~ OLD WEST HISTORY STORE ~
Authentic Early Western Mining Stock Certificates
~ Own a Piece of the Old West ~
*** New items posted on a regular basis
⛏ Click Images to Enlarge ⛏
USA
STOCK CERTIFICATES FROM OTHER STATES - Page 1
1908 THE ISIS GOLD MINING COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of the State of Iowa - Stock certificate issued to N. F. Baker for 5,150 shares. Principal Office, Lucas, Iowa. First certificate I have seen from this town. My research found no info about the company. There are coal deposits in Iowa but I have never heard of a paying gold mine there. Lucas, Iowa is also stamped in the corporate seal and printed on the date line. The line going through the Eagle at the bottom is NOT a tear - just a tight fold that was likely there when printed. The printer was the Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minnesota. Price - $75.00
1879 ESTELLA MINING COMPANY - Incorporated (in 1878) Under the Laws of the State of Wisconsin - Rare stock certificate issued to Edward S. Hunt for 500 shares valued at $25 each. Unique dog vignette. Signed by Henry Gormley as secretary and A. W. Kingsland as company president. Office at Chicago, Illinois.
Price - $149
1898 THE STANDARD GOLD MINING COMPANY of COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA - Incorporated (in 1897) Under the Laws of the State of Iowa - After much searching, I could find no reference to this company... which is kind of unusual. Must have been quite an obscure operation. The secretaries' signature looks familiar - I believe I have seen it on an old Colorado or Nevada mining certificate. Printed by the Rees Printing Co. Omaha. Price - $80.00
1894 ST. JOSEPH ARTESIAN ICE AND COLD STORAGE COMPANY - St. Joseph, Missouri - Organized by notable St. Joseph businessman Huston Wyeth, who signed this certificate as company president. The ice was transported by horse-drawn carts. Before the invention of the refrigerator, this is how people preserved food. Shares were valued at $100 each. Printed by Posegate Printing and Lithographing Co.
Price - $80.00
1908 ALMA CEMENT COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of the State of New Jersey - 100 share certificate issued to Theodore Greppo. Large vignette shows early workers unloading cement blocks from a train car. Price - $35.00
1860s THE ROBERTS PETROLEUM TORPEDO COMPANY - Beautiful unissued certificate with vignettes showing early oil rigs and a Roberts torpedo exploding in a well shaft. Prior to the invention of the oil well torpedo, oil wells produced only small quantities of oil for a short time. They had to be redrilled due to the build-up of paraffin and clay deposits. It was not until January 28th, 1865 when Col. Edward A. L. Roberts successfully discharged his eight pound torpedo, that oil production could be increased significantly. The torpedoes, which were lowered into the drilled wells, were filled with gunpowder, and ignited by a weight dropped along a suspension wire onto a percussion cap in the torpedo. In later models, the gunpowder was replaced by nitroglycerin. Oil well production increased over 40 fold as a result of Roberts invention. Modern torpedoes are still used today. In February, 1865 Col. Edward A. L. Roberts and his brother Walter formed the Roberts Petroleum Torpedo Company. Roberts was granted a patent that gave his company a virtual monopoly on all types of torpedos used in the oil industry.
Price - $165
1860 TENNESSEE ZINC COMPANY - Incorporated by the State of Tennessee in February of 1860 - Stock certificate issued to D. T. C. Peters of Lynchburg, Virginia for 300 shares worth $5 each. Pre Civil War zinc mine! Office in New York. Fancy corporate seal punched into lower-left. Stock # 17. Price - $95.00
1907 THE ELECTRIC GAS COMPANY OF AMERICA - Incorporated Under the Laws of the State of Maine - Issued for one share worth $25. Impressive Bald Eagle vignette. Company office at Hartford, Connecticut. Price - $42.00
18__ WAHNETAH LAND & IMPROVEMENT COMPANY - Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania. Contains 3 attractive vignettes showing an Indian Warrior, horses, and a woman resting in the woods. Unissued (Sources tell me this was an 1890s company) Price - $55.00
19__ TOMS RIVER POULTRY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION - Ocean County, New Jersey - The fine print reads 1922. Unissued.
Price - $44.00
1903 THE SPRINGFIELD MEXICAN MINING COMPANY - Incorporated (in 1903) Under the Laws of the Territory of Arizona - Mine located in the Ameca District of Mexico. Office at Union de Tula, Jalisco. Ore veins contained copper, silver and traces of gold. Shipped a small amount of high grade ore to Ameca and Guadalajara. E. A. Walsh, secretary and George F. Stericker, company president. Employed about 30 men. Stock certificate issued to Arthur Hay for 500 shares. Also had an office at Springfield, Illinois. Price - $69.00
186_ BLACKLICK & CONEMAUGH PETROLEUM & MINING COMPANY - Ebensburg, Pennsylvania - Beautiful very early certificate. Contains 3 detailed vignettes. My favorite is the one on the left, showing an early prospector and his dog. Unissued but signed by company president. (1860s)
Price - $79.00
1918 LAMPAZOS SILVER MINES COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of Delaware - 100 share certificate issued to George Graham Rice, who was a well-known nevada promoter / swindler. This was one of many stock scams he ran over the years. His actual signature is on the reverse. The Lampazos property was said to be near Sonora, Mexico.
Price - $75.00
1907 GREENE GOLD SILVER COMPANY - Incorporated in West Virginia - Founded by William Cornell Greene. The mines were 45 miles south of the Arizona border at Chihuahua, Mexico. Price - $55.00
1902 FARMERS CREAMERY COMPANY OF ATLANTIC, IOWA - Stock certificate issued for one share worth $50. Large, shiny-gold corporate seal clearly punched into the lower-left. Atlantic, Iowa printed on the date line and stamped in the seal. Signed by O. W. Brown as secretary and H. T. Pickrell, company president. Cass County.
Price - $49.00
1921 OLD DOMINION OIL COMPANY of HOUSTON TEXAS - Incorporated (in 1919) Under the Laws of the State of Texas - Impressive large gushing well on left side. Produced oil in the Breckenridge District. Signed by O. L. Pardue as president and J. A. Chaffe as company secretary. Printed in Houston as well. Price - $75.00
1907 AMERICAN TELEGRAPHONE COMPANY - Incorporated and Registered (in 1903) Under the Laws of the United States for the District of Columbia - Stock certificate issued to Frank Hosier for one share worth $10. Bright-red corporate seal. The Telegraphone was an early sound recording machine. Price - $75.00
1916 BIG VEIN POCAHONTAS COMPANY - Incorporated (in 1914) Under the Laws of the State of West Virginia - This company owned coal and timberlands in both Virginia and West Virginia. Stock certificate issued to James S. Garrett for 600 shares worth $10 each. Signed by H. H. Heiner as president and John J. Sheehan, company secretary. Affixed to the reverse are (8) red 5 cent internal revenue stamps - series of 1914. Price - $65.00
1880s THE UNITY MINING COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of the State of Maine - MINES AT UNITY, MAINE (printed at top) - Large stock certificate with a spectacular mining vignette. Very few stocks are this elaborate. The Unity MC formed in 1880 after (what was thought to be) a gold discovery. This "gold" turned out to be Iron Pyrite... also known as "Fools Gold". I wonder how much stock was sold before the truth came out? Waldo County, Maine. Due to the certificates size, I could not fit it entirely on my scanner, so part of the right side is not shown in the scan above. It is complete. Printed by Dresser, McLellan & Co. Stationers, Portland, ME. Unissued. Dated 188_ Price - $150
1920 L. R. STEEL COMPANY, INC. - Incorporated (in 1919) Under the Laws of the State of Delaware - This was NOT a company that produced steel... as I first thought. It was started by Leonard R. Steel, to fund a variety of chain stores. From what I could gather in my research, it was an all-around shady operation. The description of what the capital was to be used for was vague at best. It was referred to as a "highly speculative enterprise", apparently intended to bring in as much money as possible with little or no payout to investors. This stock certificate was signed by L. R. Steel himself as company president. Price - $49.00
1860s THE AMERICAN SUBMARINE COMPANY - Incorporated (in 1864) Under the Laws of the State of New York - This company started construction on a Civil War submersible in 1863. It was named the Intelligent Whale. The U. S. Navy did formal testing in 1872 and declared it "utterly useless as an instrument of warfare". This failed submarine is currently displayed at the National Guard Militia Museum in Sea Girt, New Jersey. I encourage you to Google for a more complete history. Impressive vignette on left side shows an early sailing ship. Bright-red seal. Shares were valued at $10 each. Unissued. Dated 18__
SELDOM-SEEN PIECE OF CIVIL WAR HISTORY! Price - $350
1926 WRIGLEY PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY - Incorporated (in 1920) Under the Laws of the State of Delaware. Certificate issued to J. E. Fairbank for 10 shares. Vignette shows one of this companies first products - Spearmint Toothpaste. Most notable is that it is hand-signed by well-known druggist and entrepreneur, W. W. Wrigley. The signature is bold, dark and uncancelled. I encourage you to Google for the complete company history. SCARCE.
Price - $275
1904 BROOKPARK LUMBER COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of the State of Minnesota. Certificate issued for 10 shares worth $100 each. Office at Minneapolis, Minnesota (stamped in corporate seal). The Brookpark Lumber Company operated a sawmill on the east bank of the Chickasawhay River - Enterprise, Clarke County, Mississippi. E. J. Swahn, president. Price - $49.00
1909 THE MINNEAPOLIS ELKS BUILDING COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of Minnesota - Stock certificate #13 issued to Carl G. Schober for 3 shares worth $50 each. Attractive green seal. Impressive Bull Elk vignette. Signed by D. H. Dorman as secretary. Price - $49.00
1913 NORTHWESTERN ORNAMENTAL IRON AND BRONZE COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of Minnesota - Issued to Chas. Gluek for 100 shares valued at $100 each... so at the time of issue, it was worth $10,000. Shiny-gold corporate seal. Office at Minneapolis, Minnesota. Price - $49.00
1883 CASS COUNTY PORK PACKING COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of the State of Iowa - ATLANTIC, IOWA printed in large text. Stock certificate issued for two shares valued at $100 each. Corporate seal punched clearly into left side. Signed by J. A. McWaid as secretary and J. H. Needles, company president. Price - $69.00
1912 THE CERTIGUE MINING AND DREDGING COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of the State of South Dakota - Ornate stock certificate issued to H. M. Chase for 200 shares. Placer gold mining operation located in western Colombia, South America. Named after the Certigue River, where the gold dredges were located. Vignettes show local people panning for gold along the rivers edge, an early gold dredge and the large train of buckets used to feed the dredge. Price - $79.00
1897 THE ROCKWOOD GOLD MINING COMPANY - Incorporated (in 1897) Under the Laws of the State of Maine - Stock certificate #1, issued to company president, William T. Rockwood for one share. Bright, shiny-gold corporate seal punched into lower-left. W. T. Rockwood was a prominent person of Saratoga Springs, New York. He was involved in various business ventures, including mining and banking. He was vice president of a large federal bank. His portrait is shown on the certificate. Also signed by his son, Nash Rockwood as treasurer. Office at Portland, Maine. Printed by the Boston Bank Note & Litho Co. Price - $225
1878 ALTAR GOLD AND SILVER MINING COMPANY - Incorporated Feb. 6th, 1878 in San Francisco, California - Stock certificate issued to company president, Fred R. Webster for 50 shares worth $100 each. F. A. McGee, secretary. This rich gold and silver mine was located in the Altar Mining District - State of Sonora, Mexico. The company purchased a 30 horse-power engine and 10-stamp mill for crushing the ore. Most of the company stock was owned by eastern (U.S.) capitalists. The ore was said to assay from $100 to $1,000 and over per ton. At the time it was the largest and most important mine in the Altar District. Unique vignette shows an Altar with candles on both sides. Printed by Lith Britton , Rey & Co. S. F. *** RARE *** Price - $275
1894 EL REFUGIO MINING AND MILLING COMPANY of OMAHA, NEBRASKA - Organized Under the Laws of the State of Nebraska - Shiny silver seal. Stock certificate issued to W. S. McCornick for 3,000 shares worth $2 each. William Sylvester McCornick was an important figure in Utah history. He was a banker, mining magnate and promoter of railroads. Signed by Louis Schroeder as secretary and John A. Creighton, company president. My research indicated the company had mines in Mexico and "elsewhere". Unique and very detailed vignette shows early miners and a farm scene. Price - $225
1918 WYNES PAPER PRODUCTS COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of Minnesota - Ornate stock certificate issued to Louis Gluek for 41 & 7/10 shares worth $10 each. This company operated in Minneapolis, MN. Notice the Native American motif to the right and left of the title. J. Sidney Green, secretary. Price - $49.00
1900 PLAYA DE ORO MINING COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of the State of Kentucky - Stock certificate issued to Caroline P. Atkinson for 10 shares valued at $100 each. Unique vignette showing an early hydraulic gold mining operation in the mountains. This mine was located in Ecuador, South America. Printed by the Franklin Bank Note Company, New York. Price - $110
1926 BURTON CHRISTMAS CORPORATION - Incorporated (in April of 1926) Under the Laws of the State of Texas - Fort Worth, Texas printed beneath the title, on the date line and stamped in the corporate seal. Star in center of seal. Stock certificate issued to F. E. Collins for 10 shares. I believe this company prospected for oil deposits. Caption beneath picture reads: The Alidade, the Geologist's Valuable Instrument Used in the Discovery of Oil. Signed by A. J. Burton as secretary and Burton (or Benton?) Christmas, company president. This obscure company went out of business a year later, in April of 1927. Very interesting stock! Price - $150
1907 POTO GOLD DREDGING COMPANY - Incorporated (in 1906) Under the Laws of the State of Maine - Fancy title with clouds in the background. Stock certificate issued to Edward J. Robbins for 100 shares worth $5 each. Great vignette showing an early gold dredge. Price - $120
1892 ADDIE MAY MINING COMPANY OF GEORGIA - Incorporated (in 1892) Under the Laws of the State of Maine - This was a gold mining operation at New England City, Dade County, Georgia. Stock certificates from this region are always tough to find. Issued to George L. Church for 25 shares valued at $100 each. Shiny-gold seal. Signed by Walter L. Emery as president. Larger than average certificate. Uncommon mining vignette. Price - $195
1913 HIGH C LIME COMPANY - Incorporated March 10th, 1913 Under the Laws of the State of Pennsylvania - Stock# 12, issued to Sarah Stoner for 1 share valued at $100. Rheems, Pennsylvania stamped in the ornate company seal and printed on the date line. Here is an excerpt from my research: "Buying, owning and operating real estate, stone and lime properties, and the manufacture and sale of lime, crushed stone and ballast and by-products". Signed by W. L. Heisey as president. Lancaster County.
It occurred to me while researching that the presidents' last name "Heisey" sounds a lot like "High C". I wonder if this is how the company name came to be? Price - $55.00
1881 THE NORTH EASTERN GOLD AND SILVER MINING COMPANY - Incorporated Under the Laws of the State of New York - Ornate stock certificate issued to Elizabeth Belknap for 200 shares worth $10 each. Signed by George H. Atwood as secretary and James E. Bloomer, company president. Price - $175