B&O Railroad stock certificate issued to Bear Stearns

Authentic Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad stock certificate issued to Bear Stearns & Co. on September 12, 1952.   This is an original certificate, not a copy or reproduction.  The company was chartered in 1827 and in it's prime its routes ran east to Philadelphia and New York and West to Chicago and St. Louis.  The B&O was the oldest US passenger line and is best known as one of the Monopoly game railroad stocks. Abe Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg address on a line bought by the B&O. It became part of the Chessie system (Chesapeake & Ohio and Baltimore & Ohio), which in 1980 became part of CSX transportation.  The vignette is of a Tom Thumb train with a harbor scene in the background.  The scan does not show the detail of the engraving used to print these certificates.  The certificate is in MINT condition (no folds, tears or stains). The certificate has the normal punch cancellation and staple holes.

Certificate Vignette