Spink's "Stocks and Bonds of the Americas" sale

Spink Smythe just released catalog 319 appropriately titled ‘Stocks and Bonds of the Americas.’ This is the first catalog in a long time dedicated solely to stocks and bonds.  Over three-quarters of the 585 lots are wonderfully illustrated with full-color images.

 While most countries in this hemisphere are represented, 95% of the lots in this impressive sale come from the United States, Cuba and Mexico. Almost a third of the sale (approximately 413 certificates in 183 lots) is represented by certificates from Cuba. This amazing collection comes from long-time New York collector William Jaume who emigrated as a child from Cuba shortly before the Cuban missile crisis. I’m uncertain whether this is the largest collection of Cuban certificates ever assembled, but it is certainly the largest I’ve encountered.

Since I am a cataloger of railroad certificates, my interest is railroads. This sale offers 288 certificates in 85 lots. Seventy-nine (!) of those certificates (33 lots) are Cuban and all but two of the remaining lots are American. I never enter certificates into my database until after sales close, but I suspect I will end up adding several new Cuban railroad certificates from this sae. If any of my readers collect Cuban certificates, you must consider this sale.

Fifty lots in this sale involve American railroads of which 37 are single-tem lots. All but four of the single-item lots are illustrated, so there is no mistake about the certificates collectors are bidding on. Be aware, there are no great railroad rarities in this sale, but the certificates are also not the kinds of run-of-the-mill items regularly encountered on eBay. Price estimates are realistic and in line with prices I’ve been observing in the last year or two. I expect to see a high percentage of lots sold.

The sale of Stocks and Bonds of the Americas (Sale 319) will take place at Spink USA in New York on January 16, 2014. If you have not already received your catalog, you MUST contact Spink as soon as possible at 212-262-8400 or online at www.spink.com. Don’t delay. And be warned, many of these Cuban certificates may not come up for sale again for a decade or more!