1859 Little Miami Railroad Company Cert. – Owner Subject of the Two Sicilies

Description

1859 Little Miami Railroad Company Cert. –
Owner Subject of the Two Sicilies
Offered for your consideration is a relatively common stock certificate, issued, however, to a subject of one of the areas that became part of Italy. The central vignette features a Tom Thumb style locomotive, with attached tender and passenger car, passing across the scene from left to right. Several individuals can be seen aboard the train, while three people watch from the foreground. Flanking this scene are design elements, upon which are written the serial number and amount of shares. The name of the issuing authority, the “
LITTLE MIAMI RAILROAD COMPANY
” appears below the vignette, while above is printed “
STATE OF OHIO
”. The center is dominated by a financial obligation that states that “
This is to Certify that
Benjamin Ingham, a subject of the Two Sicilies
is the proprietor of
One Hundred
Shares of Fifty dollars each of the Capital Stock of The Little Miami Rail Road Company, transferable only on the Books of the said Company on the surrender of this Certificate.
”, followed by the city of issue, “
CINCINNATI
”, and the date, “
July 14
th
18
59
”. The signatures of “
C H Kilgour
” as “
Secty
” and “
N Wright
” as “
Prest
” appear at the conclusion, neatly separated by a small vignette depicting a farmer with his plow behind two hard-working horses. The left end of the document features a rectangular element, presented vertically, bearing within a statement which reads “
CAPITAL STOCK .000.000
”. All of the foregoing material is enclosed in a decorative border, though the right hand one is composed of only two thin lines. The back of the certificate is dominated by a partly-printed form, fully executed in 1885, transferring the shares to “
William Ingham Whitaker
”, presumably a relative. While the certificate is not particularly rare, it is somewhat unusual to see one dated this early, and issued to an individual from a pre-Italian state. Worthy of further research.
The presently offered certificate exhibits signs of period use, followed by years of less than ideal storage. Toning is noted across the entire surface, imparting a beige to light tan appearance to the paper. This toning is somewhat more pronounced along the central fold, as well as the entire back (this would have been the outside when the document was folded for storage). A few reasonably light stains are scattered throughout the design. Several folds can be seen, the horizontal one at the center significantly affecting the integrity of the paper (this could easily be strengthened by archival tape if desired). The contrast is average, with all of the manuscript and printed material being fully legible (some may be difficult to read due to penmanship). Twelve small holes can be seen at the two signatures, one of the primary forms of cancellation employed at the time. A few pinholes are noted for accuracy, as these are almost invisible unless the document is held to the light. The edges are reasonably straight, with the left margin being cut close to the decorative border. Measuring approximately 5⅜ x 9 inches, this piece would look nice framed with an illustration of a period locomotive, or make a wonderful research project for a budding historian.
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Buy or Bid with Confidence – American Coins & Collectibles President Richie Self has worked 6 years as a paper money grader/authenticator. He has contributed to numerous reference books within the industry, as well as being a co-author of “The Comprehensive Catalog and History of Confederate Bonds, 2
nd
Edition” with Douglas B. Ball, Ph.D., Henry F. Simmons, M.D., Ph.D. and James R. Desabaye. Mr. Self is a life member of the American Numismatic Association, the Society of Paper Money Collectors, as well as numerous regional numismatic associations. He is an authorized submitter to NGC, PCGS, and PMG, a diamond founding member of Coin Dealers Helping Coin Dealers and a supporter of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets. American Coins and Collectibles can be found at many of the state and local coin shows.
American Coins and Collectibles
Shreveport, LA