UNITED STATES LINES stock certs - set of 2 colors

United States Lines Company
Stock Certificates

This is an authentic stock certificate from United States Liners Company that owned and operated ocean liners.  Very nice vignette of a classic ocean liner, USS AMERICA, with allegorical Greek characters above.    Issued 1953. 

THIS AUCTION IS FOR THE ORANGE AND GREEN VERSIONS OF THIS STOCK.  YOU GET BOTH CERTIFICATES! See my other auctions for other US Lines stock certificates (other colors). 

Brief History of the Company:
United States Lines came into being after the United States Mail Steamship Company had failed to successfully operate Government owned ships on the North Atlantic after World War I. The U.S. Shipping Board took over U. S. Mail Steamship Co operation of surplus ships after it had incurred heavy losses since beginning operation in 1920.

Without a break in service the all the ships were then run under United States Lines which was formed in August 1921. The former German liners AMERICA (AMERIKA) and GEORGE WASHINGTON began sailing New York - Bremen, with the CENTENNIAL STATE on the New York - London service. In 1922 two "535" class refitted transports were added to the fleet. PENNINSULA STATE and LONE STATE, were renamed PRESIDENT PIERCE and PRESIDENT TAFT, but within weeks they were renamed PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT and PRESIDENT HARDING. The "502s" from U.S. Mail S.S. Co. were renamed PRESIDENT VAN BUREN, PRESIDENT ADAMS, and joined by still more "502s" which became PRESIDENT POLK, PRESIDENT GAREFIELD. The PRINCESS MATOIKA (ex PRINCESS ALICE) and HUDSON became PRESIDENT ARTHUR and PRESIDENT FILLMORE under United States Lines.

In 1923, four of the ships were sold and the huge LEVIATHAN, (ex VATERLAND of Hamburg America Line) began sailing the New York - Southampton service after a very extensive rebuilding. She became the flag ship of the United States Lines fleet. Late in 1923 the five remaining "502"s were sold by the US Shipping Board to Dollar Line. To offset the loss, five vessels built at Hog Island were refitted to carry passengers in the New York - London service; AMERICAN MERCHANT, AMERICAN SHIPPER, AMERICAN BANKER, AMERICAN FARMER and AMERICAN TRADER all began service in 1924 under American Merchant Line.The REPUBLIC, another former German Liner entered Atlantic service.

In 1926 AMERICA suffered a serious fire at Newport News and was out of action for a year. Debts continued to mount under United States Lines management and bids were called from private owners.

P.W. Chapman Co successfully bid in March 21, 1929 $16 million for eleven ships. Stipulated in the agreement was the fact that Chapman must continue the service for not less than 10 years, and build two 45,000 ton ships as consorts for LEVIATHAN. The USSB would lend 75% of the cost. Chapman traded under the name United States Lines Inc., of Delaware. Two three stacked liners were designed by T. Ferris, but the introduction of NGL's BREMEN made it obvious that speed was more important. Two newly designed ships with four screws and two funnels were planned, but after the stock market crash in October were abandoned in favor of two smaller ships.

Falling revenue sent AMERICA and GEORGE WASHINGTON to be laid up, and REPUBLIC was handed over to the War Department for transport work. In October 1931 Chapman foreclosed on the Shipping Board. LEVIATHAN, PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT, PRESIDENT HARDING, the two scaled down ships under construction, and two newly acquired transports were all sold to the newly formed United States Lines Company, of Nevada. A subsidiary of International Mercantile Marine Co which also bought the American Merchant Line and added them to the United States Lines list of companies.

In August 1932 MANHATTAN, United States Lines's first purpose built passenger ship entered service, her sister WASHINGTON followed in May 1933. They entered service in economically depressed times and their appearance precipitated the withdrawl of LEVIATHAN. The ShippingBoard demanded she be put back in service, but after more losses were incurred, she was laid up again in 1934.

A new generation of ship appeared with the 34,000 GRT, Gibbs & Cox designed AMERICA of 1940. The War in Europe kept the Atlantic liner in U.S. coastal waters. Six of the seven former American Merchant fleet ships were lost to enemy action after they had been transferred to the Belgian flag, under IMM control. Four replacements were laid down in Pascagoula but they all became Army transports. Remaining ships were put into Navy service; PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT, MANHATTAN, WASHINGTON and AMERICA became U.S.S. JOSEPH T. DICKMAN, WAKEFIELD, MOUNT VERNONand WEST POINT. In 1943 UNited States Lines of Nevada was merged into IMM and the name became United States Lines Company, of New Jersey.

WAKEFIELD was laid up in 1946. JOSEPH DICKMAN was laid up and scrapped. WASHINGTON wasreturned to one class service briefly to bring war brides and children to the United States. She briefly became a consort for AMERICA before being recalled to Military service until 1951. AMERICA returned to the Atlantic service with her first sailing in November 1946.

With great Post war demand for shipping United States Lines began operating C-4 type transports as a means of mass transportation for displaced people. The Line also began building up a large fleet of cargo ships, all with the name AMERICAN as a prefix, freighters in Australia service were given the prefix PIONEER.

In July 1952, the S.S. UNITED STATES made her maiden voyage New York - Le Havre - Southampton. At 54,000 GRT she was the largest and fastest liner ever built in the U.S. On her maiden voyage, she broke Blue Riband speed record that had been held by Britain's R.M.S. QUEEN MARY for the fourteen years. UNITED STATES became the first American title holder for the Blue Riband in a century. In 1955, a sister for UNITED STATES was proposed but nothing came of the plan. AMERICA and UNITED STATES maintained a transatlantic service for twelve years until competition from air traffic and rising costs forced the sale of AMERICA to Chandris Line in 1964. The UNITED STATES, without a running mate incurred ever bigger debts thus was withdrawn from service in 1969 and laid up. This marked the end of American flagged service on the North Atlantic.

In 2000, the United States Lines name was revived by American Classic Voyages Co, as a brand name and is preparing to introduce a new fleet of cruise ships. The first vessel will carry passengers, year-round, to the islands of Hawaii departing every Saturday from Honolulu. December 9, 2000 marked the inaugural cruise of the 1,212-passenger M.S. PATRIOT. United States Lines (American Classic Voyages) bought the NIEUW AMSTERDAM from Holland America Line (Carnival Cruise Lines) for $114 million dollars in July 2000. The M.S. PATRIOT will sail year-round cruises departing every Saturday from Honolulu.

American Classic Voyages Co., owner of United States Lines, is the largest owner and operator of U.S.-flag, U.S.-crewed cruise vessels. AMCV, located in Chicago, with operating headquarters for its four cruise lines located in New Orleans, owns and operates (links to official cruise web sites): The Delta Queen Steamboat Co., Delta Queen Coastal Voyages, American Hawaii Cruises, and United States Lines.

This is your chance to get one before my very small supply runs out!  This certificate would also make an ideal novelty gift.  Don't miss your chance on this piece! 

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This is a sample photo only. The certificate for sale has the same color, condition, and vignette.  Differences will be in date, marks, original owner name, serial number, and corporate officers unless otherwise noted.  The quality shipped will be the same or better than pictured.  Refund given if buyer is not satisfied.  Note that we cannot search for a specific date or name due to our large inventory.  Modern certificate pictures often have owner names obscured for privacy. Modern certificates may still be trading in the stock market but no ownership is transferred in this sale - the certificate is sold as a collectible novelty only.  It is likely that the scanned certificate has already been sold but you may ask us to check before bidding.

Shipping costs are less than actual cost to us, the seller.  We ship by USPS Priority Mail for fast delivery times.  We use a custom-sized photo mailer with a custom, non-acid slip sleeve for protected shipping.  We allow for combined shipping to save the buyer money for multiple auction wins.  Please wait until all auctions are complete before sending payment. I will not know if you are continuing to bid so I ship when paid.  (If you pay early I will ship and cannot combine shipping on later auctions.)  Please include item numbers with payment for quick, positive feedback and accurate shipping.  Please send only one payment to avoid confusion.   Shipping to Canada or Europe is the same as US shipping.

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Satisfaction is guaranteed for any reason within 30 days.  Authenticity is guaranteed for life.  Refunds will be sent upon return of any unsatisfactory auction item.  If you do not return the item, I assume that you decided to keep it.  Please contact us directly for questions not explained here.  

All certificates are only sold as collectibles.  No investment value is implied, transferred, or considered.  No transfer of securities is performed. Certificates are cancelled or obsolete.  (Now really, would I sell a $10,000 investment instrument for $10?)  We follow eBay rules on selling stock and bond certificates. We also comply with SEC regulations governing certificate sales and licensing requirements (we are not authorized to sell investments or securities under these rules.)

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Are these real?  -  YES!  We only sell authentic stocks and bonds that have been used in actual commerce or from company archives.  They have been cancelled and no longer have investment value but are still the real deal.  We do not sell copies.  Active companies (still trading) are also only sold as collectibles.  These have more recent dates due to the methods by which they were obtained.

Where's the value in these?  -  Since these pieces no longer have investment value, aren't they worthless?  Literally, they are only worth the paper that they are printed on.  The same can be said for baseball cards and stamps but it is really the collectible value that makes these worthless securities desirable.  These are sold as collectibles or novelties only.