The hobby of collecting old and antique stocks and bonds is called scripophily

Scripophily Show

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For over 20 years, we have been in the business of buying, selling, trading and researching old and antique stocks and bond certificates. We offer certificates in all types of industries and we have in inventory some top quality certificates with the signatures of famous individuals.

The hobby of collecting old and antique stocks and bonds is called scripophily. (In Europe, antique stocks are referred to as antique shares.) Although a stock (share) and bond certificates may be worthless as a trading or redemption security, they do have collectible value.

The scripophily hobby first started becoming popular in the late 1960's, primarily in Europe, and to a much smaller extent in the United States. One of the earliest dealers of scripophily was Jerry Rillahan who used to run an ad in the Wall Street Journal back in the early 1970's offering 10 old stock certificates for $3.00. He was responsible for getting many antique stock scripophily collectors started in the hobby.

Since that time, the antique stock scripophily hobby has grown to an estimated hundred thousand collectors. However, the scripophily market is still considered to be in its infancy, compared to coin collecting (numismatics) and stamp collecting (philately). Some scripophilists collect antique stocks as financial artwork and decorations. Other scripophilists collect old stocks for their history and background.

Certain scripophilists collect by specific topic which includes automobile, aircraft, aviation, airplane - airline, entertainment, oil and gas, mining, railroad, streetcar and trolley, and autographs. Autographs that have appeared on bond and share certificates include J. Paul Getty, John D. Rockefeller, J. P. Morgan, Harry Houdini, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, Wells and Fargo, and several presidents.

Other scripophilists collect by country: Canada, Brazil Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, Great Britain (England) , Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Morocco, Australia, Peru, and many other countries.

Although we don't recommend that these historical documents be collected as investments, many collectors have found substantial appreciation in the value of their scripophily antique stock and bond collection.

Continue to learn more about scripophily, please visit Antiquestocks.

Scripophily Guidelines

There are many factors that determine value of a certificate including condition, age, historical significance, signatures, rarity, demand for item, aesthetics, type of company, original face value, bankers associated with issuance, transfer stamps, cancellation markings, issued or unissued, printers, and type of engraving process.

Condition - The grading scale that could be used in stocks and bonds is shown below. Generally speaking, however, the grading is not used in the hobby as strictly as it is in coins and stamps. Most people acquire certificates for the artwork and history.

• Uncirculated - Looks like new, no abnormal markings or folds, no staples, clean signature and no stains
• Extremely Fine - Slight traces of wear
• Very Fine - Minor traces of wear
• Fine - Creased with clear signs of use and wear
• Fair- Strong signs of use and wear
• Poor- Some damage with heavy signs of wear and staining
• Age - Usually the older the more valuable, but not always.

Historical significance - What product did the company produce? Was it the first car, airplane, cotton gin, etc. Was the company successful? Was it a fraud? What era (i.e. during a war, depression, revolution) was the item issued?

Signatures - Did anyone famous or infamous sign the certificate?

Certificate Owner's Name - Was the certificate issued to anyone famous or a famous company?

Rarity - How many of the certificates were issued? How many survived over the years? Is the certificate a low number?

Demand for Item - How many people are trying to collect the same certificate?

Aesthetics - How does the certificate look? What is in the vignette? What color of ink was used? Does it have fancy borders or writing on it?

Type of company - What type of company was it issued for? Does the industry still exist? Has the industry changed a lot over the years?

Original Face Value - How much was the stock or bond issued for? Usually, the larger the original face value, the more collectible it is.

Bankers associated with Issuance - Who worked on the fund raising efforts? Was it someone famous or a famous bank? Is the bank still in existence?

Transfer Stamps - Does the certificate have tax stamps on it - imprinted or attached? Are the stamps valuable or unusual?

Cancellation Markings - Are the cancellation markings interesting to the item? Do they detract or add to its history and looks?

Issued or Unissued - Was the item issued or unissued? Was the certificate a printer's prototype usually stamped with the words specimen? Usually the issued certificates are more valuable and desired.

Printers - Who printed the certificate? Was it a famous printer?

Type of Engraving Process - How was the certificate made? By hand? By wood engraving? Steel engraving? Lithograph? Preprinted form?

Paper - Was the paper use in the printing high quality or low quality? Has it held up over time? Does it have a watermark to prevent counterfeiting?

Continue to learn more about scripophily, please visit MyWiseOwl.

The Hobby of Collecting Old Stock and Bond Certificates

Scripophily, the new and exciting hobby of collecting antique stock & bond certificates, is gaining popularity and recognition among North American historians and antique enthusiasts alike. Although investment certificates were first used four centuries ago, they did not catch the eye of collectors until two German catalogs, featuring bonds issued in pre-revolutionary China and Russia, were published in 1976. Following a contest organized by The London Times in 1978, the name "scripophily" was chosen to identify this emerging collecting field. Still in full growth today, the hobby is estimated to include around 100,000 active scripophilists worldwide.

Track Down History with Antique Stocks and Bonds!

As we enter the 21st century, collectors worldwide feel the need to preserve and understand the past so that valuable lessons can be applied to ensure a better tomorrow. For the American historian, the growing hobby of "Scripophily" (which involves the study and collecting of old stock and bond certificates) opens an exciting new window of opportunity to learn from the intricacies and legacies of our financial history.

Most of us can relate to old securities since they have been used for more than two centuries to finance the industries we have grown up with and the products we now depend on. Interestingly, however, a teenager today may never have to use a "typewriter", or even less realize that this early machine is an important component in the ultimate development of the personal computer. By owning a 1923 stock certificate of the Corona Typewriter Company, such as the one shown here, you can now own a piece of history and teach your children and grandchildren about the origin and evolution of a technology we too often take for granted.

If you believe in the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words", you can only be impressed by the historical relevance of the engraved vignettes featured on old stocks and bonds. To prevent counterfeiting and ease the financing of their ventures, early public corporations often printed very elaborate certificates with engravings depicting their products, trade or location. In turn, these historic "snapshots" provide an array of visual information which has seldom been photographed.

For instance, the railroad collector can follow the technological progress of locomotives from the original 1830 "Tom Thumb" to the large steam engines of the 1870s, the electric tramways of the 1900s and the diesel machines introduced in the mid-1940s. The same cataloging applies to industries such as automotive, aviation, communications, mining, navigation and oil, offering a vast selection of high quality imaging for a very reasonable cost.

Along with visual arts, Scripophily has also generated a resurgence in the prestigious field of autographs. Since stocks and bonds were, at first, the main financial tools used by the rich and famous, they offer a variety of renown signatures seldom seen in other collectible arenas.

To name just a few, think of magnates such as Cornelius Vanderbilt (New York Central Railroad Co.), Collis Potter Huntington (Southern Pacific Co.), John D. Rockefeller (Standard Oil Trust), George M. Pullman (Pullman's Palace Car Co.), Ransom E. Olds (Oldsmobile), William A. Paine (Paine, Webber & Co.) And Jean-Paul Getty (Getty Oil Co.). The rare stock certificate shown here was issued by the Standard Oil Trust on May 4, 1883 and signed by John D. Rockefeller as president.

Scripophily offers the unique opportunity to develop a museum quality collection which suits your own historical aspirations. The possibilities are endless and time is on your side. Selection remains one of the great strengths of this young hobby, along with affordable prices and rising demand. Furthermore, thanks to our mail bid auctions, you have access to some of the best financial material ever offered without leaving the comfort of your own home...

Continue to learn more about scripophily, please visit Stock Search Intl.

Hobby of Scripophily Celebrates 25 Year Anniversary

Scripophily.com, the Internet’s largest buyer and seller of collectible stock and bond certificates celebrates the hobby of Scripophily's 25 year anniversary. SCRIPOPHILY (scrip-af-il-ly), the collecting of canceled old stocks and bonds, gained recognition as a hobby around the mid-1970s. The hobby's name was conceived in 1978. The word resulted combining words from English and Greek. The word "scrip" represents an ownership right and the word "philos" means to love. Today there are thousands of collectors worldwide in search of scarce, rare, and popular stocks and bonds. Collectors who come from the a variety of businesses enjoy this as a hobby.

Scripophily.com - The Gift of History, is celebrating the hobby's 25 year anniversary with a huge sale on everything. "We are happy to be part of this wonderful hobby that has thousands of collectors worldwide" said Bob Kerstein, CEO Scripophily.com. "The hobby has many great people involved in it with whom I am proud to be affiliated" Kerstein added.

Due to electronic trading, a very small percentage of modern stock purchases are made generating a paper certificate due to the high costs and inefficiencies. Furthermore, the New York Stock Exchange has recently adopted rules whereby member companies are no longer required to issue stock certificates.

Scripophily.com recently donated a collection of modern stock certificates from frauds, scandals, and dot com-related busts to the Museum of American Financial History, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution located in New York City. This collection includes stock certificates from companies such as Enron, Worldcom, Aldelphia, ImClone, Martha Stewart, Rite Aid, Tyco International, DrKoop, Egghead, and XO Communications.

Scripophily.com LLC, The Gift of History, is a leading provider of collectible stock and bond certificates and other old paper items. The company also offers an old stock research service at OldCompany.com. Scripophily.com was founded by Bob (Bob.com) Kerstein. Bob has more than 25 years of senior management experience in the Communications, Internet, Professional Sports and Entertainment Industries.

Scripophily.com has experienced over 10 Million page views on its websites during the past 12 months. There are over 7,800 different selections including categories such as Frauds, Scandals, Bankruptcies, Dot Coms, as well as the more traditional areas such as Railroads, Telephone, Entertainment, Sports, Manufacturing, Mining, Utilities, Oil and Gas, Retail, Tobacco, Food, Banks, Insurance and others.

Continue to learn more about scripophily, please visit Scripophily News.

Railroad Scripophily

Scripophily is the hobby of collecting old stock and bond certificates. Shares the history of scripophily, introduces interested individuals to the stocks and bonds of old railroad companies, and provides a listing of links to other railroad resources on the Net.

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