1884 The Indiana Iron Company Stock Certificate w/ carbon copy
DESCRIPTION
This stock certificate was issued in 1881 by the Indiana Iron Company, incorporated under the general mining laws of the State of Michigan, and issued in Chicago. It represents fully paid shares from a capital structure of 24,000 shares valued at twenty-five dollars each, reflecting Midwestern investment in Great Lakes iron mining during the height of American industrial expansion.
The certificates are engraved on cream security paper with finely detailed borders, bold typographic headings, and ornate share counters, with clear distinctions between common and preferred stock. Handwritten ownership entries, serial numbers, and period signatures appear throughout. Accompanying the certificates are carbon-copy transfer sheets produced at the time of execution, created through a manifold system to duplicate shareholder assignments for company records. The versos carry printed transfer language and shareholder terms, with folds, light toning, and wear consistent with circulation and administrative use.
Historical Context
Iron mining was central to late nineteenth-century industrial growth, supplying raw materials for railroads, construction, and manufacturing. Companies such as the Indiana Iron Company illustrate how regional capital financed resource extraction in the Great Lakes region, with these certificates preserving both the financial instruments and the recordkeeping practices that underpinned America’s industrial economy.
CONDITION
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