1874 Syracuse Binghamton & New York Rail Road Stock Transfer Certificate
$ 6.86
Description
1874 Syracuse Binghamton & New York Rail Road Stock Transfer Certificate. This 1874 stock transfer certificate from the Syracuse, Binghamton & New York Rail Road Company documents the legal conveyance of ten shares of capital stock from Sarah L. Perkins to a party in Kennebunk, Maine. The document is a significant artifact of 19th-century corporate finance and the expansion of railway infrastructure in the Northeastern United States. Executed on March 7, 1874, the certificate features a standard printed legal text block that facilitates the transfer of Right, Title, and Interest, with the specific transactional details filled in by hand. The manuscript additions include the number of shares, the date, and the signatures of the transferor and witnesses, Edward Sweet and O.J. Hamman, whose autographs authenticate the financial instrument. The presence of a Maine-based shareholder illustrates the geographic reach of New York-based railroad investments during the post-Civil War era of industrial capital formation. The document serves as a primary source for the study of corporate genealogy and the history of American railroading in New York's Southern Tier region, connecting cities like Syracuse in Onondaga County and Binghamton in Broome County. The formal, pre-printed language reflects the period's standardized business jurisprudence and the meticulous record-keeping required for securities transactions before the widespread use of uniform stock certificates. As a piece of fiscal ephemera, it embodies the material culture of Gilded Age capitalism and the tangible proof of ownership in a transportation enterprise that was vital to regional economic development. The combination of printed legal framework and unique manuscript entries makes this a compelling collectible for enthusiasts of railroadiana, financial history, and 19th-century commercial paleography. PLEASE NOTE: This item may be folded in order to fit the mailer. Whenever possible, it will be folded using folds or creases that were already in the document.
