St. Joseph Lead Company
St. Joseph Lead Company
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Product Details
Nicely engraved antique stock certificate from the St. Joseph Lead Company dating back to the 1970's. This document, which carries the printed signatures of the company President and Vice President/Secretary, was printed by the American Bank Note Company and measures approximately 12" (w) by 8" (h).
This certificate's vignette features a group of miners with pick axes, shovels, lanterns and a wheelbarrow.
Images
You will receive the exact certificate pictured.
Historical Context
The St. Joseph Lead Company was founded on March 25, 1864 by Lyman W. Gilbert, John E. Wylie, Edmund I. Wade, Wilmot Williams, James L. Dunham and James L. Hathaway in New York City.
The company acquired a lead mine at Bonne Terre, Missouri. The mine had numerous problems including Price's Raid by Confederate States Army General Sterling Price. However under first president J. Wyman Jones and new mine manager Charles B. Parsons began using new diamond drilling techniques the business prospered. It nearly went bankrupt February 26, 1883 when a fire destroyed the milling operations. The success of the company prompted many competitors in southeast Missouri including the Doe Run Company and Desloge Consolidated Lead Company which were absorbed by St. Joe. Firmin V. Desloge, patriarch of the Desloge Family in America, remained on the board of directors as well as many of his descendants well into the late 20th Century.
By 1923 the company had 250 miles of underground railroad running under Flat River, Missouri, Leadwood, Missouri, Desloge, Missouri, Rivermines, Missouri and Elvins, Missouri. In 1925 it expanded operations to lead, zinc and silver mining in South America including the Aguilar mine in Argentina near the Bolivia border.
Its expansion into the zinc operations particularly in the northeastern United States lead it to Northern Ore Company in New York and the New Jersey Zinc Company in New Jersey in 1943. In the 1940s it expanded its Missouri Lead Belt operations to Indian Creek, Missouri, Viburnum, Missouri, Meremec, Missouri and Fletcher, Missouri.
Its domination of the Southeast Missouri Lead District gave it control of nearly 70 percent of the United States lead production. As the company also branched into the coal industry acquiring A.T. Massey in 1974 it was renamed St. Joe Mineral. In 1981 with metal prices running high Fluor Corporation outbid Seagrams to acquire the company. Shortly after the acquisition metal prices collapsed. The Fluor Corporation would spin the components off with zinc going to the Horsehead Corporation in 1987, lead to the Doe Run Company and coal to Massey Energy.
The Bonne Terre Mine and St. Joe Lead Company Administration Building are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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.
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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.