UTICA CITY RAIL ROAD (NY) stock certificate - 1880s

Utica City Rail Road Company
Stock Certificate  

This is an authentic stock certificate from the Utica City Rail Road Company  Super vignette of an early trolley with a horse-drawn trolley in the background.   Certificate is unissued but circa 1880s from issued examples.    Crisp and clean condition.

Short Utica history:
Founded in 1704 by Joseph Crandall, Utica was first settled in 1773 on the site of Fort Schuyler which was built in 1758 and abandoned after the French and Indian War. The city's name, said to have been picked at random from a hat, originates from the classical North African city of Utica (in present-day Tunisia). During the American Revolution the original settlement was destroyed in an attack by Tories and Native Americans, but was rebuilt after the Revolution. Utica was incorporated as a city in 1832

Utica's location on the Erie Canal stimulated its industrial development which was further enhanced as railroads and other canals were built. The middle section of the Erie Canal, from Utica to Salina, was in 1820 the first portion to open, and elaborate celebrations were held in the town. The First Maternal Association was founded in 1824.

Utica was ruled by Democratic Party machine politics for nearly 50 years following World War II. Although Utica had numerous mayors in the postwar period, the real boss of the city was Rufus Elefante. Elefante never held elected political office, but he and his cronies ran almost every aspect of the city's business from Marino's restaurant. He derived his power from Utica's large Italian-American immigrant population. The Italians received political favors from Elefante, and in exchange they voted in a block according to his wishes. At one time Utica was commonly referred to as "Sin City".

Several widely distributed beers are brewed at the historic F.X. Matt Brewery including The Saranac line of beers, and Utica Club which was the first beer to be sold in the United States after Prohibition was repealed.

Outstanding piece for framing.  Very desirable collector's piece that does not come up often!

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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.

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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.