Thread: Beautiful stocks and bonds

Guess this is as good a time as any to start a thread on one of my favorite topics: stock and bond certificates. I personally collect intaglio engraved certificates from the U.S. and a few from other countries. I have a preference for railroad stocks, which is how I first started collecting, but I've branched into all manner of businesses -- mining, banking, utilities, transportation, and even theaters. I also have a soft spot for specimen certificates from the various bank note companies.

I posted another thread on this subject already --
Stocks & bonds: What $72 million looks like

This time I'm hoping to get some other fans of these beautiful securities to post their favorites. No restrictions on business type, nationality, or variety. Just show us some of the certificates you have that you like the most. I'll post a number of favorites from my collection to get things going, starting with some railroads.

Note there's no smokestack on the locomotive in the NY Central bond -- that's because it's electric! These battery-powered engines were used primarily for short commuter trips, not for long-haul freight trains. It's also a specimen certificate -- serial number 00000.

And here's some stock certificates. Wagner Palace Car has several nice vignettes. I'll try to scan that one a little closer next time.

This batch is a hodge-podge of industries. Some of these were unissued (I don't discern much if I like the engraving). At one time I worked in a print shop, so the Alden Type Setting stock is fascinating to me. Marconi Wireless was the first radio company.

The City of Providence bond has to be one of the most attractive in my collection. What a great collection of vignettes, ornaments and frames! If you look closely you'll see that Searight Cattle is a territorial stock certificate, printed in the 1880s before Wyoming was a state.

And last, my only Russian bond -- and my only square one. These were issued by the Czarist government in 1917. It's not cancelled, btw. I've heard these were held for many years by Russian refugees who fled the communist revolution, hoping they would someday be honored. So far no luck, but it's only been 94 years. I liked it for the engraving, by American Bank Note Co.

These are really nice, one can certainly see why you collect them. That Russian woman seems particularly concerned about something in the upper corner of the frame

Dave

Very nice collection. These are something I haven't yet gotten into but they are very attractive. I really like the street car vignettes.

I sometimes check out Scripophily (they often have good histories with thier listings too) and Clinton Hollis when looking for certain subjects of interest from old engraved vignettes.

Chris, those are both excellent sites -- I use them, too. In fact I've bought a number of stocks and bonds from Clinton Hollis. He's been around *forever* and has some great prices.

The Detroit & Cleveland Navigation certificate got me thinking about ships, so I posted some nice maritime banknote vignettes on another thread, for those interested:
Coins and bank note engravings on Commemorative Panels

gsalexan, how do you store your bonds and stock certificates?

I love your Russian 1917 bond... I personalyl collect Russian notes and coins, so it's only natural that I also try to get my hands on Russian Imperial bonds as well. So far I have a 1869, 1889, 1891, and 1894... I'll post photos in a week or so (it's around exams time right now, so I have barely any time to take pictures and upload).

But I keep them rolled up in a hard-cardboard tube with 2 caps on the ends, and was wondering maybe there's a better way? I don't have the room/place to display them on a wall or something, and an album for them would be of a massive size. Do you keep them in a tube as well, rolled up?

Definitely post your bonds -- I'd love to see them. I'm hoping a few other members post some things, too. But it's spring break and not so many folks are following the posts.

I do keep some of my really big engraved pieces in a tube, but I also have some massive binders, with poly sleeve pages about 11x14". Some of the bonds stick out an inch or so above the top, but I can live with it. I'll post a photo in a bit. I'm not even sure the guy who sells them is around any more.

My oh my, don't you just love how bonds and stocks can have a larger palette for their artistry than banknotes?

About the New York Central RR locomotive, the city of New York enacted legislation prohibiting steam locomotives from downtown stations due to the smoke and pollution. For that reason the NYCRR had to purchase and maintain the electric locomotives that would pick up the passenger trains outside of the city to bring them into the downtown stations. They did not use them for mainline long distance runs, but the Penn Central did on some of their East Coast routes. Really they were way ahead of their time most passenger and freight in Europe are on electrified grids now as in the long run it is more efficient.



About that vignette, it was actually used on this Russian 200 ruble bond - the bond also doubled up as an emergency currency in Siberia during the Russian Civil War. But the vignette was proprietary to ABNCo and was used on other bonds, but also notably on the reverse of the Series 1935 and Series 1937 Bank of Canada $1000 bills.

Very Nice collection

I think this might be a new hobby for me. I really enjoy a finely detailed intaglio prints

Originally Posted by johnny2dollar

I think this might be a new hobby for me. I really enjoy a finely detailed intaglio prints

No no no, there is nothing to collect in this area - just move along

Originally Posted by scottishmoney

No no no, there is nothing to collect in this area - just move along

Maybe i should start issuing my own intaglio prints.

Sorry, it's already been done. When all the American Bank Note archive material began coming on the market in the late '90s collectors starting buying up printing plates right and left. Some became private issued souvenir cards, some just became prints. I'm kind of amazed more modern reprints haven't started popping up.