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CALIFORNIA STOCK CERTIFICATES - Page 1
1920 GOLDEN HORSESHOE MINING COMPANY - Incorporated (in 1910) Under the Laws of Arizona - Stock certificate #16, issued to company treasurer, A. J. C. Oddie for 70,000 shares worth 10 cents each. Manuel Berdu, president. What a great name for a gold mine! This operation was located at Horseshoe Bend on the Middle Fork of the Feather River, 12 miles south of the town of Quincy, California. Plumas County. Impressive vignette shows a Bald Eagle with wings spread. Printed by The Broun-Green Co. N.Y. Price - $85.00
1916 THE SHASTA MAY BLOSSOM COPPER COMPANY, CONSOLIDATED - Incorporated May 26th, 1903 Under the Laws of Arizona - Principal Office, Phoenix, Arizona (printed beneath center vignette). Issued to one of the company directors, May B. Lindley for 5,000 shares. Center image shows Mt. Shasta in California. The property was known as the Keith group of mining claims, located 13 miles from a railway and 27 miles NE of Redding, CA, in the Pittsburgh or Copper City district. Ore produced copper, silver and gold. Also had offices at Fruitvale and Winthrop, California. The town of Del Mar was mentioned in my research as well. Signed by Frank J. Golden as president. Price - $95.00
1851 AVE MARIA GOLD QUARTZ MINE, MARIPOSA, CALIFORNIA - Five share stock certificate, issued just three years after the initial discovery of gold at Sutters Mill, which started the great California Gold Rush! Printed on onion skin paper, using attractive blue ink. This was a British company which owned the mine. "The rich quartz veins were located on a bluff above the junction of the Ave Maria and Mariposa Rivers, some 1.5 miles southeast of the Mariposa Township on land leased for 7 years from Colonel Fremont by Thomas Denny Sargent." The only legible signature reads Richard Ward. (Date on reverse) Price - $250
1916 AFTERTHOUGHT COPPER COMPANY - Incorporated (in 1909) Under the Laws of the Territory (Now State) of Arizona - Stock certificate issued to Benjamin Stoner for 98 & 3/10 shares. Ingot, California printed at date line. This copper, zinc, silver, gold mine was located near Ingot in Shasta County. Cow Creek Mining District. Signed by George L. Porter as company president. SOLD
1926 ALLEGHANY MORNING GLORY MINING COMPANY - Incorporated (in 1919) Under the Laws of the State of Nevada - Principal Place of Business, Reno, Nevada - Mines at Alleghany, California (printed at top). Stock certificate issued to Roger Throop Vaughan for 500 shares worth 10 cents each. Property consisted of the Morning Glory Mine and 3 claims in the Forest District, 31 miles NE of Nevada City. Sierra County, California. Located near the Tightner Mine and contained rich gold ore. Signed by G. V. Ward as secretary and A. A. Codd, company president. Detailed vignette showing an early gold mine. In the foreground you can see miners sitting on sacks of ore loaded on train cars. Price - $60.00
190_ CALIFORNIA NAVIGATION & IMPROVEMENT COMPANY - Stockton, California - Large, panoramic vignette showing early sailboats and steamships. Also interesting is there are names on some of the boats: Mary Garratt, J. D. Peters, T. C. Walker, J. R. McDonald. Unissued (Early 1900s) Price - $72.00
1878 HANDLY MINING COMPANY - Early stock certificate #12, issued just 5 days after incorporation. The company offered $10 million in Capital Stock. This certificate was issued for a whopping 21,900 shares valued at $100 each... so at the time of issue it was worth over $2 million!!! BODIE DISTRICT - MONO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA printed in lower-right corner. The Handly Mine was located between the Goodshaw and the Bodie claims. It was one of the earliest claims at Bodie. The ore contained $300 - $400 in gold per ton (in 1878 dollars). Signed by Edward F. Stone as secretary and Clinton Gurnee, company president. Office at San Francisco, California. Printed by Lith. Britton & Rey of San Francisco. RARE. Price - $1,200
1913 WESTERN AMERICAN REALTY COMPANY - San Francisco, California. Issued to The William Carson Estate Company for 3 shares worth $100 each. Price - $39.00
1881 ALASKA MINING COMPANY - Incorporated July 31st, 1875 - MINES NEAR PIKE CITY, SIERRA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. Issued to Philip L. Horn for 10 shares worth $100 each. Vignette shows a group of Native Americans at waters edge. The Alaska Lode was originally located in 1863. This was a gold / quartz mine. The gold was only .740 fine but there were considerable quantities of paying ore. Office at San Francisco, California. VERY RARE stock certificate! Price - $395
1908 SALT LAKE CALIFORNIA COPPER COMPANY - Incorporated (in 1907) in Utah with an office in Salt Lake City. Also had an office at Smith River, Del Norte County, California. W. Mont Ferry was president and J. H. Turner secretary. Had 10 mining claims near Smith River in the Low Divide District, just 12 miles from the coast of California. The property was first worked from 1857 - 1867 and was one of the first copper mines on the Pacific coast. The ore contained copper, gold and silver. Issued to L. B. McCornick.
Price - $69.00
1883 THE SANCHEZ AND SOLEDAD CONSOLIDATED GOLD AND SILVER MINING COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of California - San Bernardino County. Ore from this mine assayed from $20 - $1,000 per ton. The veins contained some free gold and hornsilver. Property located on the north side of Soledad Butte, about 4 miles southwest of Mojave. The first settlement in this area was moved each time a new discovery was made - it was known as "Soledad City". Issued at Los Angeles. Signed by James Noel as president. Mojave Mining District. RARE CERTIFICATE.
Price - $350
1903 POTOMAC OIL COMPANY - Incorporated (in 1901) Under the Laws of the Territory of Arizona - Very impressive certificate. My research indicates that the actual Potomac Oil Company properties were located in California. Offices at Los Angeles, California. Price - $85.00
1900 SAN DOMINGO GOLD MINING COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of the State of California, April 2nd, 1898 - Stock certificate issued for 100 shares worth $10 each. This was a Calaveras County, California hydraulic gold mine. Picture shows early miners operating high-pressure water hoses, washing down gravel from the hillsides to wooden sluices at the bottom, where the placer gold is concentrated. The company directors were H. P. Veeder as secretary and A. B. Thompson, president. Corporate seal punched near center. Office at San Francisco, CA. Price - $75.00
1902 EXPOSED TREASURE MINING COMPANY - Incorporated (in 1901) Under the Laws of the State of New York - Stock certificate issued to Joseph Allen Fuller for 500 shares valued at $5 each. Exceptional vignette. Mine located in the Mojave Mining District, Kern County, California. Signed by M. J. Goodenough as company secretary and Elijah R. Kennedy, president. Printed by the American Bank Note Company, New York. Price - $195
1905 NORTH AMERICA CONSOLIDATED GOLD MINING COMPANY - Incorporated (Oct. 10th, 1903) Under the Laws of the State of California - Large stock certificate with spectacular vignette, showing an early hydraulic gold mining operation. Office at San Jose, CA. Worked claims at Hepsidam, Gibsonville Mining District, California. Signed by S. P Hatcher as secretary and J. R. Kocher, company president. Issued to Serena M. Fletcher for 500 shares. It was too large for my scanner so I took a photo.
Price - $495
1906 FURNACE CREEK OXIDE COPPER COMPANY - Incorporated (in 1906) Under the Laws of the Territory of Arizona - Mine located at Greenwater, Inyo County, California. Stock certificate issued to Ida Severne for 100 shares worth $5 each. Vignette shows four early prospectors filling a wheelbarrow with ore. Harry M. Bradhurst, vice president. Printed by the American Bank Note Co., New York. Price - $89.00
1889 ORIENT GOLD PLACER MINING COMPANY - Incorporated May 3rd, 1879 - Principal Place of Business, North San Juan, Nevada County, California. Object, Placer Mining in the County of Sierra, California. Stock certificate #41, issued for 100 shares worth $100 each. Original stub still attached to left side. Price - $175
1929 SUNSET PACIFIC OIL COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of the State of Delaware - Stock certificate issued to Frank Hosier for 10 shares. Vignette shows an extensive west coast oil field along the waters edge. The Sunset Pacific was a consolidation of the Julian Petroleum and California-Eastern Oil companies. Offices at Los Angeles, California. Mildred Murphy, company secretary. Printed by the Jeffries Bank Note Company of Los Angeles (I have not seen this printer before) Price - $39.00
1923 ARTESIA OIL COMPANY OF CALIFORNIA - Incorporated (in 1922) Under the Laws of California - Issued to Frank Hosier for 5 shares worth $10 each. Contains three detailed vignettes showing gushing oil wells. Price - $39.00
1881 THE NEW YORK UNDERCURRENT MINING COMPANY OF CALIFORNIA - Incorporated in 1880 - Stock certificate #18. Issued for 100 shares valued at $5 each. Signed by W. Howard Gilder as secretary. I found no reference to this company in my research so I'm guessing it was a short-lived operation. Office at New York. Printed by Francis Hart & Co. NY. Price - $89.00
1911 TRINITY GOLD MINING AND REDUCTION COMPANY - Incorporated February of 1909 Under the Laws of the Territory of Arizona - Attractive over-sized certificate issued to H. W. Miller Inc. for 2,021 shares. Corporate seal punched into lower-left. Another seal is punched over the center vignette which reads: H. W. Miller Incorporated 1904 New York. Mine Office: Carrville, Trinity County, California. Officers: Henry W. Miller, president and James H. Lee, company secretary. Owned 498 acres, 323 patented, including the Headlight Mine in the Trinity Center Mining District, 1 and 1/2 miles southeast of Carrville. The company also owned 115 acres of timber land. Ore contained copper, sulphur, gold and silver. Price - $79.00
1860s PACIFIC GUANO COMPANY - Incorporated in June of 1858 - This was a very early fertilizer company. Guano (bird and bat dung) were mined from extensive deposits on Johnston Island (now known as Johnston Atoll) and shipped to the west coast to be sold to fertilize fields in the United States. By 1890, the guano deposits were almost entirely depleted. A complete company history can be found by using Google. Office at San Francisco, California. The shares were offered at a whopping $500 each. Stock certificate printed by Buswell & Co. Printers. Unissued. (Dated 186_) Certainly an unusual piece for your California historical collection! Price - $265
1902 SEDALIA & CALIFORNIA OIL COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of the State of California, USA. Sedalia, California is stamped in the shiny-gold corporate seal. What is unusual about this certificate is that the "BEARER" is owner of 5 shares. Price - $59.00
1931 WEST TULARE LAND COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of California October 24th, 1921 - Stock certificate #44, issued to W. G. Seibel for one share worth $100. Corporate seal punched at bottom center. Signed by A. C. Mohr as secretary. Price - $39.00
1883 THE SOUTH PACIFIC MINING COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of the State of New York - 100 share stock certificate issued to E. B. Johnson. Mine located at Salt Spring, California - Salt Creek Mining District - Death Valley. Signed by James F. Oliver as company president. Printed by the Homer Lee Bank Note Co. N.Y. Impressive vignette shows early miners working in tunnels underground. The left side shows men using a rock drill and pickax and the right side shows men loading two ore carts while a horse waits to pull the load out. Also notable are the unusual engravings in the four corners of the certificate. Price - $250
1898 THE CASH ROCK GRAVEL MINING COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of the State of Colorado, June 10th, 1897 - Stock certificate issued to Emma V. Anderson for 100 shares. Printed on yellow paper. Round vignette shows a steep-sided river gorge. I did find one short reference to this company stating it was involved in mining, milling and real estate. Placer County, California. Had offices in Denver and San Francisco. Corporate seal punched into right side. Price - $79.00
1858 TUOLUMNE COUNTY WATER COMPANY - Incorporated September 4th, 1852 - Early California gold rush document issued just 10 years after the original James Marshall gold discovery at Sutter's Mill on the American River in 1848.
This company was organized to develope and conserve water of the Stanislaus River and channel this water with ditches and flumes to the various placer gold mining operations near the town of Columbia in Tuolumne County, California.
Stock certificate issued for one share valued at a whopping $250 each. This would have been quite an investment in 1858! Spectacular, detailed vignette on left side shows early miners working different types of wooden sluices and flumes of the era. Signed by Joseph Pownall as secretary and J. McChesney company president. Printed by Lith. Britton & Rev, San Francisco.
Price - $425
1879 CALIFORNIA DREDGING AND MINING COMPANY - Incorporated April 27th, 1877 - Certificate issued to company secretary, O. S. Buckingham for 150 shares valued at $100 each, so at the time of issue, this document was worth $15,000. This early gold dredging operation worked the Feather River near Oroville, California. Butte County. Corporate seal punched into left side. Printed in shiny-gold ink so it looks better in person. The fine light green background design is actually some of the earliest security print I have seen. I was unaware the technology to print such an intricate pattern was available way back then. Signed by Chas. H. Swain as president. Office at San Francisco, CA. Price - $120
1881 THE GOLD STRIPE MINING COMPANY OF CALIFORNIA - Incorporated (in 1880) Under the Laws of the State of New York - Issued to Rowland S. King for 100 shares worth $10 each. Pink background design. GREENVILLE, PLUMAS COUNTY printed beneath title.
Price - $185
1870s DIAMONDVILLE BLUE GRAVEL MINING COMPANY - Incorporated May 1st, 1875 - Small vignette on left side shows an early hydraulic gold mining operation in the mountains. Location: Diamondville, Butte County, California. Diamondville was located 6 miles west of Paradise, California. According to my research, Diamondville no longer exists. It was originally named after James Diamond. The gold mines in this area were worked primarily by Chinese immigrants. This company offered 3200 shares valued at $25 each. Office at Dayton, California. Certificate printed by Bacon & Company, Printers, San Francisco. Unissued. (Dated 187_)
Price - $65.00
1896 LARKIN MINING COMPANY - Incorporated April 15th, 1896 - Ornate title and background. Stock certificate #26, issued for 50 shares worth $2 each. This was a gold / quartz lode mine in El Dorado County, California. Located 1/2 mile east of Diamond Springs and 3 & 1/2 miles south of Placerville. Corporate seal punched into lower-right corner. Office at San Francisco.
Price - $120
1860s PORTER GOLD AND SILVER MINING COMPANY - Incorporated August 24th, 1863 - Butte County, California (printed at top). Unique vignette shows a miners cabin and possibly a small farm. People on horseback can also be seen. This very early operation offered 3,000 shares of stock worth $100 each. Inskip Mining District. Office at San Francisco, California. Unissued. (Dated 186_)
Price - $80.00
1890s EXCELSIOR DRIFT GOLD MINING COMPANY - Incorporated Sept. 7th, 1887 - Location of Works, Sierra County, California. Principal Place of Business, Sacramento. Shares valued at 20 cents each. Nice little vignette shows an early ore mill.
Greenwood Mining District.
Here is a bit of info I found about the Excelsior Drift: Incorporated at Sierra City, California by all local Sierra men. This drift mine was formerly known as the "Deacon Long Claim", and is situated between the Caledonia, and Cornet Companies' claims in Cedar Grove, near St. Louis and Grass Flat, on the gravel channel between Howland Flat and Scales' Diggings. This channel, sometimes known as the Port Wine or Eastern Slate Creek Basin Gravel Channel, Has been successfully washed by numerous companies, above and below the Excelsior, ever since 1850, and has yielded more than $40,000,000 in gold.
Unissued but signed by the company president. Printed by Crocker & Co. Printers, Sacramento, CA. (Dated 189_) Price - $55.00
1913 CHANNEL PEAK MINING COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of the State of California - This was a gold mine located in Plumas County, California, in the Edmanton Mining District. The claim was on Spanish Peak at an elevation of 7,045 feet. Signed by P. E. Daniels as president. Office at Los Angeles, California.
Price - $75.00
1899 THE CALIFORNIA COPPER COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of the State of West Virginia - 100 share stock certificate issued to John Turnbull. This name caught my eye right away since I have seen his signature on a number of early Homestake Mining Company (Lead, Dakota) stocks as well. Vignette shows miners underground using air-powered drills and another swinging a pickaxe. F. L. Underwood, president and Laidlaw & Co., Registrar. Office at New York. The company operated a number of copper mines in California. Printed by the Franklin Lee Bank Note Co., NY. Price - $149.00
1903 GOLD TUNNEL MINING COMPANY - Incorporated (in 1902) Under the Laws of Arizona - Issued to Harriet M. Bicknell for 100 shares. MINES AND WORKS AT NEVADA CITY, NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. This was known as the Gold Tunnel Lode. The ore was crushed in a 4-stamp mill located on the property and contained $12-$14 worth of gold per ton (in early 1900s dollars). Signed by Henry C. Siegmann as president and H. H. Douglas, company treasurer. Printed by the New York Bank Note Co. Price - $89.00