1797, Baltimore. Stock certificate for one share, signed by the company’s secretary “Archd Moncreif”. Impressed with the company’s seal. Issued to Frederick Pratt. In December 1795, Maryland, following Pennsylvania’s earlier example, chartered this marine insurance company with a capital of $300,000. In very fine condition.

1800, Pennsylvania. Partly printed certificate for two shares signed by “William Nichols” as President and “J Wampole” as Secretary. It states: “THIS IS TO CERTIFY, That Capt John Vannemar No 6 Assignee of Godfrey Haga assignee of John Schrop assignee of John Nicholson – No 38 assignee of G Haga assignee of William Geisse is entitled to two Shares to Wit No. 6 & 38 in the entire Property of the Lehigh Coal Mine Company, conformably to the Plan of Association duly executed the 13th Day of February, 1792, and subject to the Requisitions and Rules therein provided for; transferable only at the Company’s Office by the Owner in Person or his Attorney or Legal Representative.” After anthracite coal was discovered in Pennsylvania in 1791, the Lehigh Coal Company was formed by Michael Hillegas, the former treasurer of the United States. JOHN NICHOLSON (d. December 5, 1800) was Robert Morris’s business partner in the failed North American Land Company. He was at one time comptroller general of Pennsylvania and was impeached for financial irregularities. In the late 1790s, his land company floundered and he avoided debtor’s prison until 1800, when he joined Robert Morris there. Very fine condition.

ROBERT MORRIS (1734 - 1806). Revolutionary War financier, often called ""The Financier of the American Revolution""; Signer of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution; Land speculator. Morris first gained attention when he headed two of the Continental Congress' most important committees (1776-1778), one to obtain war materials, and the other to instruct overseas diplomats. He was one of the best known merchants in the colonies, and thus his business experience led to his appointment as superintendent of finance in 1781. Morris' shrewdness and personal reputation were enough to secure the funds required for the colonies to successfully prosecute the war against Britain. He left the Continental government in 1783, and served as U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania 1789-1795. Even before leaving the Senate, however, Morris, in partnership with others such as John Nicholson, became heavily involved in land speculation, believing that there was a fortune to be made by selling land in the growing U.S. The demand for land, however, was not what Morris had hoped for, and eventually he was unable to pay his massive debts and went bankrupt, spending 1798-1801 in debtor's prison. Stock certificate for on share “in the entire property of the Asylum Company”. The Asylum Company was originally formed in 1794 by a group headed by Robert Morris and John Nicholson. The company was formed to create a colony for French refugees including King Louis XVI Marie Antoinette and other elite members of the overthrown French government who were displaced due to the French Revolution. The company never materialized. However, in 1801, the company was reorganized after both Nicholson and Morris went bankrupt. Following the reorganization, the company was headed by a group of Philadelphia Merchants. Signed by Morris as president of the company.

1799, New Hampshire. Stock certificate for 1 share. Issued to Samuel Blodget Jr. share number 69 "in the Blodget Canal Company, at Amoskeig Falls, in New Hampshire..." Signed as president of the company by SAMUEL BLODGET (1724 - 1807), merchant, manufacturer and canal builder. This canal was the product of a long persisent effort by Blodget to see his dream through to fruition. After losing 5 years of work and $20,000 of his own money following the disasterous flooding leading to the complete destruction of his first attempt at building the canal, Blodget began again in 1798, after obtaining a new Charter from the state of New Hampshire in which he was authorized to raise $9,000 by lottery, Blodget found himself short of funds and returned to the legislature, receiving another lottery grant of $12,000 which proved to be a legal nightmare. Without additional lottery funding from Massachusetts, the project would probably not have been completed. Finally, in 1807 the canal with its nine forty-five foot tall locks was completed at a total cost of $50,000. A rare and early Canal stock signed by this important early canal pioneer. Uncancelled and very fine