Financial

26-1. The Product that Built a Ballpark.

Strikingly attractive stock certificate of Wrigley Pharmaceutical Co., with the familiar  signature of W.W. Wrigley, Pres., which adorned all of their gum and product packaging for  decades, including the detailed vignette at top, of tube of eponymous Spearmint Tooth Paste.  8¼ x 11½. Nov. 17, 1927. Brilliant orange and black. Security Bank Note Co. Two mailing  folds, triangular crease at lower right, very minor handling evidence, else fine and bright, with  signature in rich brown. $100-125 

26-2. A Titan of American Business and Medicine.

Elusive, witty and eccentric A.L.S. of George J. Seabury, one of the two founders of the  forerunner of Johnson & Johnson (Robert Wood Johnson was his partner), and a fascinating  character. Signed “Daddy Seabury,” on Seabury & Johnson letterhead, N.Y. and London, Sept.  26, 1903, 8 x 10, 1 full p., in a delicate hand resembling French script. To “Eugenia,  Sunnyside.” “I received your photo of the ‘Belle of Llewellyn Park Kids’; I cannot see her facial  lines distinctly, but my opinion now is that she will favor in resemblance. ‘I’m sorry,’ the  words she never spake; she is a worthy physical souvenir of the family, well fed and apparently  of an optimistic nature; ‘a good card for Norman to draw to.’ In my peregrinations, I spied a  gown, of Russian descent, among a lot of their art Embroideries near the Langham ‘otel. I  nailed it with the avidity of a Tolstoi, what do you soy-e! I send it to her with my best wishes.  It’s a crackajack to romp in, all heavy linen, and most prettily decorated, with Russian ‘up to  date’ designing. Reay heard from Agayn! this time in one of the most beautiful nooks in  Austrian Tyrol. I’d love to be in the boat, casting for Bass. Shall write him in Art matters in  Munich...Allwell. Dopeinclusive. Regards from the Fassetts & Johnsons! 10 on hearts!  Advertised for a typewriter!” A private in the Civil War in the 12th N.Y. Infantry, Seabury was  wounded at Gaines’s Mill and Malvern Hill, and a member of the “Old Guard” of New York  City. Studying chemistry, pharmacy, and medicine here and in Germany, he became  particularly intrigued by Lister’s work in antiseptic and germ theory. In 1874, he and Johnson  developed the precursor to the modern bandaid, a medicated adhesive plaster with a rubber  base. Founding Pres. of Seabury & Johnson, evolving into Johnson & Johnson, he was also  Pres. of the N.Y. State Pharmaceutical Association, and published extensively on the role of  the retail druggist in maintaining fair retail prices. By the date of this letter, his firm had  moved to West Orange, N.J., encompassing the elegant residential community of Llewellyn  Park; Seabury’s neighbors included the Edison, Colgate, and Merck families. Soft diagonal  crease at one original fold, else penned in rich brown on eggshell, and excellent. Seabury  material of any description is excessively rare. $425-550

26-3. A Loss of 99-99/100¢ on the Dollar.

Great Depression ensemble: Four different colors of New York Title and Mortgage Corp.  certificates, 1932-35. Currency green, royal blue, brilliant red, and mocha. Obscure printer,  Quayle & Son, N.Y. First two with lengthy rubber stamped endorsement, “...distributed as a  liquidating dividend...”; latter two stencilled, “...As of date of this certificate in the process of  rehabilitation by the Supt. of Insurance of N.Y....” Light wear, else very good. Rare. • Madison  Bridge Co., Ky., 1937. Low no. A31. Rich currency green and black. Hamilton Bank Note. Some  tattering at right edge. Rare. • Everett Mills, Lawrence, Mass., 1925, with four rubber stamps  on verso paying dividends “in partial liquidation” in 1928, 1929, 1930, and 1931. Signed by  Pres. Herbert M. Sears. Deeply engraved on cockled Crane bond. Printed “Capital  $2,100,000” crossed out in red, and stamped “$210” -- a write-down to a hundredth of a cent  on the dollar -- a tragic note for the venerable firm founded in 1861. Old clip stain, else fine. Rare. • National Public Service Corp., Va.  1932. Wedgwood blue. Republic Bank Note, Pittsburgh. Vignette of Miss Columbia holding power transmission cables aloft, with a  bridge, dam, and industrial cityscape in background. Light stain at lower margin. • Lehigh Coal and Navigation Co., 1928, purple  company handstamp Mar. 12, 1930, lilac bank handstamp the following day. American Bank Note. To Harry C. Peltz, inventor of a split  nut fastener. Pleasing. Though the volume of stock trading then was a fraction of today’s, the impact and dynamics of wipeouts in the  Depression remains staggering. Some families never recovered. $180-240 (8 pcs.) 

26-4. Civil War-era Finance – and a Buggy Maker.

Group of four consecutively-numbered partial sheets of New York State bond coupons, 23 (apparently of 25) coupons per sheet, $35  per coupon, issued 1865, payable 1867-77. Elaborate anti-counterfeiting pantographic ornament at lower left of each sheet. Green  border, black vignette. National Bank Note. Each coupon neatly hole-cancelled, and lightly stamped “Cancelled” in pink. Interesting  press smudge of green ink at lower margin each sheet. • Checks, Ilion (N.Y.) Bank, 1860 and 1861, blacksmith and arm-and-hammer  woodcuts, respectively. Elaborate calligraphic exercise on verso of one, practicing initials and dollar signs. • Check, Mohawk Bank of  Schenectady, May 19, 1864. Blue revenue stamp. Multiple endorsements. • Civil War era “office accessory”: simple commercially-  produced “organizer” for check-size documents, comprising label imprinted “Reference File,” with ornamental ribbon border, pasted  on dark brown buckram over boards, blue decorative paper lining. Enclosing 11 checks and promissary notes, all payable to Durham &  Booth, New Haven makers of horse-drawn vehicles, 1861-67, including two postwar from Wilmington, N.C. All but two with large  vignettes. Five with 10¢ blue contract revenue stamps. One with interesting manuscript endorsement across face by notary, “Protected  for nonpayment....” Durham & Booth produced “Rockaways, light coaches, Bretts, and Buggies...Their facilities...in...improved  machinery propelled by steam-power, are not surpassed by any...”--A History of American Manufactures from 1608 to 1860, p. 761.  Wear, average handling defects, but all satisfactory or better. Civil War-era stationery products, here with original enclosures, are  unusual. $140-180 (18 pcs. plus period holder) 

26-5. Including Very Low Serial Numbers.

Interesting group of stock certificates, many rare. An oddity: Gibson Gold Mines Ltd., entirely accomplished in manuscript - including  the company name - on green Goes form. 1927. Low no. 42. Signed by Pres. Walter K. Gibson. Office in Buffalo, their mine in  Shiningtree, Ontario, Canada. Excessively rare. • Illiana Coal Co., Scotland, Ill. 1881. Very low no. 3, for a single share. Signed by Pres.  Wm. R. Sands. Rich gold wafer seal. Bold Pennsylvania Dutch-style typography. Printed by Baker & Randolph. Stub rejoined. Sands  was a dir. of Galena & Chicago Union R.R. during the Civil War. Very scarce. • West Canada Land and Development Co., Dela. 1906.  Signed by Pres. John L. Vanderbilt. Terracotta. Broun-Green. Horizontal pair of N.Y. revenue stamps. The firm purchased over 3,000  acres in then-remote Alberta, hoping to “operate plows by steam...to cheapen cost of production on its farm...”--The Labour Gazette...,  1905-06, p. 740. Lacking three tips and ¾” fragment at top center, top edge chipped. Rare. • Valley Paper Co., Holyoke, Mass. Vignette  of mill. Judged c. 1880. Unnumbered, unissued. Two. • Grasselli Chemical Co., (Cleveland). 1915. 100 preferred shares at $10 ea.  Signed by Pres. C.A. Grasselli. Brick red and green-black. Richly engraved by Republic Bank Note. Blue $5 U.S. documentary revenue  stamp (perf in at upper left tip, as removed from sheet); red $2 on verso. Stub affixed, incomplete at left. The firm was a major  producer of acids, chemicals, and zinc, with almost $5 million net earnings in 1915, branching into explosive powder two years later.  They are unfavorably discussed in The Nazi Hydra in America: Suppressed History of a Century, employing many ex-Bayer personnel  who supported Germany. Attractive. Very rare. • Dayton Manufacturing Co., N.J., with detailed vignette of U.S. Capitol building. 1900.  Very low no. 4, for 200 shares issued by its Pres., Curtis I. Dayton, signed again on verso when redeemed. Spring green. Broun-Green.  Artistically up-to-date, with interesting juxtaposition of Baroque with early Art Nouveau design elements. Makers of gear cases for  electric railroads and Monel marine hardware. Revenue stamp lacking. Very rare. • Sullivan Engineering Co., N.Y. 1910. Low no. 21.  Eagle. No imprint. Red manuscript notation, “...issued subject to agreement dated July 5, 1907.” Curiously lacking President’s  signature; only the Sec. has signed. Varied handling and wear, but generally good plus to fine. $250-350 (8 pcs.) 

26-6. Certificates 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8.

Fortuitous run of certificates nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 of Spencer-Wynne Paper Products, Inc. All issued Nov. 15, 1927, (Newburgh, N.Y.).  Attractive fine lattice brackets, together with bold “Common,” seal, and sunrise underprint, all in genuine gold leaf. In black, bald eagle  greeting the rising sun, a city skyline behind. Goes, overprinted “W. Reid Gould, Inc., N.Y.” All signed by Pres. R(oy) W. Spencer, the  first certificate issuing 8 shares to himself, the second to co-founder Prentiss D. Wynne, the third to Sec. Leslie J. White. Certificate no.  6 issues 42,249 shares to Holden Paper Co. of Newburgh, N.Y., and the last, 6,171 shares to Keystone Papeterie of Philadelphia, the  firm’s predecessors. Just three years later, Spencer-Wynne was in bankruptcy. Latter with some fold wear, tiny fragment lacking where  embossed seal applied at edge, others about very good. A splendid ensemble for display and conversation! Series numbered thusly - of  any issuer - are only encountered by chance. $200-300 (6 pcs.) 

26-7. How the Treasury Department spent its money – 1847.

Thick printed statement of “Contingent Expenses, Treasury Dept.,” 29th Congress, signed-in-type by Polk’s Sec. of Treasury R.J.  Walker, Jan. 27, 1847, 5½ x 9, 147 pp., disbound segment. With fascinating itemization of details and prices of goods and services  purchased by Dept. of the Treasury and General Land Office. Including vast array of office supplies, cleaning, building repair, and more  - about 2,000 line-items in all. “Oceana Walker, for washing towels, $4.25...2 boxes sperm candles, 63 lbs., 35¢ (lb.)...1 lb. best sealing  wax, 1.00...1 ream hand made letter paper, 4.25...6 yds. huckaback, 1.87½...4 cakes Windsor soap, 25¢...Certificates and seal to 15  deeds, from the U.S. to individuals, 37½¢...29,000 ems [metal type used for inter-word spaces], 50¢ per 1,000...1 lb. of wafers, 50¢...1  six-quire super royal register of warrants, $4... 1 Brown’s best gold pen and holder, 4.50...Map of St. Louis backed with muslin,  1.00...450 sheets of parchment, 10¢...Putting cushion on chair, 3.00....” The varieties of paper, ink, seals, and stationery items are  especially interesting, including silver desk pencils, gilt note paper, and pearl knives. Payment for printing of House documents by  Blair & Rives, who later produced pamphlets for the Confederacy. Very minor foxing of outer leaves, internally clean and fresh, and  generally fine. An exhaustive compendium of the commendably controlled expenditures of the Federal government some 167 years ago.  $70-90

26-8. An Early Licensing Agreement for – Bees.

Interesting partly printed agreement, in which Arza Gilmore, Wayne, Kennebec County, Maine, licenses his patent “for certain  improvements in the mode of managing bees” to Hiram Hull & Son, for use in Westfield and Southwick, Mass., “and no other place.”  Jan. 9, 1850, 7½ x 9¾, on pale blue, small wafer over red wax seal. Signed by inventor Gilmore. Stain at blank lower margin, else V.G.  • With later booklet, “Beekeeping in a Nutshell - The Right Way Series,” 1926, 4½ x 6, 32 pp., illustrated. Issued by A.I. Root Co.,  “Quality Bee Supplies,” Medina, Ohio. “It takes about 150,000 bees to gather and prepare a pound of honey...They may have to work  two or three days. But the same bees can steal a full pound of honey in the space of a few minutes....” Excellent. With modern copy of  mention of his new patent, claiming invention of a method of “domesticating wild or foreign bees, by compelling them, in leaving the  dark chamber, to pass through or into the working chambers of the bee house,” appearing in Journal of the Franklin Institute. $70-100  (2 pcs.) 

26-9. The Art of High Finance.

Avant garde artistic bond of Compagnie Générale de Traction, Paris, printed Dec. 1902, 12¾ x 17¼. Butterscotch on delicate pistachio,  with large renderings of an electric traction streetcar, dynamo, powerhouse, and two women touching wires, creating a sunburst of  light. Ornate typography; border with very early echoes of Deco and Sixties pop art elements. All 32 coupons present. Multiple blind-  embossed seals. Scalloped top. Very minor handling evidence, else fine and strikingly attractive. $45-65 

Go to Section 27: Letters