Product Details
Intricately engraved antique stock certificate from the Maracaibo Oil Exploration Corporation dating back to the 1950's. This document, which contains the printed signatures of the company President and Treasurer, was printed by the American Bank Note Company, and measures approximately 11 1/2" (w) by 7 1/2" (h).
This certificate's vignette features a trio of allegorical figures.

Historical Context
The Maracaibo Oil Exploration Company was organized in 1919 with a capital of 250,000 shares without nominal or par value, conforming with the statutory regulations of Venezuela. The company divided its original concessions among four companies of which it owned all the shares:
- Mara Exploration Co.
- Miranda Exploration Co.
- Paez Exploration Co.
- Perija Exploration Co.
The holdings of these companies, totaling 750,000 acres, were all in the Lake Maracaibo basin. Later the stock of two other companies were acquired - the Sucre Exploration Co. and the Urdaneta Exploration Co. - which added over 275,000 acres.