Old Remington
Old Stock Collecting Themes – Part II
Most people collect antique stock certificates by type, or theme, to give a common thread to their collection and to add passion to the search for specific certificates (though most of us also “cheat” and collect others just because we like them).
Collecting themes also provides a logical way to organize or display your favorite stock certificates.
The “Part I” article before this one discussed themes of Industry, Geography, Vignette (artwork), Family Relationship (name) and Time Period. Here are some other popular themes:
1.Events, or some portion of one – Examples: Civil War, Confederate Institutions, Volunteer Bounty Bonds, Veterans Organizations
2.Firsts, or among the firsts – Examples: Experimental Aircraft (Custer Channel Wing), Steam Locomotives (Tom Thumb), seminal autos (Willys-Overland Jeep), first electrically wired cities (Cincinnati Edison), current companies over a century old (Wells Fargo)
3.Famous Names, issued to or signed by – Examples: Disney, Remington, Rockefeller, Pabst, Houdini, Rothschild, Chaplin, Buick, Morgan, Ames, Lorillard…
4.Extreme Numbers on the certificate – Examples: Bonds for $1,000,000 or more, stock certificates for more than 10,000 shares or less than 10 shares, company capital of less than $1 million, low registration number (three digits or less)
5.Unissued (the printed date usually has a blank in it, such as 187_) – These are certificates that were never authorized, filled out and given to a share owner. They have usually come from storage and archives of the companies, banks and printers that were involved with the issuance process.
Some people prefer unissued documents because they often are in better condition than “used” certificates. Other collectors prefer issued ones because the names, writing and wear show they were held in people’s hands and used in commerce a century or more ago.
There are literally millions of permutations possible by crossing themes. For example, if your family can be traced to Philadelphia, you might collect issued, canceled (the word is usually spelled with one L, but not always), green certificates that have one or two digit registration numbers with portrait vignettes from the 1800′s.
Or, maybe not. If your family name is Miller, you could just buy Grandpa a “Millerstown Iron Company” stock certificate, have it framed and give it to him for Christmas. Guaranteed, he won’t get duplicates of that gift.
So you can decide on a theme(s), or just browse and absorb and maybe a theme will develop as you learn more about what’s available and what strikes that special cord in you.
If nothing else, you will find fascinating insights into the people and things that made this country.
About the Author
Larry Crain is a collector, author and dealer of Scripophily (the collecting of antique stock certificates). Visit Antique Stock Certificates Scripophily for images, values, other articles and research tools for old stock certificates. Old company and industry information can be found at Real Stock Histories.
Me shooting my grandpa’s old Remington .22
|
|
Rival 1042W Electric Food Slicer, White $49.99 Plain Blue 14 Inch Single Shade Bar Lamp – Silver hardware – The 1 shade lamp is the perfect addition to any Billiard room. Features Include:Hanging ChainsSilver Support StructureDurable Polyresin Shade ConstructionRegular household plug-in… |
|
|
Bronco rider Photo Mugs Cowboy riding a bronco on the western range. Printed color halftone reproduction of a Frederic Remington illustration…. |
|
|
Comanche on his pinto pony, 1800s Photo Mugs Comanche brave on horseback, 1800s. Hand-colored halftone of a Frederic Remington illustration…. |
|
|
Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming/Nelly Bly-Some Folks Say My Old Kentucky Home/Calm As The Night/Dreams Of Love Remington REP-86: Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming/Nelly Bly-Some Folks Say My Old Kentucky Home/Calm As The Night/Dreams Of Love by Remington Symphonette… |
|
|
Frontier Town Old Time Radio This unique old time radio CD collectible features 1 digitized reel of classic Frontier Town radio broadcasts and over 61 Minutes of total running time on 1 CD. Episode included is; Maverick Town. Take a journey back through radio broadcasting history with this large audio library of OTR memorabilia. The golden age of old time radio has been rescued, digitized, and packaged into a gift set that an… |
|
|
Remington Ride (Steel Solo)/ The Old Grey Goose 7″… |
|
|
Black & Decker MM1800 18-Inch 12 amp Corded Electric Lawn Mower $179.00 Black & Decker MM1800 18″ Rear Bag Mulching Lawn Mower Black & Decker MM1800 18″ Rear Bag Mulching Lawn Mower Features: Lightweight electric lawn mower is easy to maneuver and push Clean electric power means no oil, tune-ups or trips to the service station No-hassle instant lawn mower starting, every time High-performance 12 amp motor provides plenty of power for mulching or bagging 18″ three-in-o… |
|
|
Bernzomatic 19425 JT850 Self-Igniting 20,000 BTU Outdoor Torch $33.99 The BernzOmatic JT850 trigger-started outdoor torch is specifically designed to produce a high-output flame for a wide variety of outdoor uses. You can use this torch to burn off weeds and leaves, start barbecues and campfires, control insects, melt ice from walkways or patch asphalt cracks. This torch burns propane or mapp gas, and features an integrated trigger-start mechanism for quick flaming … |
|
|
Poulan Pro PP5020AV 20-Inch 50cc 2 Stroke Gas Powered Chain Saw With Carrying Case $199.99 Includes 50cc Gas 20-in Chain Saw with Case – PP5020AV, Owner’s Manual… |
|
|
Steele Crazy After All These Years $1.99 … |