PRR Document: What do I have?

I'm not sure but this could be a stock certificate and the receipt for it. I can't see good enough to be sure. Great find and it looks like it's in good condition.

Its a stock certificate for 100 shares at an issue price of $50 each dating from 1955. In its day it was a big investment.

Yeah that is a great find.

Sorry, my camera stinks

The guy selling them probably had over 30 of them, but all different amounts of money, and different railroads.

And yes I think it is in pretty good condition- no tears, no creases, no discoloration, and the corners are perfect. I really like it!

Nice find

Keith you have a beautiful piece of artwork and valuable American Railroad History in your find.

Those stock and bond certificates were constructed similar to U.S. currency bills being quite rugged, due to being handled often in brokerage houses.

They are very artistically engraved, same as on U.S. currency bills.

The engraved artwork was not only finely detailed, but supposed to be difficult to counterfeit.
Ralph 

If memory serves, the punches and stamps on the back are a result of the stock certificate being cashed in, or voided due to trade.

 

"What do I have?"

 

Something nice and attractive to frame and hang on the wall, and enjoy.

What you have is a piece of history, it is a stock certificate for 100 shares of the Pennsylvania Rail Road. It is history for two reasons, one that the Pennsylvania went under 45 years ago, but second that stock certificates are things of the past. Back in the day, when you owned stock there would be a certificate representing the shares you owned (though most people generally by  the time I started working in the industry had the broker hold them for you), and if you sold them the shares would need to be turned in, to be given to the person who bought them. Now it is all electronic, and given that shares often change hands multiple times during the day, wouldn't exactly work out....the vault at Depository Trust used to be full of stock certificates, it was quite a sight.

 

Kind of a shame, companies often went out of their way to make the certificates look grand, famous artists like Augustus St. Gaudens (who also designed some of the more beautiful coins in US history) worked on them, it was quite a big deal.

 

Anyway I agree, frame it and hang it on your wall, it is both history and art

I have collected some local stock certificates as well as some PRR and an PY&A RR certificate. Download a 40% coupon from hobby lobby and have it professionally framed & matted. It really makes a wonderful piece of art with some cool history. With the coupon it makes it affordable and really nice.

Yes, wonderful piece of U.S. history. For decades, Pennsylvania Railroad stock was viewed as "widow's portfolio" quality - in other words a steady value investment with a good dividend. At the end of the Civil War, the Pennsylvania RR was the largest company in the world!

"What do I have?"

 

Walrus Gumboot?

Thank you, everyone!!!

I just got it framed and I think it looks pretty nice!

Although I don't have any pictures at the moment. I'll post some when I get them...

My camera stinks, but here it is...