Belgium Congo, Ruanda-Urundi and Belgium, including a 1899 Banque Coloniale de Belgique share certificate showing African scenes, L(ot) 6, and L34, a brewery share in the Brasserie de Stanleyville from 1949, both starting at €50. 

Noteworthy in the Belgian chapter are:  L82, Exposition Internationale Coloniale et d'Art Flamand Anvers 1930, a share subscription for the colonial exhibition in 1930, start price €50, and L84, a $500 gold bond from the City of Antwerp. Not to be missed is L97, Compagnie Internationale des Telephones, the oldest Belgian telephone share, 1881, with a large underprint of an early telephone. 

The Société de Zoologie in Antwerp, one of the oldest zoos in Europe, was founded in 1843. Its shareholders could enter the zoo for free on showing their share, hence the folds. Printed in 1843 by Joseph-Ernest Buschmann and designed by his brother and painter Gustave Buschmann. L299, €300 

More Belgian's, and this applies to other countries too, can be found in a mammoth World Highlights section, lot range 193-775. Some examples :

• The Société Anonyme d'Horticulture et de Botanique de Gand was founded by botanists who started holding botanic exhibitions known as "Gentse Floraliën". Its share from 1835, decorated with flowers, is extremely rare, L294.
• A top object in any art collection is the 1897 share from the Compagnie Fermière des Eaux Minerales de Genval. It is designed by Art Nouveau architect, painter and designer Paul Cauchie, known for his sgraffito technique. Only three certificates were found in the 1990s, and this is the last one available. L310 starts at €10,000 and can be seen in detail on the auctioneer's brand new website here.
• The world famous Lotus Bakeries is listed on Euronext Brussels and run by Jan Boone, the grandson of founder Jan Boone sr. This specimen founder share of the Banket- en Peperkoekbakkerij "LOTUS" voorheen "Boone Gebroeders" dates from 1934 and is the only one known to the auctioneer, L318.

Then part of of the French colonies, the Mekong delta with its shallow waters was the perfect place to use "de Lambert hydroglisseurs", aka airboats. This 1920 share from the Société Anonyme des Hydroglisseurs "de Lambert", L228, starts at €200. 

In the Australasia, Asia and Africa sections I spotted these items:

• Bank of Australia, Sydney, 1833, early share printed on vellum, L193
• L205 is a nominative share from the Société Provinciale Privilégiee du Fokien - Hoa-Hu, China, 1902, company set up by diplomat Paul Claudel, Chinese landscape.
• Opium shares are rarely seen. L226 is a nominative share from the Société Fermière de l'Opium au Tonkin, issued in Hanoi, 1887.

Lot range 271 through 279 comes from a diamond collection and includes scarce items such as a 1889 share from The Borneo Diamond Exploration Syndicate. 

This 100 soles share in the Compañia Explotadora de Perlas de Sechura, Lima, 1902, is part of a collection of 214 bonds and shares from Peru, L676. 

The European chapter is the largest one with over 300 lots, L280-L595. This blog format doesn't lend itself for enumerating all lots. Here are some of many astonishing historic securities:

• L375 and L376 are two Eiffel companies: Société de Constructions de Levallois-Perret and the Société de la Tour Eiffel both showing the Eiffel tower.
• Christiana Bye og dens Oplands Korn-Selskab, freely translated as Christiania Town and its Upland Grain Company: extremely early Norwegian share, dated 1810, from the time when Denmark ruled Christiania, today Oslo, L451
• A Swiss watch collection, L563 through L574, includes names like LeCoultre, Tissot and Longines.

L338, Compagnie Générale Maritime, 1856, signed by politician and financier Emile Pereire, gorgious design by painter and engraver Melchior Péronard, €3000 

Over 50 lots of securities and related documents are featured in the 16th-18th century section, including:

• A 1679! bond from the city of Enghien, Haunaut province, in need for financial resources under French occupation, 4 wax seals, L596
• On Aug 27, 1701, Philip V, King of Spain and Louis XIV signed a treaty granting France the exclusive privilege to supply the Spanish colonies in the Americas with African slaves. This right was called the "Asiento". Issued in 1703 for 3000 Livres this share in the Compagnie Royale de l'Assiente, is an important evidence of imperialistic slave-trading practises in the 18th century and extremely rare, L607.

Rio de Janeiro Tramway Light and Power Company Limited, 1 share, text in English, French and German, 1909, facsimile signature of electrical engineer and entrepreneur Frederik Stark Pearson, L664, €200

The Latin America chapter, lots 657 through 677, include several remarkable collection lots. Each of these will be offered as a single group, and only when no bids are made, each collection will split and offered into single item lots in the online sessions on the following Monday & Tuesday:

• L658 collection of Brasilian government bonds
• L659 collection of Brasilian state bonds
• L660 collection of Brasilian railroad certificates
• L661 collection of Brasilian port/shipping certificates
• L662 collection of Brasilian Industrial securities
• L670 collection of Mexican scripophily
• L676 collection of bonds and shares from Peru 

More Latin Americ scripophily, as is the case for other themes, will be auctioned on the two online sessions on 8 & 9 May 2023.

L682, New Jersey Southern Rail Road Company, $1000 bond, 1873 signed by railway tycoon Jay Gould, extremely rare, €12000

The American section of the Saturday highlights is divided in three chapters : Jay Gould , railroads, and various themes. To name a few:

• The 50 cents bond, 1841, from the Ocmulgee and Flint River Rail Road Company is not only small in size and value, but rare as well. L689
• L763 is stock certificate from The Kansas City Distilling Company, a whisky maker, view of the distillery, 1889
• The World's Columbian Exposition was held in Chicago in 1893. It's share shows a lovely vignette of an allegorical woman and an underprint of the exposition site. L765

A tip for American railway collectors, you should check out Coxrail on this auction, see here. 

Société Hydro-Electrique de la Réunion, founder's share, 1928, map of Réunion in underprint and border with a pattern of volcanos, likely the Piton de la Fournaise, L927, €50 

The online sessions of this event are scheduled the days after the bourse on Sunday. These offer another 1500 lots of scripophily (or a bit less when the Latin American collections are hammered on the preceding Saturday - see above). Use the catalog's indexes or the search functions on the auctioneer's new website to find what you need.

The weekend of 6 & 7 May is a chance to see some great antique securities. The venue is the Handelsbeurs Antwerpen. 

Here are the auction details :

• Location : Antwerp, Belgium
• Dates
• 6 May 2023, Boone's 70th live and internet auction
• 7 May 2023, bourse of historic bonds and shares
• 8 & 9 May 2023, online auction sessions
• Further info : 
• online catalog & bidding, see here on the auctioneer's new website, 
• or via the Invaluable platform (large images), see there 

F.L.

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Something for everyone: HWPH puts 4486 lots on the auction block!

Historisches Wertpapierhaus AG has scheduled his next triple-session auction for 27, 28 and 29 March 2023. This time Matthias Schmitt and his team brought together over 4400 lots of scripophily and related documents from all continents. 

One thing is for sure, you need some time to go through all the offerings. So I suggest you use keywords in the online search functions. HWPH's site has a dedicated page to select Regions, Countries, Eras and Industries, see here. I tried out the country Japan and found over 40 related lots. 

This unissued Kyoto bond was part of the city's 1909 5% External Loan of 45,000,000 francs. It shows the facsimile signature of mayor Saigo Kikujiro (1861-1928). He was a member of the Satsuma army, a group of dissident samurai that revolted against the imperial government in the Seinan War of 1877. Then, he was shot in the right leg which was partially amputated. Later, as mayor of Kyoto, he organized large infrastructure projects such as the excavation of the Second Lake Biwa Canal, the development of the city's water supply resources, and the expansion of Kyoto's roads and tramway network. With the Mitsui Bank, Saigo Kikujiro procured this 45 million francs foreign loan to finance these projects.  L(ot) 1895  

On the same page you can select for certain industries such as Fine China (Porcelain): you'll be surprised how many hits you get on this theme.  

Oh yes, you can combine 'industries' with 'countries'. I tried USA + Railways, and there it is, over 200 lots in that combination, including the following rare bond printed by the National Bank Note Company. 

The Yumuri Rail and Tramway Company was incorporated in 1907 in the state of New York to construct a railway across the east end of Cuba connecting the northwest and southeast coasts. The Republic of Cuba was founded in 1902. The country's first decade was tumultuous and created a difficult climate for foreign investors. It is unclear what happened to the Cuban operations of this company. It went bankrupt in 1914. Click to enlarge image. L2996 

HWPH also brings its event to the online public through Invaluable.com. There, you'll find a separate section for each auction session. Click through to see the items. From there continue and select "Sort by: Price High to Low" to find the top items within each session. 

One of the top items from the first session is this 500 thaler Prussian Courant share in the Pommersche-Ritterschaftliche Privat-Bank from Stettin.  Today known as Szczecin, Poland, Stettin was then the capital of the Prussian Provence of Pomerania.  The fine print was produced by the Berlin-based lithographic workshop of H. Hindersin. Click the image below to see the rich details on the word "Actie" (share). L796 in the auction.

There is a lot more to discover in HWPH's auction catalogs. Here are the details of this online event:

• Dates: 27, 28 and 29 March, each day starting at 11 AM German time 
• Location: this is an online event
• Further info and catalogs, see here on HWPH. Live bidding is possible through Invaluable.com, see there.

F.L.

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Spink's summer scripophily sale brings us to New Zealand, Mexico and beyond

Precisely 496 lots of scripophily will go on Spink's E-block. At stake are antique stocks and bonds from all continents. Large sections are reserved for scripophily from Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Latin America and the USA. This online sale already took off at 17:00 June 16. The bidding window closes on Jul 5 at 11:00. 

This is L(ot) 182 from the European section. The Société Française de Phonographes "La Fauvette" was incorporated in 1900 in Paris. The company's major product was "La Sirène", an early cylinder gramophone player that could play "Ideal" (large format) cylinders with a duration of up to 12 minutes.  La Sirène is depicted on this 1902 share, together with a fauvette (warbler bird). 

Spink's upcoming sale features many bonds and shares from Australia, New Zealand, and even one from the British Solomon Islands. A few examples : 

• L5 is 5 shares certificate in The Railway Construction and General Development Company (Tasmania) from 1901. 
• The Butcher's Reef North Gold Mining Company, Bear Hill, New South Wales, shares, 1889, bold red, purple and gold printing, L11
• The share from the South Australian Oil Wells Co shows a large vignette of an oil field. The company operated in Gippsland, Victoria, and reported test drills in the 1940s at a depth of over 4,000 feet. L29

New Zealand is represented by more than 40 lots, several from gold mining companies. L76, a share from The Maoriland Gold Mines Ltd, was issued in 1896. 

The British chapter consists of several sections: railways, canals and shipping, government, banking and insurance, bridges, commercial, industrial, mining, automobiles and cycling, newspaper and publishing. Let's mention some entries:

• Railway enthusiasts will love the 1875 issued share in The Gorsedda Junction and Portmadoc Railways Company, Wales. Rare, L228 depicts a double-ended steam locomotive, a "double Fairlie".  
• L290 contains lots of history: a share in The London Clinic and Nursing Home Ltd from 1929. The London Clinic is one of the UK's best private hospitals and has treated many famous names such as Charlie Chaplin. It was here that Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet was arrested in 1998. 
• L264 consists of a group of three shares in the Associated Newspapers Ltd. Today known as DMG Media. This media holding publishes the Daily Mail, Metro, New Scientist, the Irish Daily Mail and many more. 

The Normal Powder and Ammunition Company Ltd, ordinary shares, 1898, company logo with rifles and canon repeated in the embossed seal, L292, click image to enlarge 

The USA chapter is split into 5 sections: automobiles and aviation, commercial and industrial, government, mining and railways. Here are some of the interesting lots noted :

• The Duquesne Incline Plane Co., Pittsburgh, PA, incorporated in 1876 with a capital of $40,000 consisting of 800 shares of $50. This certificate, from 1877, was issued for 20 shares. The company built a funicular on Mount Washington that ran at a grade of up to 30.5 degrees. L480 
• Several $1000 6% Territory of Florida bonds from 1838, several vignettes, are offered. L360 through L368.
• L440 is a $5 Class B stock certificate in The North Carolina Gold Mining and Reduction Company, Philadelphia 1882, uncommon vignet of miners at work and railway bridge.

A section of 60 lots includes scripophily from Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Cuba, Honduras and many more Latin American countries. Several Mexican railway certificates will pass in review, including this Ferrocarriles de Toluca á Tenango y San Juan, 1907. It is part of a trio, each one printed with a distinct denomination and in different colours, but all with the same great locomotive vignette. L331 

There is lots more to discover in this sale, so here are the details :

• Location : this is an Internet only sale
• Date : Jun 16 17:00 - Jul 5 11:00, 2022
• Further info : see here 

F.L.

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Collecting antique stock certificates ? Go to the next level with Scripophily magazine !

Scripophily magazine is the world’s most comprehensive and insightful publication for passionate collectors and researchers of antique securities. Its 2022 April issue brings over 50 pages of scripophily news, in depth articles, book reviews, pictures of collector friends, auction reports and quality images of stunning, historic and rare stocks and bonds.

Scripophily magazine is illustrated with tons of gorgious stock certificates. This one from The Cincinnati Edison Electric Company is featured in the Deutsche Bank trilogy (© HIWEPA). The company was incorporated in the state of Ohio. Its $1 million capital was represented by 10,000 shares of $100. This certificate, issued in 1892 to the Deutsche Bank of Berlin, for 3,333 1/3 shares, represents a third of the capital. Image by Horst Klophaus 

Compelling tales, business plot twists and memorable personalities keep you spellbound. Scripophily magazine uncovers the stories of historic and artistic securities. In addition, reports from the auction markets help you to stay up-to-date. This periodical is the flagship of The International Bond and Share Society (IBSS) and appears three times a year.

Here is a summary on the topics brought in the latest issue :

• Piers and Seaside Entertainment, interview with a collector 
• Book review : Stamp Taxes in Nevada I. Silver Fever! Nevada Territory Stock Certificates, 1863-4, author Michael Mahler 
• Book review : Michigan Copper Mining Stocks and Bonds, Part II, author Lee Degood
• El Partido Revolucionario Cubano, a rare but fake bond emerged 
• The Insanity Spreads, NFT technology flirts with Scripophily 
• Dispatches from the Front, Bits and Pieces, market concerns with the Russo-Ukrainian War 
• The Greenawalt Donation : Interview with David Mihaly of the Huntington Library 
• Charles V Bond with phenomenal Face Value emerges (Spain)
• Standing on the Shoulders of Giants, Terry Cox reflects on his US railway project coxrail.com 
• The Howe Sound Co, copper mining in British Columbia 
• Selling the Security, member contributions with share certificates promoting the business 
• Studebaker, the family, stocks and bonds, and legacy
• Deutsche Bank Part I : The History of "Deutsche Bank AG"
• Boomtimes in the German Sugar Industry : 1850-1885 

On top of that the issue brings results and analysis on more than 20 auctions that took place during the preceding period in Germany, USA, China, Switzerland, UK, and other countries. You'll find out which auctions took place, what collecting themes are currently in demand and what price results are achieved for top pieces.

Subscribing to Scripophily magazine brings you valuable free extras: 

1. The IBSS Directory brings you in contact with fellow collectors. Many of those are experts in their field, often share common interests with you, and possibly live nearby. The Directory contains members from more than 40 countries. 
2. Upcoming events : Learn which auctions, collector bourses and society meetings will take place.
3. Locate dealers and auctioneers : The Membership Directory also contains a list of dealers and auctioneers with further contact details. Most  auctioneers and dealers publish their catalogues either online or on paper.
4. Access to the Experts : Being part of the International Bond and Share Society (IBSS) has provided me access to a network of experts in a variety of specialties related to the collection of Stocks and Bonds, always willing to led a hand and point me in the right direction.
5. Access to all content on the IBSS website, including digital versions of previous issues of Scripophily magazine, the online forum, special theme galleries, and the like. 
6. Newsflashes on the website focus on hot topics that can't wait for the next issue of the magazine. 
7. Get extra credibility : being listed as a member is a good reference in any deals made remotely with parties previously unknown. 

A 1-year subscription only costs £25 or $35 or €28. The magazine is published by IBSS. More info : https://scripophily.org/membership/join/ 

F.L.

Related links

• International Bond and Share Society 
• What is Scripophily, a quick introduction 

International auction & bourse weekend in Antwerp shows amazing historic securities and scripophily collections

A major player in the field of antique stock certificates, auctioneer Mario Boone scheduled his 68th scripophily auction and bourse on 30 April and 1 May 2022. On the agenda are about 1400 scripophily lots ready to go on the block. Boone managed to assemble exceptional rare and beautiful stocks and bonds from all continents. 

Part of the offerings are several thematic collections containing exceptional items. One of them is the Portuguese Railways collection consisting of 126 lots of Portuguese and Portuguese colonial railway certificates. The collection formed the basis of the 1990 published Boone-Shakespeare catalog on Spanish and Portuguese railway scripophily and it was further enlarged with new discoveries. Bidders will first have the opportunity to bid on the entire collection as a whole. Start price is set at €18,000. In case no bid is achieved, the auctioneer presents the lots one by one.

Founded in 1908 the Companhia Carris de Ferro do Porto operated the Porto tramways. This 5 shares of Rs10$00 certificate from 1909, only one known, shows a perspective of the Dom Luís I Bridge taken from Vila Nova de Gaia. Part of the Portuguese railway collection, Lot 617 (L618-L744). 

The Boone sale includes many highlights from the turbulent 18th century! That century saw the great powers waging several wars and expanding slave trading across the Atlantic but also the founding of Los Angeles, the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, the premiere of Mozart's Don Giovanni, and the invention of the steamboat and the power loom. Some of the historical items from this period are : 

• L409 is a 2500 livres share from the Compagnie des Indes from 1770
• From 1797, L285, a share from the Natur-Torfgräber Unternehmung zu Moosbrunn, a peat digging company in Lower Austria, is probably the oldest Austro-Hungarian share known.
• The most mind-blowing lot in the sale, L516, is a 1777 founder share from the Iron Bridge company. Boone expects it to hammer at €18,000. 

This share in the Company for Building a Bridge across the River Severn, Ironbridge, Shropshire, England, dates from 1777. Opened in 1781, it was the first major bridge in the world to be made of cast iron. The share is signed by Abraham Darby III and John Wilkinson. 

Darby took over the iron-making business of his family. He became manager of the Coalbrookdale ironworks. The Darbys and other ironmasters like John Wilkinson perfected the technique of smelting iron with coke, instead of coal. This allowed them to produce cheaper and more cast iron. They started casting iron rails and wheels for railway wagons. 

John "Iron-Mad" Wilkinson invented a precision boring machine that could bore cast iron cylinders such as cannon barrels and piston cylinders used in steam engines. In 1787 he launched on the Severn an iron ship. In 1775 Wilkinson and local businessmen commissioned Abraham Darby III to build the Iron Bridge. 

Thanks to the bridge, its builders and their achievements, the area around Ironbridge is described by UNESCO as the "Birthplace of the Industrial Revolution". The monument gave its name to the town that grew around it. The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust runs 10 museums throughout the IronBridge Gorge World Heritage Site; they tell the story of the Industrial Revolution. 

Signatures of Abraham Darby III and John Wilkinson. 

Few people have had such a lasting impact on modern society. L516 

Another remarkable collection offered in the auction are 78 Panorama certificates. Before the advent of cinema audiences could visit a panorama or diorama attraction. Often implemented as large winding 360-degree paintings, and sometimes constructed as mobile attractions or in specialized theatres, these immersed the viewer in large topographic landscape views and historical events. The collection as a whole can be purchased, L9, starting at €8,000. In case no bid is achieved, the auctioneer presents the lots one by one, L10-87.

The Panorama collection includes attractions from Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, France, the USA and more. This share in the French Royal London Panorama company dates from 1881. The company built its panorama in the former Saville House, Leicester Square, London, where it showed the battle of Waterloo. L65 

The printed catalog contains several indexes to help you find what you are looking for. The online versions can be searched by keywords. The largest country represented this time is the USA and, including a Confederate Bonds collection, counts over 300 lots. Many non-typical scripophily countries are represented as well such as Fiji, Pakistan, Kenya, San Marino and Uruguay.

One of the lots mentioned under the "Sports" index, L927, is a 1923 share in the Autodrómo Nacional SA. Founded in 1922 the company built and operated the Terramar Autodrome, a racing circuit in Sant Pere de Ribes, Catalonia, Spain. In 1923 Alberto Divo won the first race with his Sunbeam at an average of 142 kilometers per hour. 

Even if you are not a collector the weekend of 30 April & 1 May is an opportunity to see some great antique securities. The venue is the Antwerp Crown Plaza. An airport shuttle from Brussels Airport to Antwerp (about 30 minutes) stops in front of the hotel. The public bus stops right outside the place and takes you in 10 minutes to Antwerp Central Station. 

Here are the auction details :

• Location : Antwerp, Belgium
• Dates
• 30 April 2022, Boone's 68th live and internet auction
• 1 May 2022, bourse of historic bonds and shares
• Further info : 
• online catalog & bidding, see here 
• or via the Invaluable platform (large images), see there 
• and the PDF version of the catalog can be found here 

F.L.

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FHW presents unique stocks and bonds from the Austro-Hungarian Empire

FHW's upcoming auction takes place on February 26, 2022 in Wolfenbüttel, Germany. The town is home to both the world-famous Jägermeister distillery and the headquarters of the Freunde Historischer Wertpapiere.  

The sale includes 1910 lots of scripophily: antique share certificates and bonds from all continents will go under the hammer. Large sections include the Austro-Hungarian Empire, USA, Germany pre 1945, Germany DM era, Russia and the Baltic States, and China.

The Zillertal Railway is one of the most popular attractions in Tyrol. Its line opened in 1902 and runs along the Ziller river between Jenbach and Mayrhofen. Tourists and railway enthusiasts from all over the world enjoy a ride with the company's steam operated trains. This founder share, issued in 1903, designed in lovely Art Nouveau style, features vignettes from Jenbach, Zell am Ziller and Fügen. L(ot) 497 in the auction, Zillerthalbahn AG, starts at €1,500

The k. u. k. Doppelmonarchie, aka the Austro-Hungarian Empire, existed between 1867 and 1918. The "kaiserlich und königlich" refers to "imperial (Austria)" and "royal (Hungary)".  The state comprised Austria, Hungary and parts of todays Italy, Serbia, Croatia, Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland and Ukrain. As such it was the second-largest country in Europe after the Russian Empire at over 620,000 km2. 

The sale features 350 k.u.k. lots including a lovely Zillerthalbahn share, image shown above. Some more examples from other Austro-Hungarian certificates are:

• Actiengesellschaft der Liesinger Bräuerei, share from 1872, wide vignette of the brewery buildings, L153. 
• Several hotel companies are included in the the k.u.k. section such as 
• L164, Actien-Gesellschaft Hotel Goldenes Lamm, 1872, lodgings vignette in the underprint 
• US President Theodore Roosevelt once stayed in the Hotel Krantz, L272 and L273
• The luxury Grandhotel Pupp is located in Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad), Czech Republic, and can be admired in the movies Last Holiday, starring Queen Latifah, and Casino Royale, with James Bond. L274 
• Railway collectors will appreciate the tens of railway companies that are included in this section. Some examples are: 
• Grazer Tramway-Gesellschaft, L264, 
• Innsbrucker Mittelgebirgsbahn, L279, and, 
• one of the highlights in the auction, L310, K. K. Priv. Prager Eisenbahngesellschaft, Prague, share from 1828, one of the oldest railway companies in continental Europe.

Included in the Austro-Hungarian section is this Spar- und Kredit-Verein des Janus share. This bank was formed by the Janus wechselseitige Lebensversicherung-Anstalt, a mutual life insurance business, to provide financial services to its members. The amazing vignette shows a portrait of Janus with the two faces. This Roman god controlled the beginning and ending of conflicts. The certificate, issued in 1914, was produced by M. Salzer, one of the oldest printing companies of Austria. Matthäus Salzer (1799-1878) expanded the printing works of the Salzer family into a factory. He bought in 1866 the Carl Ueberreuter printing house. L430 in the auction starts at €200 

The auction includes two German scripophily sections presented by more than 400 lots : 

1. Germany before 1945, lot range 1142 through 1429, and 
2. Germany after 1945 'DM era', range 1430 - 1620. 
3. On top of that you can add the "50% vom letzten Ausruf" section, range 695 - 1141, which contains many German items unsold in previous auctions but now listed at 50% of the original start price.

The printed (PDF) catalog contains indexes on themes and German regions. The online sites provide key word search functions. I tried the word Magdeburg and found more than twenty lots such as L943, a rare 200 Thaler share from 1872 in the Magdeburger Brückebau-Anstalt in Buckau bei Magdeburg with corner vignettes of bridges.

Vignettes on antique securities often display smoking chimneys alluding to productivity and profitability. Being a child of its time, this specimen share from the MEMBRAN Aktiengesellschaft für Finanzinformationssysteme delivers the same message by means of a then expensive desktop computer system with two diskette disk drives. Issued in 1987, Berlin, L1558 is part of the 200 lots counting DM era section.

In its auctions FHW features top American items, especially scripophily from railroad companies. This time the USA section includes about 300 lots.  Some examples are : 

• a rare Colorado Northern Railway Company share, L1698, with vignette of a train exiting a tunnel, starts at €500
• Civil War Major General Grenville Mellen Dodge who later became the Union Pacific's chief engineer signed the Denver, Texas and Forth Worth Railroad bond, rare, L1711
• L1769, Chicago and Oak Park Elevated Railroad Company, stock certificate from 1908, great vignette of steam train on elevated track

From the USA section, this share in The Defender Gold Mining Company not only looks spectacular but tells a surprising story as well. Incorporated in Colorado the company prospected in the Cripple Creek gold district. It was founded in 1895 when the American sloop Defender defeated its British challenger, the Valkyrie III, in the America's Cup race. The share shows the winner, the "Auld Mug" trophy, shipping ropes and the company name, all of them in gold-print. L1706 in the sale 

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

• Date : 26 February, 2022
• Further info, see here; PDF catalog see there; live bidding is possible through https://connect.invaluable.com/dwa/  

F.L.

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