Sunday, October 25, 2015

La Belle France under the hammer


Lot 400 Compagnie Générale des Services Publics de Paris et la France
This 1906 founder's share shows the map of France in the underprint 
surrounded by not less than 10 coats of arms of French cities : Paris, Marseille, 
Toulouse, Bordeaux, Rouen, Nice, Nantes, Lyon, Lille and St. Étienne.
double-click image to enlarge


Next Friday and Saturday, Mario Boone's 55th international auction of antique stocks & bonds will take place in the heart of Brussels (Hotel NH Carrefour de l'Europe). I've announced this event in my previous post. This time, I want to bring to your attention a special collection to be auctioned during the happening.

Lot 368 : Société de Constructions de Levallois-Perret
Certificat nominatif d'actions de 100 Francs, issued 1939
Formed Paris, 1893, as successors to Compagnie des Etablissements Eiffel
Rarity indication R10 (3-5 pieces known)

Société de Constructions de Levallois-Perret
detail from the certificate above
1866 Gustave Eiffel set up his own engineering office
 at 48 Rue Fouquet in Levallois-Perret. The street
was later renamed into Rue Gustave Eiffel.

France, a Walhalla in scripohily
There is no other nation that has left us so many decorative bond and share certificates like France. For many years, I've been studying auction guides, and I don't think that other countries count more artists, engravers or lithographers. I started to believe I had a good idea of what French scripophily could offer. Boy, am I wrong ! Splendour .. amazement .. rarity .. significance .. these are words that instantly crossed my mind when flipping through this collection's catalogue.

1899 share certificate of the Société de l'Ascenseur de la Terrasse de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Lot 360 : Société de l'Ascenseur de la Terrasse de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Share of 100 francs, 1899, Paris

Société de l'Ascenseur de la Terrasse de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
detail from the certificate above
design by Ch. Lapierre and engraving by A. Napier
printed by Imprimerie G. Richard
La Belle France
In this special auction 500 French stocks and bonds will be sold separately. The collection was brought together over a period of 25 years by an European collector, wishing to stay anonymous. Auctioneer Mario Boone says : “In my view, the greatest joy that comes with being an auctioneer is the privilege that one gets to see, catalogue and research truly superb collections such as this one. Despite being a leading auctioneer of French scripophily since many years, I have never before come across so many rarities and novelties as in this collection. That we can auction this collection, which has been built and treasured for decades, is deeply honouring.”

Lot 291 : Revillon Frères
500 francs share, Paris 1908
The company had fur shops in Paris, London, New York,
Moscow, Montreal and elsewhere
Only two pieces known according to the auctioneer

Revillon Frères
detail from the certificate above
grandiose design by A. Antigue
printed by Imp. Lahure

À chacun son goût
The collection covers three centuries, all major industries and themes and is also geographically most interesting. It includes not only, as mostly seen, Paris-issued shares, but also many pieces from other French cities and departments. Besides French colonial shares, the auction contains sections with French companies operating in Australasia, Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin and North America including California Gold Rush certificates. 

Lot 171 : Société Anonyme pour l'Amélioration, l'Education et
la Vente des Chevaux de Luxe de Race Française

Action de 1000 Frances à un quatre centième, 1837

Société Anonyme pour l'Amélioration, l'Education et la Vente 
des Chevaux de Luxe de Race Française
detail from the certificate above
Design and lithography by Ferdinand Séré
Printed by C. Adrien from Paris

Practical info 

  • Auction date: 30 October & 1 November 2015 
  • Place: Brussels, Belgium
  • Further info, see here  


Lot 82 : Entreprise de Déchargement des Ports de Paris
100 Francs share, 1924, Paris
printed by Imp. Spéciale pour Titres

100 Words to improve your French scripophily skills
If you start collecting stocks and bonds from France, you need to learn a bit of French. Many words can easily be understood because they are written similarly to the corresponding word in English. Some examples : automobiles, fruits coloniaux (colonial fruit), banque (bank), compagnie (company), edit (edict), funiculaire (funicular) and navigation.
However, other expressions are less obvious to derive. Here is a list of 100 French terms that you will observe sooner or later on those nice papers. You will also find out that the French language often provides words that are pleasant to pronounce, e.g. tuilerie and messagerie fluviale

F.L.

Lot 361 : Société Pyrénéenne d'Entreprises
500 Francs share, 1919, Paris
The company was founded in 1919 to make dams,
hydroelectric facilities and bridges in the Pyrenees.
printed by Union des Arts Graphiques



Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Mario Boone - Auction 55



BEKSA was jointly set up by Sabanci and the Belgian Bekaert company 
in Turkey for the production of steel cordThe auction contains 
several specimens from the Sabanci business empire
Seeing this BEKSA share certificate brings back some nice memories. 
Ten years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the plant in Izmit.
double-click image to enlarge



The certificate on the cover is a 1778 share of 1000 Livres in the Compagnie de la Guyane.
The company was granted a monopoly concession for trading slaves by the King of France.
The share belonged to Jean Lafaurie (1914-2008), the former Conservateur of the 
Cabinet de Medailles of the National Library in Paris. 

Practical info 
  • Auction dates: 30 October & 1 November 2015 
  • Place: Brussels, Belgium
  • Further info, see here 
  • Tip for 2 Nov : International Scripophily Bourse, on the same place, which you may want to combine with this exhibition.
F.L.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Archives International Auctions Part XXIX


One of the first offerings of the Herzog collection : 
Lot 323 James's Port Whaling Company
1837 Share certificate in the 
'Ship Washington and her outfits for her voyage'
double-click image to enlarge


Archives International Part XXIX
U.S. & Worldwide scripophily, banknotes, coins, ephemera, 
artifacts, artwork, autographs and U.S. bonds & documents



Date & Place : 
  • Session one : 24 October, 2015, Museum of American Finance, New York City
  • Session two ; 29 October, 2015, Fort Lee, NJ
  • Further info : see here

Tip : Session one of the auction takes place in conjunction with the Wall Street Collector's Bourse at the Museum of American Finance, Wall Street, NY.

F.L.

Related link : AIA XXIX on Coxrail News 

Friday, October 9, 2015

Exhibition : Behind the Numbers

The Brussels Stock Exchange was created by a decree of Napoleon in
1801. More, in 1807 he legalized the existence of limited companies.


Brussels Stock Exchange, 2006
Source :
Ben2, Wikipedia

Discover the world of the stock exchange 
In Behind the Numbers, you can discover the secrets and the functioning of the stock exchange in the historical Bruxelles stock exchange building itself. On display are remarkable objects lent by a dozen of Belgian and foreign institutions, including a handful of authentic US stock certificates, a number of 19th century Belgian bond and share certificates (facsimiles) and one facsimile of the oldest stock from the Westfries Archives in Holland (see also here).

Learn and experience about the numbers
The exhibition, an initiative by TREETOP ASSET MANAGEMENT, consists of three parts:
  1. What is the stock exchange ? provides non-specialists with the prerequisite keys for reading, in order to help follow the rest of the exhibit.
  2. A history of stock exchanges shows the evolution of the stock exchange in parallel with economic development, in Europe first, later worldwide. 
  3. How does the stock exchange work ? shows how the stock exchange forms as part of the economy, and how it benefits those who use it.

Christophe Gaeta, the scenographer of the Antwerp Red Star Line Museum, did the scenography for this exhibition as well. Gaeta created three immense cylinders, encircled by ticker tape, to evoke the constant whirlwind of stock market information. Inside the cylinders, visitors will be able to discover surprising interactive and entertaining installations (video mapping). Furthermore, the artist Charles Sandison reveals his artistic view on the stock exchange in a special piece of art 'The Mirror Room'.


The front certificate on display here, is a 1920 Ansonia Clock Company stock certificate.
This clock manufacturing business started in Ansonia, Connecticut, in 1851. It moved
to Brooklyn, New York, in 1878 and produced hundreds of clock models. After WWI
the company faced fierce competition. In 1929 the majority of the machinery and tooling
were sold to the Soviet government's US trading company Amtorg, just before the
stock market crash. The parts, machinery and key skilled workers were shipped out of
the USA to form the basis of the clock and watch industry in Moscow,  e.g.: Poljot.

Source: Wikipedia; Copyright picture: Serge Marteaux

Practical info
  • Place: Brussels Stock Exchange building, Place de la Bourse, Brussels
  • Duration : 4 September - 8 November 2015
  • Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm. Last admission at 5 pm.
  • Ticket price:  € 8, free entrance for young people (0 to 18 years), students and schoolgroups
  • More info, see here (English), here (French) or here (Dutch)

F.L.

Tip : interested in antique stocks and bonds ?
On 1 November the Boone's international bourse of antique stocks and bonds takes place at the Bruxelles NH Carrefour de l'Europe Hotel, by foot less than 10 minutes away from the exhibition. See more there.

Monday, October 5, 2015

HWPH - Auction 39 and 40


HWPH Auction 39
cover: Preussische Boden Credit Actienbank
Share of 200 Thaler, Berlin, 1873
printed by Preußische Staatsdruckerei



Lot 105 in HWPH Auction 39
Potosi, La Paz & Peruvian Mining Association
Consolidated Share of £ 15, London, 1827
design with early lathe work printing by John Ellis
--
One of the first Bolivian mining companies as 
Bolivia's independence was proclaimed on July 10, 1825. 
double-click images to enlarge

early vignette of Potosi silver mountain
The coat of arms of Bolivia depicts
the Potosi silver mountain with a sun rsing above it.



HWPH Online Auction 40
cover: Ushitschko Akzionarsko Druschtwo "Zlatibor"
5 Shares of 200 Dinar
Uzice, Yugoslavia, 1921



  • Date: 17 October 2015  - Auction 39 ;  19 October 2015 - Auction 40
  • Place: Auction 39, Wiesbaden, GERMANY
  • Further info, see here


F.L.