Vintage Standard Federal Bank Stock Certificate, Troy, Michigan 1980s

12" x 8" ~

This is a very cool piece of Americana from a Detriot Icon established in 1893 that was the largest Michigan Bank until 2005 when it got swallowed whole by Bank of America and rebranded.

Imagine hanging this vintage historic collectible on your wall as home decor in any room! Stock certificates are another thing that is limited in supply and once they are gone all into museums and collections they will be hard to get. They are such historic documents with so much history behind them. The first stock certificate was issued in 1606 by the Dutch East India Company. 407 years of history later the Walt Disney Company issued one of the last paper stock certificates from a major corporation in 2013.

My pictures seriously don't do it justice. These had to be done on heavy paper stock, almost like a dollar bill but stiffer and more durable, which makes them stay vibrant and new looking for a long time. The other very unique thing about stock certificates is they have all kinds of interesting signatures and you honestly never know whom you will find. Almost all stocks are signed by the company President and Secretary. Some collectors research the other signatures and historic significance and it adds so much provenance and value to an already valuable item. I have never done this as I can barely read my own signature let alone one from over 100 years ago and with the time it would take to do thousands of certificates my mother and I decided years ago not to bother.