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Auction: 16017 - Bonds and Share Certificates of the World
Lot: 873

John D. Rockefeller: Standard Oil Company, founders share certificate for [2407] Shares $100 each, Cleveland 29th January 1870, #8.issued to John D. Rockefeller and signed by him twice, once as President and the stock transfer, on the reverse. Signed three times by H.M. Flagler, once as Secretary, once on the revenue stamp and one time for cancellation. All signatures are very clear and untouched, vignette of State capitol, ornate border, printed by Maverick, Stephan & Co. 176 Fulton NY, very fine.

Standard Oil Co. Inc. was established in January 1870. John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937) was its mastermind, founder, chairman and major shareholder. The other five Standard Oil founders were Henry Flagler (1830-1913), developer of Florida's Florida East Coast Railway and resort cities, J.D.'s brother William Rockefeller (1841-1922), his father in law, Oliver B. Jennings (1825-1893) and Samuel Andrews (1836-1904) and Stephen V. Harkness (1818-1888).
Standard Oil was without doubt one of the most powerful company in history. Never before or after has one single company been able to create a worldwide market for oil products and controlling the whole production chain from the oil wells to the consumer. It dominated the oil product markets for many years through aggressive horizontal integration in the refining sector, then, in later years through vertical integration. It was also an innovator in the development of the business trust. It streamlined production and logistics, lowered costs, and undercut competitors. Its controversial history as one of the world's first and largest multinational corporations ended in 1911, when the United States Supreme Court ruled that Standard was an illegal monopoly and had to be dissolved into 34 "smaller" companies. Two of these companies eventually became Exxon and Mobil. With the dissolution of the Standard Oil, Rockefeller became the richest man in the world.
On 16. May 1871 the certificate was cancelled and 500 shares have been transferred to Stillman Witt (1808-1875), who had large interests in several railroads in the region around Cleveland. The remaining 1907 shares remained with J.D. Rockefeller.
Founder shares of the Standard Oil are extremely rare. In the 1960s, the president of Exxon presented approx. two handful of theses Founders shares as a gift to his Vice-Presidents. These certificates are now all in collectors' hands and have not been seen on the market for many years. What make this certificate #8 one of the most valuable scripophily in history, is the fact, that it is issued to J.D. Rockefeller himself and represent a capital of Mio. $2.4, nearly a Quarter of Standard Oil's capital. A truly historic certificate.


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