Morosco Holding Company, Inc. (Broadway, Park Swindle)
Morosco Holding Company, Inc. (Broadway, Park Swindle)
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Product Details
Nicely engraved antique stock certificate from the Morosco Holding Company, Inc. dating back to the 1920's. This document, which contains the signatures of the company Vice 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 an allegorical female figure leaning on a staff. She is flanked by a helmet and a globe.
Images
Historical Context
The Morosco Holding Company was a New York City producer and theater owner/operator.
The company operated the Morosco Theater which was designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp. The theater was built by the Shuberts for Oliver Morosco (his tenure as manager lasted 7 years) in gratitude for Morosco helping them to break the monopoly of the Theatrical Syndicate. The Shuberts lost it in the Depression and City Playhouses, Inc. bought it in an auction in 1943. It was sold in 1968 to Bankers Trust Company and, after protests failed, it was destroyed in 1982 to build Marriott Marquis hotel and theatre.
The theater housed a number of productions including The Lady Killer, Not So Fast and Craig's Wife.
The Morosco family had a long history of entertainment related ventures. During the late teens George Bentel (who has signed this piece as the company Vice-President) became involved in the business affairs of Oliver Morosco, a Los Angeles-based theater chain owner, and the founder of the Oliver Morosco Photoplay Company, an early movie production company that was merged into Famous Players-Lasky Corporation in 1916.
The pair formed the Morosco Productions Company, a California motion picture concern and in 1921 formed a real estate development company called the Morosco Holding Company. Morosco Holdings had grand plans for 100-acre Disneyland-style entertainment park called Moroscotown, its principal features consisting of villages representing places in England, France, Germany and other continental countries.
Morosco supplied the 100-acre tract and invested well over of $2.5 million of his own money in the project. Bentel spearheaded the financing and development of the project, serving as the firm’s vice-president.
During late 1924 it became apparent that the scheme was a giant stock swindle and in 1924 the partner’s were indicted for mail fraud. Although Morosco was cleared of all charges, Bentel and two partners, Benjamin Leven and C. Amos, were found guilty of using the mails to defraud investors in 1926.
Additional 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.
FAQ
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.
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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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We make every effort to ship out all orders within 24 hours of receipt.
We ship the majority of orders via the USPS, with domestic orders using the Ground Advantage service.
Shipping is calculated during checkout. Upgraded services such as Priority and Express Mail, as well as UPS and DHL options, are also available.
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Returns
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You can return anything we offer for an exchange, refund or store credit within 30 days of delivery. Return shipping costs may apply, and the item must be in its original condition and packaging.
Any shipping charges collected on the original order are not eligible for a refund.
