Thursday, September 30, 2010

About the International Bond and Share Society

The Society was founded in 1978 as a non-profit organization with the aim to promote, encourage and develop all aspects of scripophily -- an activity dedicated to the collecting, study, and research of historic securities such as bonds, shares, stock certificates and other documents of financial nature.

The IBSS has members in more than 50 countries on all continents. The largest groups are located in the United States, Great Britain and Germany.

The Society is funded exclusively from contributions of its members.

For more information visit the IBSS web site, http://www.scripophily.org or call George LaBarre at 1-800-717-9529.

George H. LaBarre Galleries - Collectible Stocks and Bonds
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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

August Belmont Signed German Check

August Belmont, Sr. (December 8, 1813 – November 24, 1890) was born in Alzey, Hesse, to a Jewish family. He immigrated to New York City in 1837 after becoming the American representative of the Rothschild family's banking house in Frankfurt.

Excellent condition August Belmont signed German Check

Country: Germany
State(s): New York
Years: 1880-83
Dresden Bank in Dresden, Germany. Signed by August Belmont and payable in Reichsmarks.

For more information visit our web site, http://www.glabarre.com, or call George LaBarre at 1-800-717-9529.

George H. LaBarre Galleries - Collectible Stocks and Bonds
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Sunday, September 26, 2010

Collectible Mexican Note


A scarce, 100 Pesos note with attached revenue stamp. Year, 1910: Ferrocarril Mexicano Del Centro, S.a.

For more information visit our web site, http://www.glabarre.com, or call George LaBarre at 1-800-717-9529.

George H. LaBarre Galleries - Collectible Stocks and Bonds
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Friday, September 24, 2010

Collecting Financial History

A large part of scripophily is the area of financial history. Over the years there have been millions of companies which needed to raise money for their business. In order to do so, the founders of these companies issued securities, either as an issued equity security in the form of stock or a debt security in the form of a bond.

However, there are many varieties of equity and debt instruments. They can be common stock, preferred stock, warrants, cumulative preferred stocks, bonds, zero coupon bonds, long term bonds (over 400 years) and any combination thereof.

Each certificate is a piece of history about a company and its business. Some companies became major successes, while others were acquired and merged with other companies. Some companies and industries were successful until they were replaced by new technologies. The color, paper, signatures, dates, stamps, cancellations, borders, pictures, vignettes, industry, stock broker, name of company, transfer agent, printer, and holder name all add to the uniqueness of the hobby.

Many companies either were never successful or went bankrupt, so that their certificates became worthless pieces of paper until the hobby of scripophily began.

For more information visit our web site, http://www.glabarre.com, or call George LaBarre at 1-800-717-9529.

George H. LaBarre Galleries - Collectible Stocks and Bonds
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Reprinted with permission from International Bond & Share Society

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

J. Edgar Hoover Portrait & Christmas Card

John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972.

Hoover is credited with building the FBI into a large and efficient crime-fighting agency, and with instituting a number of modern innovations to police technology, such as a centralized fingerprint file and forensic laboratories.

This is an exquisite signed portrait of J. Edgar Hoover and a Christmas card with printed signature.

Condition: Excellent

Monday, September 20, 2010

Collectible Military Payment Certificate

This is a lovely, uncirculated, collectible Military Payment Certificate Series 651 $10 Issued. PMG 65.
Issue date: April 28, 1969.

Exquisite detail and artwork!

For more information visit our web site, http://www.glabarre.com, or call George LaBarre at 1-800-717-9529.

George H. LaBarre Galleries - Collectible Stocks and Bonds
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Saturday, September 18, 2010

The Scripophily Guide

Serious scripophily collectors should pick up a copy of Howard Shakespeare's, The Scripophily Guide. I will be culling select passage in upcoming blogs (with permission of the publisher) to make this valuable information available to you.

Howard Shakespeare began collecting bonds and shares in 1983, and soon became Membership Secretary of the Bond & Share Society, and later its chairman. He served as editor (and writer) of International Bond & Share Society's Journal (now Scripophily) and wrote the Society's first Guide for Collectors in 1990.

For more information visit our web site, http://www.glabarre.com, or call George LaBarre at 1-800-717-9529.

George H. LaBarre Galleries - Collectible Stocks and Bonds
http://www.glabarre.com

Reprinted with permission from International Bond & Share Society

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Collectible Reo Motor Car Stock

Ransom Eli Olds (1864-1950), Automobile Manufacturer. In 1885 he bought an interest in his father’s machine shop and after much experimentation, he produced his first “horseless carriage,” a three-wheeled, steam-powered vehicle whose first test drive roused a terrible commotion in the neighborhood. He later established the basic pattern for the Detroit automobile industry.

In 1904, Olds organized the Reo Motor Car Company. President until 1924 and Chairman until 1936.
Great 1916 stock with Olds signing at front as President. Nice signature, lightly hole cancelled. Excellent condition.

For more information visit our web site, http://www.glabarre.com, or call George LaBarre at 1-800-717-9529.

George H. LaBarre Galleries - Collectible Stocks and Bonds
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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Edwin Denison Morgan Autograph

Edwin Denison Morgan, (1811-1883), merchant, banker, New York legislator, and U.S. Senator.



He signs this NY State Military Appointment dated 1859 and engraved by Danforth, Wright & Co. Minor irregular toning otherwise excellent condition. Rare!!

For more information visit our web site, http://www.glabarre.com, or call George LaBarre at 1-800-717-9529.

George H. LaBarre Galleries - Collectible Stocks and Bonds
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Sunday, September 12, 2010

Collectible Automotive Stock Collection

A great collection of 5 automotive stocks and bonds and 5 prints for the 1900s. Includes Ford International Capital Corporation, General Motors, Packard Motors, Reo Motor Car, and Studebaker-Packard.

All appropriate for framing with these great graphics and colorful prints!

Condition: Excellent

For more information visit our web site, http://www.glabarre.com, or call George LaBarre at 1-800-717-9529.

George H. LaBarre Galleries - Collectible Stocks and Bonds
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Friday, September 10, 2010

1913 Chinese Reorganization Bonds

Imperial Chinese Government Hukuang Railways bonds are well-nigh ubiquitous in the marketplace. They were issued in 1911 by a consortium of banks in London, Berlin, Paris and New York, with serial numbers running into the six digits, of which hundreds if not thousands appear to have survived. A few bear New York State adhesive revenue stamps; shown here is a New York issue £100 bond with Secured Debt $1 and Investments $1 stamps paying New York’s Investments tax in 1917 and 1918; this secured for the bondholder exemption from that state’s onerous personal property tax.

In an effort to rebuild China's financial structure, the Chinese government issued bonds in four major world currencies: French, Russian, German and British (francs, rubles, marks and pound-sterling). The 1913 Chinese bonds were risky. They were issued only two years after centuries of rule by Chinese dynasties ended when a group of rebel warlords seized power.

The new government, in turn, succumbed to the Chinese communists led by Mao Zedong in the late 1940s.

China, 1913, Blue-Red. £100 5% Reorganization Gold Loan Bond, German Bank Issued. Uncancelled. 42-43 Coupons. Many coupons. Coupon bonds of this era are generally large and spectacular—American bonds typically measure about 10 by 15 inches—but this one sets new standards on both scores. Important to stress that these bonds have been bought up in recent years and pretty much taken off the market. As a result prices have risen rather dramatically. Excellent Condition!!! Price upon request.

For more information visit our web site, http://www.glabarre.com, or call George LaBarre at 1-800-717-9529.

George H. LaBarre Galleries - Collectible Stocks and Bonds
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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Collectible Mexican Bond Signed López de Santa Anna

Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón (21 February 1794 – 21 June 1876), often known as Santa Anna or López de Santa Anna, was a Mexican political leader, general and President who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government. He first fought against the independence from Spain, and then supported it. He rose to the ranks of general and president at various times over a turbulent 40-year career. He was President of Mexico on seven non-consecutive occasions over a period of 22 years. Santa Anna boldly signs this extremely graphic bond.

This bond is, without doubt, the most impressive and ornate of all autographed stock or bonds. This $500 bond was issued in 1866 from New York City while Santa Anna was living in exile. While he schemed to depose Emperor Maximilian, he issued these bonds in hopes of regaining power. In these attempts, he was captured and sentenced to death. Still, he was released and allowed to retire to New York and later when blind, he died in poverty and neglect.

Of course, we remember him because of his success over the Texans at the Alamo and later his defeat and capture by Sam Houston at San Jacinto in 1836. Found in an old leather container in Texas, this Santa Anna signed American bond is fully issued, uncancelled, has no folds, has full margins and is in Superb condition.

For more information visit our web site, http://www.glabarre.com, or call George LaBarre at 1-800-717-9529.

George H. LaBarre Galleries - Collectible Stocks and Bonds
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Monday, September 6, 2010

Zimbabwe Trillion Dollar Notes

The dollar is the official currency of Zimbabwe, although due to massive inflation, dollarization has meant other currencies are frequently used for transactions in Zimbabwe instead.

The Zimbabwean dollar is subdivided into 100 cents. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively Z$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is also one of the lowest-valued currencies in the world.

The first Zimbabwean dollar was introduced in 1980 and replaced the Rhodesian dollar at par. At the time of its introduction, the Zimbabwean dollar was worth more than the U.S. dollar, with ZWD 1 = USD 1.47. However, the currency's value eroded rapidly over the years. On 26 July 2006, the parallel market value of the Zimbabwean dollar fell to one million to the British pound.

The Zimbabwean dollar is now largely irrelevant with the economy being almost completely dollarised. Even the national postal service, Zimpost, is said to be charging customers postage in US Dollars, even though some of the stamps are in Zimbabwean Dollar denomination. “Zimbabwe finance minister, Tendai Biti, said in his first budget report, "The death of the Zimbabwe dollar is a reality we have to live with. Since October 2008 our national currency has become moribund."

On April 12, 2009, media outlets reported that economic planning minister Elton Mangoma has announced the suspension of the local currency "for at least a year", effectively terminating the fourth dollar.

Set includes 10, 20, 50, and 100 Trillion Dollar notes.
Condition: C.U.
Year: 2008

For more information visit our web site, http://www.glabarre.com, or call George LaBarre at 1-800-717-9529.

George H. LaBarre Galleries - Collectible Stocks and Bonds
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Saturday, September 4, 2010

December Oil Company

December Oil Company collectible stock certificate. Venango County. Printed by Ives, Phil. Very Rare Black-Red. Nice! Only 1 available!

State: Pennsylvania
Year: 1865

For more information visit our web site, http://www.glabarre.com, or call George LaBarre at 1-800-717-9529.

George H. LaBarre Galleries - Collectible Stocks and Bonds
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Thursday, September 2, 2010

New York and Long Branch Railroad Company

A stunning $1,000 Specimen Gold Bond of the New York and Long Branch Railroad Company. PMG Graded 45 in excellent condition.

State: New York
Year: 1891

For more information visit our web site, http://www.glabarre.com, or call George LaBarre at 1-800-717-9529.

George H. LaBarre Galleries - Collectible Stocks and Bonds
http://www.glabarre.com