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Keyserlycke Indische Compagnie Imperial India Company

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Stock & Bond - Certificates Start Price:600.00 USD Estimated At:950.00 - 1,000.00 USD
Keyserlycke Indische Compagnie Imperial India Company
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1723, Antwerp. Stock certificate for 1 share. Black. Vignette of the Hapsburg crest at top center. The Imperial India Company was authorized by Charles VI of Austria to trade with the East and West Indies as well as the Africian coast. Commodities traded included such items as coffee, tea, spices, gold, silver and silk. At the time the stock was issued in 1723, success was widely predicted and the issue was oversubscribed in a matter of hours. Investors were not disappointed, as the company paid very high dividends from the very first, frequently over 30% per year. In fact, the company was so successful that war was threatened by numerous competitor nations such as France and England. In 1731, partly in order to smooth the way for the accession to the throne of his daughter, Maria Theresa, Charles ordered the company to cease operations and begin liquidation, a process which took some 10 years. Each share had a par value of 1000 guldens, paid by the shareholder in 4 equal installments of 250 guldens. Payment of these installments is noted at the bottom of the certificate. Numerous notables sign the certificate, including, Pietro Proli, a well-known merchant of the day. This is the earliest stock certificate available to collectors, the only earlier known certificate being a 1606 piece in the Dutch Oost-Indische Compagnie owned by the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. This is a fine piece from an early and important trading company. Uncalcelled and Choice.