758

Sutro Tunnel Stock Certificate, NV - Virginia City,Storey

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Documents Start Price:750.00 USD Estimated At:1,500.00 - 3,000.00 USD
Sutro Tunnel Stock Certificate, NV - Virginia City,Storey
IMPORTANT NOTE ON BUYERS PREMIUMS:

Lot 100 to 343 have a premium of 15%.

The rest of the sale is 19.5% as noted in the listing.

Lot Pick Up: Holabird-Kagin Americana,
3555 Airway Drive Ste #309,
Reno NV 89511,
Sunday - December 9, 10am-4pm
May 22, 1872 - This is possibly the finest known with no discoloration or dirt. Rare and substantial stock certificate for 100 shares, certificate No. 1302. This is a second issue stock. None are known to be signed by Sutro himself. It was issued to E. Erlanger & Co. a French banking group, who incidentally funded the 1863 Confederate cotton loan. The condition of this piece is spectacular, near pristine. It was produced by the famous San Francisco lithographers Britton & Rey. The masthead is large and very ornate, with filigree behind. The large image to the left is Adolf Sutro himself with a pick and shovel. There is a vignette across the entire bottom showing the Comstock Mills, with an Ore Train travelling across a trestle bridge toward the entrance to the Sutro Tunnel. Below the trestle are shown a horse and buggy, and a supply wagon drawn by 4 horses. These vignettes were taken from real life, and generally very accurate. There is an embossed seal, difficult to discern, in the middle of this vignette. The level of graphic detail is superb. FH believes this to be one of the top five in western mining stocks. This has been signed by Joseph Aron, president and W.K. Van Alen, secretary. There is a 25c assessment stamp in the right corner. It measures 12"x7.5". The Sutro tunnel was an engineering feat, designed to drain and remove water from mining tunnels so miners could delve deeper, and be safer. Unfortunately, the silver began to run out about the time of completion. Sutro sold his stock, moved to San Francisco, and later became Mayor of the city. -62236