100 Shares of Radio Corporation of America (RCA) SPECIMEN Certificate

Description

100 Shares of Radio Corporation of America (RCA) SPECIMEN Certificate
Offered for your consideration is a 100 shares SPECIMEN common stock certificate issued by one of the most famous companies in American entertainment history. The central vignette depicts the two global hemispheres, divided by an illustration depicting a row of towers connected by wires, presented in an arched frame. Immediately under this scene is printed, in large, bold letters, “
RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA
”, with “
INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE
” in smaller letters below. This is followed by a financial obligation which states (in part) that “
This is to Certify that _____________ is the owner of ONE HUNDRED fully paid and non-assessable shares WITHOUT NOMINAL OR PAR VALUE OF THE COMMON STOCK of Radio Corporation of America (herein called the Corporation) … A statement of the rights, privileges, preferences, and voting powers and of the restrictions and qualifications of the several classes of stock of the Corporation is printed upon the back hereof …
”. For reasons which will soon become apparent, it is further stated that “
… This certificate is not valid until countersigned by the Transfer Agent and registered by the Registrar. In Witness Whereof Radio Corporation of America has caused this certificate to be signed by its proper officers and its corporate seal to be hereunto affixed …
”. This is followed by the engraved signatures of the “
SECRETARY
” and “
PRESIDENT
” of the company, the latter being “
David Sarnoff
” (the engraving of these signatures on the certificate is what necessitates the requirement for the validation clause). A large under-print reading “
COMMON
”, printed in brown, appears within the financial obligation, while the indication that this is “
COMMON STOCK
” is printed at the upper left and right. All of the foregoing elements are enclosed in a decorative brown frame, with “
100 SHARES
” in each upper corner and a representative seal at the bottom. The back, as noted in the principal instrument, features a statement of the rights and privileges associated with the ownership of these shares, though how one is supposed to read this based on the size of the printing is unknown (one needs a magnifying glass to see the text). This is followed by a partly-printed form for the transfer and reassignment of the shares to another party or the company. The certificate was printed by the “
AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY
”, as evidenced by their imprint at the bottom center on the front. As noted earlier, the presently offered item is actually a specimen piece, produced in a very limited quantity and frequently retained by the printer in its archives. The word “
SPECIMEN
” is printed atop the signatures of the company officials, with a small cancellation hole at each, and the certificate bears the serial number “
00000
”. Given the well-known name of this company and its history in the entertainment industry, this piece would make a great addition to any stock certificate collection. Due to the rarity of specimen stocks and bonds, items of this type do not appear on the market frequently. If you are a collector of this type of stock or bond, this is a wonderful opportunity to add one to your collection.
Specimens are actual certificates that were printed in very limited quantities for trial or display purposes. Some printers retained them within their permanent archives as the only example of a particular certificate (a sort of template), while others would produce a few examples to be shown to the prospective client to show the quality of work that they could produce. These certificates would normally be stamped “SPECIMEN”, usually in red, and bear a “00000” serial number. They would also feature numerous punch cancellations, generally in sensitive areas involving regular issues (signature lines, coupons). These issues are rare and desirable within the collector’s community.
Though this piece was never issued, it has suffered somewhat from less than ideal storage. The most obvious issues are the several small corner folds present at the upper right, probably when the document was counted or filed. Minor paper wrinkling is noted along the right edge, possibly from the same issue that caused the corner folds. As previously noted, two cancellation holes can be seen on the signature lines on the principal instrument, as well as the over-print “SPECIMEN”. Measuring approximately 8 x 12 inches, this piece would make a great addition to any entertainment stock collection, though sadly it is not signed by David Sarnoff, himself. Still rare and popular.
A .95 charge will be added to the winning bid for postage and insurance.
A .00 charge will be added to any item picked up in person at our physical location.
If you have any questions regarding this item, please ask before bidding.
Buy or Bid with Confidence – American Coins & Collectibles President Richie Self has worked 6 years as a paper money grader/authenticator. He has contributed to numerous reference books within the industry, as well as being a co-author of “The Comprehensive Catalog and History of Confederate Bonds, 2
nd
Edition” with Douglas B. Ball, Ph.D., Henry F. Simmons, M.D., Ph.D. and James R. Desabaye. Mr. Self is a life member of the American Numismatic Association, the Society of Paper Money Collectors, as well as numerous regional numismatic associations. He is an authorized submitter to NGC, PCGS, and PMG, a diamond founding member of Coin Dealers Helping Coin Dealers and a supporter of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets. American Coins and Collectibles can be found at many of the state and local coin shows.
American Coins & Collectibles
Shreveport, La.