Ford’s Theatre

Ford’s Theatre Bond – 1863

In April, 1865, John T. Ford (1829-1894), a Baltimore author, playwright, bookseller, civic leader and well-known theatre impresario, was the owner/manager of several Washington, D.C. theaters, including Ford’s Theatre, where President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865.

During his career, Ford apparently also managed theaters outside of Washington and Baltimore.  He also managed a great number of both travelling and resident companies, which included the greatest stars, and actors of his generation.  For a period of forty years, Ford, who had a reputation for being honest and honorable in his numerous business dealings, was an active and prominent figure in Baltimore’s civic life.  He was connected with many banking and financial concerns, and his business advice was sought and relied on.  He was president of the Union Railroad Company, a member of the Board of Directors of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and a trustee of numerous philanthropic institutions. In 1858, while serving as President of the City Council, for a time he was acting mayor of the city of Baltimore, and he filled this position with distinction, his winning and gracious personality making him a host of friends.

 

   

Ford’s Theatre  ca.  1870

John T. Ford

The 10th Street site where the theatre is located was originally a church, but became available when its congregation merged with another.  Ford purchased the building in the spring of 1862 for $18,000, turned it into a theatre against the wishes of many residents and, nine months after it opened, it was seriously damaged by a fire.  Ford needed money not only to rebuild the theatre, but to enlarge and create his dream, one of the finest theatres in the country that could hold 2,500 people.  To do this, he sold bonds and the cornerstone was laid on February 28, 1863;  the first performance, that of The Naiad Queen, took place on August 27, 1863.  The theatre quickly became one of Washington’s most popular places;  Lincoln saw at least eight plays there and, in an ironic twist, on November 9, 1863 Lincoln attended the performance of The Marble Heart which starred a young actor named John Wilkes Booth.

As luck would have it, John Ford was in Richmond at the time of the assassination as well as being friends with John Wilkes Booth.  Upon his return to Washington he and his brothers were arrested and remained in jail for more than 30 days, but all were eventually exonerated and released.  While many criticisms can be leveled at Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, to his credit Stanton saved the theatre by placing a 24-hour guard around the building to protect it from the angry crowd wanting to burn it down in retaliation for the assassination.  By July, 1865 theatre owner John Ford was ready to resume performances, but emotions ran high against the reopening and thus theatrical operations did not resume.  The federal government managed to negotiate a deal with Ford to rent the building with an option to buy.  In the fall of 1865, the federal government paid $28,000 to have the theatre’s interior removed and the building converted into office space.  No alterations were made to the façade, but three floors of the office space were created inside.  In 1867, the federal government exercised its option to buy and paid Ford $100,000 for the building.  The building operated as an office until June 9, 1893 when the interior of the building collapsed killing twenty-two clerks and injuring sixty-eight others.  Within a year the damage was repaired and the former theatre was remodeled into a government warehouse; again the original facade was not altered.

The building remained in this form until 1931 when workers returned to modify the first floor. It was converted into a museum dedicated to displaying artifacts of the life of our sixteenth president. Many of the museum’s artifacts were from the Osborn Oldroyd collection which had been purchased for $50,000 in 1927 and included dozens of unique items associated with the assassination.  During the 1950’s a bill was introduced in Congress to fund the restoration of Ford’s Theatre to its 1865 appearance.  In 1968, the fully restored Ford’s Theatre reopened as a working theatre, 103 years after the assassination of President Lincoln.  Also in 1968, the Ford’s Theatre Society became a partner with the national park service.

As part of my research into John Ford and his theatre(s), I have discovered an interesting, but obscure, historical fact: an African Canadian physician who served with the Union Army during the Civil War was present in the Petersen bedroom where Lincoln lay dying.  In 1901 this fellow wrote an article on his experiences relating to the assassination.

ONE OF THE BONDS . . . Ford sold to rebuild his theatre ca. 1862-63 is below.  Purchased by one J.P. Bartholew on August 5, 1863 for $500, bond ownership entitled Bartholew to “free admission to all dramatic performances given in said Theatre until payment of said debt and interest.”   John T. Ford signs the bond on the front, and Bartholew signs the bond on the reverse.  The document has a light green background and an elaborate “Ford’s Theatre” logo at the top; it boasts that it is  “A First Class Structure Possessing All The Acoustic & Optical Advantages of an Academy of Music”.  There is a lithographed vignette of the theatre front in the upper left corner, as well as a number of other small theatre-related vignettes.

This bond is certainly very rare, if not unique.

Interestingly, I have another document in my collection with a Lincoln assassination connection.  Specifically, it’s a ca. 1857 U.S. government document which bears the signatures of two men who were on totally opposite sides of the Lincoln assassination.  Joseph Holt was a Union general who became Adjutant General and as such, was responsible for prosecuting the Lincoln assassins.  The other fellow was a prominent southern politician, a close associate of Jefferson Davis, who was in Canada during the last part of the Civil War serving as a Confederate agent and was known to have met with John Wilkes Booth during this time. This fellow was charged with being an unindicted co-conspirator in the assassination.

International Bond and Share Society Announces Changes to the Leadership Team – Tim Welo is New Chairman and Bill Knadler (aka Fireman Bill) will be Appointed Membership Secretary

https://finance.einnews.com/amp/pr_news/626889675/international-bond-and-share-society-announces-changes-to-the-leadership-team

International Bond and Share Society Announces Changes to the Leadership Team – Tim Welo is New Chairman and Bill Knadler (aka Fireman Bill) will be Appointed Membership Secretary

International Bond & Share Society Adds New Members to Leadership Team in Public Relations and Membership

International Bond & Share Society Adds New Members to Leadership Team in Public Relations and Membership

Analytics Tracking - Video

Public Relations will be headed by Bob Kerstein, CPA, CGMA and Membership will headed by Robin Majlak.

The International Bond & Share Society (IBSS) is a worldwide association of people interested in the study and collecting of stock and bond certificates, a hobby called Scripophily. The society was founded in 1978 as a non-profit organization with the goal to promote, encourage and develop all aspects of scripophily. The IBSS has members all over the world and is funded by its members. The IBSS website is located at Scripophily.org.

“We are all very excited to add both Bob and Robin to our leadership team” said Martin Zanke, Chairman of the International Bond & Share Society. Their business experience over the last 40 years has been very impressive and we look forward to contributions in adding value to our organization” added Zanke.

Robin Majlak works for Roland & Co. a company based in Southport, Connecticut. She became involved in Scripophily in 2008 when she began working for John & Diana Herzog, longtime collectors and previous owners of R. M. Smythe & Co., dealers and an auction house. Robin’s work with the Herzogs included cataloging their personal collections and items of the former Smythe inventory. Robin became interested in the history & beauty of the stock and bond certificates, and autographs.

Robin’s education and previous career was in the legal field where she worked as a real estate paralegal which included preparing all closing documents for a transfer of ownership before starting her position with the Herzogs. Robin has three children and a Wire Hair Fox Terrier. Roland & Co. sells its inventory on http://www.rolandandco. as well as on eBay.

Bob Kerstein, CPA, CGMA is the Founder and CEO. of Scripophily.com L.L.C. and OldCompany.com. Bob has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1978. Bob is also a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), a member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Bob has more than 46 years of senior management experience as a Financial Executive in the Cellular, Cable TV, Satellite, Internet, Professional Sports and Entertainment Industries. He is the President of the Professional Scripophily Traders Association (PSTA) and Co-founder of Scripophily USA. He had worked as a Chief Financial Officer and in other capacities for both Public and non Publicly held companies prior to founding Scripophily.com and Old Company Research. He has experience in the communications and entertainment industries including Cellular, Satellite Communications, Internet Development, Cable TV, Motion Pictures and Professional Sports.

Senior positions held by Kerstein include Cellular Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President at McCaw Cellular Corporation (Now AT&T Wireless), Chief Financial Officer at American Mobile Satellite Corporation, Chief Financial Officer at Falcon Cable TV, Director of Financial Reporting at Warner Brothers and Chief Information Officer at Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment (owners of the Vancouver Canucks and Grizzlies).

The IBSS has members all over the world and is funded exclusively by the members. The society publishes Scripophily Magazine three times a year (for a sample issue press here) offers guest speakers for special occasions.

The International Bond & Share Society members include attorneys, doctors, airline pilots, certified public accountants, college professors, pastors, financial professionals and much more. Some of the organization’s members are involved with local programs helping students better understand stocks and bonds, and the financial markets. The membership has also partnered with the Museum of American Finance, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, on an educational program to place primary source documents in local classrooms. The program is called Sharing Stocks and was founded in 2016.

To become a member of the IBSS, please click here.
Benefits include access to all of the online resources available to members only: an online forum where you can contact experts to answer questions about your old stocks and bonds and build relationships with fellow collectors, galleries of rare and beautiful Scripophily pieces, and news about the society. Subscription to our “SCRIPOPHILY” magazine with free ads for collectors (3 issues per year). Selling and buying at the IBSS’ regular exclusive mail bid auctions at low commission. Online and print opportunities for publishing your favorite Scripophily subjects. But most important is making connections with other people who share common interests. Membership in the IBSS will greatly enhance enjoyment of the hobby.

Dealer Profile: Bob Kerstein of Scripophily.com – International Bond & Share Society

Dealer Profile: Bob Kerstein of Scripophily.com

….Bob has a strong background in accounting and in the internet business. He is a Certified Public Accountant and has been the Chief Financial Officer of several publicly held communications companies. As Chief Information Officer of the Vancouver Grizzlies and Vancouver Canucks he was responsible for the first team websites in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL). During the dot.com hype he was involved in the founding of several related enterprises. When the first internet bubbles blew off on the stock market he was the first to have the stock certificates in his hands. For the US media he is the expert to ask about hidden treasures behind old financial documents or these papers as collectables….

Scripophily.com is Now Offering Original Washington Post Company Stock Certificates with Katharine Graham as Chairman Issued in 1971 During Year of IPO

The Washington Post is currently featured in the movie “The Post” with Meryl Streep staring as Post publisher Katharine Graham. The Post published the Pentagon Papers in 1971 when Katharine Graham risked their IPO over what she felt was fake news being presented by the U.S, Government regarding the Vietnam War.

Meryl Streep stars as Post publisher Katharine Graham
in the movie “The Post” holding Washington Post Stock Certificate

Beautiful engraved stock certificate from the Washington Post Company issued in 1971. This historic document was printed by American Bank Note Company and has an ornate border around it with a vignette of the capitol building and President George Washington. This item has the printed signatures of the Company’s President, Katharine Graham and Secretary, Alan Fineburg and is over 47 years old.

“The Post” film takes place in 1971 and chronicles how The Washington Post defied the Nixon administration to publish news accounts based on the Pentagon Papers, a secret government study about the Vietnam War.

This beautifully engraved stock certificate is from the Washington Post Company and was printed by American Bank Note Company with an ornate border around it with a vignette of the capitol building. This item has the printed signatures of the Company’s President, Katharine Graham and Secretary, Alan Fineburg and is over 47 years old.

The Washington Post Company history dates back to 1877, when the Post was first published. The Washington Post Company was incorporated in the District of Columbia in 1889, and remained a District of Columbia corporation until it changed its state of incorporation to Delaware in 2003. It was a company, trading on the New York Stock Exchange that went public in 1971. The company is headquartered in Washington, D.C. near the corporate offices of Scripophily.com.

The newspaper’s slogan is, “Democracy dies in darkness”. Daily editions are printed for the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. The newspaper has won 47 Pulitzer Prizes. In the early 1970s, in the best-known episode in the newspaper’s history, reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein led the American press’ investigation into what became known as the Watergate scandal; reporting in the newspaper greatly contributed to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

In 2013, its longtime controlling family, the Graham family, sold the newspaper to billionaire entrepreneur and Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos for $250 million in cash. The newspaper is owned by Nash Holdings LLC, a holding company Bezos created for the acquisition.

Katharine Graham (Kay Graham) was one of the most powerful women in American media. Her mother, Agnes Meyer, was an educator and her father, Eugene Meyer, was a publisher. He purchased The Washington Post in 1933, and Katharine Meyer began working for the Post five years later. She married Philip Graham in 1940, and in 1945 left the Post to raise her family. In the next few years Philip Graham became publisher of the Post and bought out Eugene Meyer’s voting stock. During this time the Washington Post Company also acquired the Times-Herald and Newsweek magazine.

From 1973-1991 Graham, known to many as “Kay,” was board chairman and chief executive officer of the Washington Post Company, and remained Chairman of the Executive Committee until her death.

Under Katharine Graham’s leadership, The Washington Post became known for its hard-hitting investigations, including the publication of the secret Pentagon Papers against the advice of lawyers and against government directives, followed by the Woodward and Bernstein investigation of the Watergate scandal. For these reasons, she and the newspaper are sometimes credited with bringing about the fall of Richard Nixon.

Stock certificates are collected and given as gifts because of their historical significance, beauty and artwork, autographs, notoriety, as well as many other factors. The supply of new certificates reaching the collector market has been substantially reduced due to changes in state laws and stock exchanges rules. Many companies are no longer required to issue physical stock and bond certificates, a process called “dematerialization.”

Scripophily (scrip-ah-fil-ly) is the name of the hobby of collecting old stock and bond certificates. Certificate values range from a few dollars to more than $500,000 for the most unique and rare items. Tens of thousands of Scripophily buyers worldwide include casual collectors, corporate archives, business executives, museums and serious collectors. Due to the computer age, more and more stock and bonds are issued electronically which means fewer paper certificates are being issued. As a result, demand for paper certificates is increasing while supply is decreasing.

Our company has been featured on CNBC, USA Today, Associated Press, Reuters, Nightline, Today Show, Baltimore Sun, and Washington Post and in many other media publications. Scripophily.com has items on display in museums around the world.

Scripophily.com has partnered with The Museum of American Finance, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, with an educational program, Sharing Stocks, to place primary source documents in local classrooms. Scripophily.com (OldCompany.com) and Scott J. Winslow Associates, Inc. have sponsored free stock certificates for social studies teachers throughout the New York area.

Scripophily.com /Old Company Research Service, founding member of the Old Stock Exchange, is the successor company to all material published by the Marvyn Scudders Manuals, the Robert D. Fisher Manuals, R.M. Smythe Stock Research Service, and the Herzog & Co., Inc. obsolete research services. These services have been performed continuously for over 138 years since 1880. We are the leading provider of authentic stock certificates, autographs, and old company stock research services.

Scripophily.com and Old Company Research Services was founded by Bob Kerstein (Bob.com). Bob is a CPA and CGMA, and has more than 42 years of senior management experience in the Cellular, Cable TV, Satellite, Internet, Professional Sports and Entertainment Industries. Bob is also the President of the Professional Scripophily Traders Association (PSTA), Co Founder of ScripophilyUSA.org and a member of the International Bond and Share Society.

For more information on Scripophily.com®, visit https://www.scripophily.comhttps://www.oldcompany.comhttps://www.scripophily.nethttp://www.rambo.comhttp://www.bob.com or call 1-703-787-3552

Sharing Stocks Program with Museum of American Finance – MOAF

             
                       Bob Kerstein, Founder Scripophily.com
                   Chris Meyers, Director of Education, MOAF

5:34

What is the Sharing Stocks program?

2

7:10

Sharing Stocks Part 1: What happened to Pan Am?

3

7:04

Sharing Stocks Part 2: What happened to General Motors?

4

9:40

Sharing Stocks Part 3: What happened to Penn Central?

5

15:26

Sharing Stocks Part 4: How do stock certificates work?

Scripophily is offering Free Shipping and Seatrain Lines. Stock Certificate with all Orders Plus Free certificate signed by George Bush’s Grandfather with Orders over $200

Analytics Tracking - Video

Samuel Prescott Bush was the President of Buckeye Steel Castings. He is the Grandfather of President George H. W. Bush, and the Great Grandfather of President George W. Bush and Governor Jeb Bush.

Buckeye Steel Castings Stock Certificate signed by Samuel Prescott Bush

Old Stock and Bond Certificates Make Great Gifts for the Holidays

Scripophily.com ®, the Internet’s largest buyer and seller of collectible stock and bond certificates, is is offering free shipping and a Seatrain Lines. stock certificate with all orders plus a free Buckeye Steel Castings Inc stock certificate signed by George Bush’s Grandfather with all orders over $200.

Samuel P. Bush ( Samuel Prescott Bush b. 1863. d. 1948) was the President of the Buckeye Steel Castings Co. in Columbus, Ohio, makers of railcar parts from 1907 – 1927. His entire career had been in the railroad business– supplying equipment to the Wall Street-owned railroad systems. Samuel Prescott Bush, was a close adviser to President Hoover. Samuel P. Bush was also the first president of the National Association of Manufacturers.

Samuel Prescott Bush was a member of the Stevens Institute of Technology class of 1884. Bush was on the varsity football and baseball teams, and belonged to the tennis club and served a term as a director of the Stevens Athletic Association, all while earning his bachelor’s degree. In the early 1890s, Bush assisted Ohio State football coach Jack Ryder and helped organize an amateur baseball league in Columbus – – he played second base on the Pennsylvania Railroad Columbus Shop team. In 1892 he and two others organized one of Columbus’s first tennis clubs. Later, as a charter member of the Scioto Country Club in that city, he chaired the club’s golf- course construction committee. Bush, who died in 1948, was a noted industrialist — railroads and steel were his businesses — who also performed extensive civic and community service. Stevens recognized that service in 1947 by awarding him an honorary – degree of doctor of engineering.

Samuel is the Grandfather of President G. W. Bush, the Father of Prescott S. Bush (Prescott Bush, was a senator and the tallest man in the Senate for many years) and the Great Grandfather of President George W. Bush and Governor Jeb Bush. Samuel married Flora Sheldon, daughter of Robert Emmet Sheldon and Mary Elizabeth Butler, on 20 Jun 1894 in Columbus, OH.

Stock certificates are collected and given as gifts because of their historical significance, beauty and artwork, autographs, notoriety, as well as many other factors. The supply of new certificates reaching the collector market has been substantially reduced due to changes in state laws and stock exchanges rules. Many companies are no longer required to issue physical stock and bond certificates, a process called “dematerialization.”

Scripophily (scrip-ah-fil-ly) is the name of the hobby of collecting old stock and bond certificates. Certificate values range from a few dollars to more than $500,000 for the most unique and rare items. Tens of thousands of Scripophily buyers worldwide include casual collectors, corporate archives, business executives, museums and serious collectors. Due to the computer age, more and more stock and bonds are issued electronically which means fewer paper certificates are being issued. As a result, demand for paper certificates is increasing while supply is decreasing.

Our company has been featured on CNBC, USA Today, Associated Press, Reuters, Nightline, Today Show, Baltimore Sun, and Washington Post and in many other media publications. Scripophily.com has items on display in museums around the world.

The company also offers the World’s #1 old stock research service at OldCompany.com and offers high resolution scans for publications. Scripophily.com has over 16,500 selections on its website.

Scripophily.com /Old Company Research Service, founding member of the Old Stock Exchange, is the successor company to all material published by the Marvyn Scudders Manuals, the Robert D. Fisher Manuals,R.M. Smythe Stock Research Service, and the Herzog & Co., Inc. obsolete research services. These services have been performed continuously for over 137 years since 1880. We are the leading provider of authentic stock certificates, autographs, and old company stock research services.

Scripophily.com and Old Company Research Services was founded by Bob Kerstein (Bob.com). Bob is a CPA and CGMA, and has more than 41 years of senior management experience in the Cellular, Cable TV, Satellite, Internet, Professional Sports and Entertainment Industries. Bob is also the President of the Professional Scripophily Traders Association (PSTA).

For more information on Scripophily.com®, visit https://www.scripophily.comhttps://www.oldcompany.comhttps://www.scripophily.nethttp://www.rambo.comhttp://www.bob.com or call 1-703-787-3552

View article via:

 PDF  PRINT

Contact Author

BOB KERSTEIN
Scripophily.com 
+1 703-787-3552
Email >
BOB KERSTEIN
@scripophily
Follow >
Follow us on

VISIT WEBSITE

OldCompany.com / RM Smythe Business Research Service Celebrates 137 Years of Continuous Old Stock and Bond Research Since 1880

OldCompany.com / RM Smythe Business Research Service Celebrates 137 Years of Continuous Old Stock and Bond Research Since 1880

Analytics Tracking - Video

Old Company Research is the successor to RM Smythe Stock Research Service and is the publisher of all material of the Marvyn Scudders Manuals, the Robert D. Fisher Manuals, R.M. Smythe stock research archives, and the Herzog & Co., Inc. obsolete research services. Professional researching of old stock and bond certificates provides information in determining redeemable worth as a financial security and collectible value. Old Stock Certificates may have value and should always be investigated before they are disposed.

Bob Kerstein – The Old Stock Detective

An old stock or bond certificate may still be valuable even if it no longer trades under the name printed on the certificate.

Old Company Research Service (OldCompany.com) is celebrating 137 years of continuous old stock and bond research services. The service was founded in 1880 by Roland M. Smythe and was later expanded with the addition of Marvyn Scudder and Robert D. Fisher. In 2011, Scripophily.com, the parent company of Old Company Research Service, acquired the old stock & bond business research service correspondence, archives and copyrights from Herzog & Co., Inc. (formally R.M. Smythe Old Stock Research Services). The acquisition included all reference material published by the Marvyn Scudders Manuals, the Robert D. Fisher Manuals, and Herzog & Co., Inc.

Since the acquisition, we have successfully integrated the archives, repositories and resources into our proprietary information management systems. Under the direction of trained old stock research professionals, the data merger has ensured our continual commitment to quality and value with efficient access to this previously hard to recover information for a cost effective price.

The old company and securities research service provides investigative analysis for financial and accounting firms, professionals, attorneys, investors, estates and trusts in cases of questioned securities and lost company identities. The research investigations will probe into the corporate history, capital changes, mergers, acquisitions, bankruptcies, legal proceedings, regulatory filings, and analysis of companies to assess the disposition of financial holdings.

In addition to the potential redeemable value sought by investors, Scripophily.com offers insight into the secondary historical finance market by assessing any possible collectible value. SCRIPOPHILY is the hobby of collecting authentic old stock and bond certificates. The name resulted from the combining of the English and Greek words “scrip” represents an ownership right and the word “philos” meaning to love.

Scripophily.com is the Internets leading buyer and seller of collectible stock and bond certificates, and old stock research at OldCompany.com. The company has had items on display in the Museum of American Finance in New York, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. Scripophily.com has been featured on CNBC, Today Show, Inside Edition, Associated Press, USA Today, Baltimore Sun, Washington Post and in many other media publications.. Our online store has over 17,500 selections including categories such as Frauds, Scandals, Bankruptcies, Dot Coms, as well as the traditional American industries.

Scripophily.com /Old Company Research Service, founding member of the Old Stock Exchange, is the successor company to all material published by the Marvyn Scudders Manuals, the Robert D. Fisher Manuals, R.M. Smythe Stock Research Service, and the Herzog & Co., Inc. obsolete research services. These services have been performed continuously for over 137 years since 1880. We are the leading provider of authentic stock certificates, autographs, and old company stock research services.

Scripophily.com and Old Company Research Services was founded by Bob Kerstein (Bob.com). Bob is a CPA and CGMA, and has more than 41 years of senior management experience in the Cellular, Cable TV, Satellite, Internet, Professional Sports and Entertainment Industries. Bob is also the President of the Professional Scripophily Traders Association (PSTA).

For more information on Scripophily.com®, visit https://www.scripophily.comhttps://www.oldcompany.comhttps://www.scripophily.nethttp://www.rambo.comhttp://www.bob.com or call 1-703-787-3552.

Cuba Trade Magazine article on Cuban Stock Exchange featuring Bob Kerstein, CPA,CGMA

March 2017

Bob Kerstein, CEO of Virginia-based Scripophily.com holding a Cuban stock certificate

Even years after the Revolution, even after the companies were nationalized, shareholders of the Camaguey Sugar
Company of Cuba, the Cuban Portland Cement Corporation, and the 7up Company of Cuba, Inc. continued to hold
onto–and even trade-their increasingly worthless stocks and bonds. “Cuba is interesting because the bonds were still traded after Castro took over, until [the holders] realized they could never be redeemed,” says Bob Kerstein, Virginia-based CEO of scripophily. com, a company that specializes in the sale of original stock certificates. “After Castro took over Cuba the prices were way down, but they were still hoping the U.S. would invade.” Today those stocks and bonds are experiencing a small rally. Collectors seek them as valuable mementos, like baseball cards from Cuba’s capitalist past. “It’s picked up recently because of the opening of ties and our relationship with Cuba,” says Kerstein. “These are pieces of history, and they all tell a story.”

Scripophily.com sells about two dozen different Cuban financial certificates, including ones from railways, power companies, hotels, and banks, all long gone. Prices range from $9.95 for a Camaguey Sugar Company stock certificate (100 shares!) to $295 for a 100 peso bond issued in 1882 by a railroad company in Guantanamo. Kerstein says shares from sugar companies are the most popular. Kerstein is far from alone in catering to a growing interest in collectibles from Cuba’s past, and the mystique of its memories.

Leslie Pantin, a Miami-based PR professional, is also the proprietor of the annual Cuba Nostalgia show. Last year the fair attracted 30,000 visitors who came for the sights and sounds of Cuba’s past, including a chance to buy memorabilia. “With everything that is happening in Cuba there is a fascination with Cuban things, all over the place,” says Pantin, who has put on the weekend-long show for the past 18 years. “The difference now is that when we started, there were people who just sold memorabilia, something that was in their Florida room or in their garage. Now we have a lot of people who
do this as a business.”

On Miami’s Coral Way, for example, a store called the Cuban Museum sells everything from old Havana phone books to silverware from the presidential palace (now the Museum of the Revolution). The store also sells stocks and bonds, but don’t have quite the range as Kerstein. Kerstein’s catalogue of offerings includes certificates from numerous times
and places in history, but he gets a special kick out of his Cuban collectibles, which he acquires at auctions, from private individuals, and “as we come across them.” “About 15 years ago I got a lot from an old warehouse,” says Kerstein. “Victor
Astor was big in Cuba at one time, and many of them had his name on them.” And for a mere $34.95 customers can own a 100-share stock certificate issued in 1947 by Victor, son of hotel magnate John Jacob Astor, for the Vertientes-Camaguey
Sugar Company of Cuba.

Save

Save

Save