PETER A.B. WIDENER. DS. 1pp. 14 3/4" x 8 1/2". Pennsylvania. 1881. A "West Philadelphia Passenger Railway Company" stock certificate signed by Peter A.B. Widener. He sold 150 shares to Willaim L. Elkins, who signed it on the back. The certificate has been stamp and punch cancelled, with a few holes through the Widener signature but none throught the Elkins autograph. A receipt is glued to the left side and it is in fine condition overall. William L. Elkins (1832-1903). Shortly after the discovery of oil in Pennsylvania, Elkins surveyed the oil region and organized and operated numerous oil companies. In 1875, he became a partner of Standard Oil Company, eventually selling his interest out in 1880. The first refined gasoline was produced in one of his refineries. He became involved in street railways and, with Peter A. B. Widener, was responsible for developing many outlying areas around Philadelphia.

1957, Massachusetts. Stock certificate for 100 shares. Issued to and signed by John Sterling Rockefeller (1904-1988). Grandson of William Rockefeller. Blue/White. Vignette at top center of an abacus flanked by allegorical male figures. Perferation and punch cancelled. Very fine.

1912, Russia. Stock certificate for 125 rubles printed in Cyrillic and another language. Brown and black with a tan background on white paper. Underprinted litho of a locomotive and tender. Scalloped top and partial coupons below. Uncancelled and in very fine condition overall.

New York. Specimen stock certificate for 100 shares. Orange/Black. Portrait in upper center with train and boat loading docks in background. A beautiful certificate wonderful for display. Extremely fine.

1904, Maine. Stock certificate for 500 shares. Black with green background. Six small vignettes of miners pictured within the border design. A larger vignette at top left of miners at work. Uncancelled and very fine.

J. WALTER THOMPSON. 1847-1928). Advertising pioneer. Thompson bought the small agency at which he worked in 1878, immediately substituting his own new strategies to the advertisement of products. He was the first to recognize that women controlled the bulk of disposable income and geared his advertising to address that fact. By 1900, he had a virtual monopoly on magazine and print media advertising. Thompson sold out his interest in the firm in 1916 for $500,000 to Stanley Resor. Today, J. Walter Thompson is one of the largest advertising agencies in the world. DS. 1pp. 8 1/2" x 11". New York. 13th June 1919. A "Proxy and Waiver Irving National Bank" document signed "J Walter Thompson". The document assigned several other men to vote for Thompson at the stockholders' meeting. It is in very fine condition with a dark signature.

1921, Delaware. Stock certficate for 100 Shares. Green/Black. Vignette at top center of oil refinery. Uncancelled and Very Fine.

1872, Massachusetts. Stock certificate for 1 Share. Black on grey paper. Folds and age toning. Pen cancelled. Very good.

1943, London, England. Three Per Cent Debenture Stock of the London & North Eastern Railway Company. Black. Litho. Issued to Air Commodore Eric Digby Johnson (1892 - 1971). He fought in the both the First World War and Second World War. Stamp and punch cancelled. Fine.