Capitol Petroleum Company
Capitol Petroleum Company
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Product Details
Intricately engraved antique stock certificate from the Capitol Petroleum Company dating back to the 1910's and 1920's. This document, which is signed by the company Vice President and Secretary, was printed by the Rocky Mountain Bank Note Company and measures approximately 11" (w) by 8 1/4" (h).
This certificate's vignette features a beautiful oil field scene at the top, a train at the left and an oil well at the right.
Images
Historical Context
By 1919, when one of hundreds of newly formed companies sought investors, Capitol Petroleum Company made its brief appearance. Similar to promotions the company inserted in Denver newspapers and elsewhere, a 1919 half-page advertisement in the New York Herald solicited with the admonition, “We Advise You To Buy Now At $1.00 Per Share – All Cash or Four Equal Payments.”
Advertisements included grainy black and white images of a gusher from a petroleum well.
Seeking additional funds for drilling (supposedly to follow-up on previous successes at questionable sites), Capitol Petroleum Company used newspaper advertisements to lure unwary investors.
Chairman George Fruth even noted the company’s successes in Texas, as well as a “luxurious flow of oil…from our Mexican Well” near Tampico, Mexico – the “World’s Richest Oil Field.”
However, when queried about the wisdom of buying Capitol Petroleum Company stock, United States Investor challenged the credibility of the company’s changing par value, initially set at one cent, but subsequently increased to 10 cents, then changed again to $1. This artificially raised capitalization to $10 million – a move United States Investor adjudged to be “absolutely unjustified,” surmising “some promoters of the stock expect to pocket a lot of money for themselves.”
With little more information to be found in financial records, Fruth’s company no doubt was among those who failed during one of the petroleum industry’s boom-and-bust cycles. Surges in oil production often brought a collapse in prices at a time when lease and equipment costs soared.
General Information
| Certificates carry no value on any of today's financial indexes and no transfer of ownership is implied. All items offered are collectible in nature only. So, you can frame them, but you can't cash them in! All of our pieces are original - we do not sell reproductions. If you ever find out that one of our pieces is not authentic, you may return it for a full refund of the purchase price and any associated shipping charges. |
Shipping
| We make every effort to ship out all orders within 24 hours of receipt. We ship the majority of orders via the USPS. Shipping within the United States is $5.00 regardless of the number of certificates you purchase. If your order exceeds $30, shipping is FREE! International shipping costs, as well as upgraded services such as Priority and Express Mail, and UPS and DHL services, are calculated during checkout. OVERSEAS ORDERS PLEASE NOTE THAT WE DECLARE FULL ORDER VALUE ON ALL SHIPMENTS. CUSTOMER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL VAT/CUSTOMS CHARGES. As soon as your order is shipped you will receive your tracking information via email. |
Returns
| You may return any merchandise, for any reason, within 30 days of the purchase date for a full refund of the purchase price. We guarantee all of our pieces to be authentic. If you ever determine that a piece is not authentic, it may be returned for a full refund of the purchase price as well as any associated shipping charges. |
FAQ
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Are the certificates offered on your site genuine or reproductions? All of the certificates you see on our site are genuine pieces, we do not sell any reproductions. Are the certificates you sell negotiable on any of today's stock markets or indexes?
No. All of the pieces we sell are either canceled or obsolete and have collectible value only.
Are the images presented in your product listings of the exact piece I will receive?
It depends. We try to present images of the exact piece you will receive whenever possible. However, when we are offering quantities of a piece, this is impossible. The best way to determine if the images presented are of the actual piece you will receive or are representative, is to click on the "Product Details" or "Images" tab. The description presented will let you know.
How will you ship my order and how much do you charge? We ship all orders via the United States Postal Service. For orders taking advantage of standard (First Class) shipping, we offer flat rate pricing, so you pay only the advertised shipping charge regardless of the number of pieces you purchase. Current charges may be reviewed here. Priority and Express Mail, UPS and DHL services are also available, and costs are calculated during checkout.
Can I return my purchase?
Absolutely. You may return any merchandise, for any reason, within 30 days of the purchase date for a full refund of the purchase price.
We guarantee all of our pieces to be authentic. If you ever determine that a piece is not authentic, it may be returned for a full refund of the purchase price as well as any associated shipping charges.
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