| Manhattan, New York - February 21, 2008 - The | | | | Lot# 1092 (Presale Estimate - $500 to $1,000) |
| February 6-7th, Winter, Stock & Bond Auction | | | | Final Bid - $1400 |
| at R. M. Smythe & Company (#277) saw heated | | | | |
| bidding that was typified by the sale of a | | | | Chesapeake & Ohio Canal (MD) 1838. #12. 2500 |
| featured stock certificate from Buffalo Bills | | | | shs. People stroll along the Canal and the |
| Wild West Company, which saw a final hammer | | | | Potomac River at left. Signed as corporate |
| price of $20,000. The beautifully illustrated | | | | president by George C. Washington |
| certificate featured a portrait of Buffalo | | | | (1789-1854), grand-nephew of George |
| Bill at top center. Other noteworthy sales | | | | Washington, congressman and Indian treaty |
| that warmed the winter auction included: | | | | negotiator. Tape stain center, otherwise VF.* |
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| Lot # 1396 (Presale Estimate - | | | | This enterprise was chartered in 1828, in |
| $15,000-25,000) Final Bid - $19,000 | | | | succession to the old Potowmack Company. Half |
| | | | of the six million in capital came from the |
| Accessory Transit (of Nicaragua) (NY) 1856. | | | | States of Maryland and Virginia as well as |
| #12. $5000. Bearer Bond. Auxilliary ocean | | | | the cities of Washington, Georgetown and |
| going steamship. Signed twice by Cornelius | | | | Alexandria. Although John Quincy Adams turned |
| Vanderbilt as president, and on the reverse. | | | | the first spade, the undertaking was not a |
| Not cancelled. John W. Amerman. NY. VF.* | | | | success. A change of plan widening the canal |
| | | | made it impossible to finish the work within |
| Cornelius "The Commodore" Vanderbilt | | | | the constraints of the capital. By the crash |
| (1794-1877) was an American financier and | | | | of 1837, all of the $8 million had been spent |
| founder of his family's fortune. At the age | | | | and the canal was still 50 miles from |
| of 16 he bought a boat and ferried passengers | | | | Cumberland. In the meantime, President |
| and goods between Staten Island and | | | | Jackson had to repeatedly call out the |
| Manhatten. He later made a fortune in the | | | | militia to restore order among the |
| steamship business, earning himself the | | | | quarrelsome and striking workers. |
| nickname "Commodore." In 1862 he sold his | | | | |
| ships and turned to financing railroads, | | | | Finally, in 1850, way over budget, the canal |
| where he amassed a greater fortune estimated | | | | reached Cumberland, whose coal mines at least |
| at $100,000,000 making him one of the richest | | | | offered a commercial product that could be |
| men of his time. Accessory Transit was | | | | carried to Washington. The company ran at a |
| organized by Vanderbilt to move passengers | | | | profit from 1860-1880, with the exception of |
| and freight to the West Coast through | | | | 1877 when a great flood on the Potomac |
| Nicaragua. Vanderbilt hired C.K. Garrison as | | | | wrecked the works. The company got back on |
| his agent through San Francisco, and Charles | | | | its feet, but the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad |
| Morgan as his agent in New York. | | | | steadily drained away its business. It |
| | | | lingered until 1924, when another great flood |
| Shortly after this bond was issued came the | | | | destroyed the works and made reconstruction |
| "war of the three commodores," between | | | | financially impossible. The Federal |
| Charles Morgan, Cornelius Vanderbilt and | | | | government bought the land as a park in the |
| George Law. Accessory Transit competed openly | | | | 1930's. |
| with the Law-Aspinwall mail subsidy line. | | | | |
| Morgan and Garrison, on the other hand, | | | | Lot# 1116 (Presale Estimate - $600 to $900) |
| manipulated the Transit's stock in such a way | | | | Final Bid - $950 |
| that they profited while Vanderbilt lost | | | | |
| heavily. Vanderbilt is said to have stormed | | | | Lewis & Clark Centennial & American Pacific |
| at them, "I will not sue you because the law | | | | Expo & Oriental Fair (OR) 1904. #1656. One |
| takes too long. I will ruin you." | | | | share. Green. Large gold embossed corporate |
| | | | seal with an image of a settler and Indian |
| Vanderbilt did manage to unseat Morgan and | | | | pointing to a map of the Louisiana Purchase. |
| Hoyt from the board of directors, but another | | | | "Where Rolls The Oregon" ships in harbor. |
| headache immediately developed in the form of | | | | Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on either |
| William Walker, who invaded Nicaragua with | | | | side. Nicest we have seen. Extremely Rare. |
| the support of Morgan and his Associate! | | | | VF+. |
| William Walker made himself President of | | | | |
| Nicaragua. In order to get the money needed | | | | This exhibition was held in Portland, Oregon, |
| to keep a 1200 man army together, he took | | | | in 1905, to commemorate the anniversary of |
| sides in the in-fighting within Accessory | | | | the famed Lewis and Clark expedition from St. |
| Transit Company. Foolishly backing those who | | | | Louis to the Pacific Coast, which charted a |
| had double crossed Commodore Vanderbilt, | | | | route to the West through the Rocky |
| Walker confiscated the company assets and | | | | Mountains. |
| handed them over to the insurgent faction. | | | | |
| Vanderbilt retaliated with a blockade, | | | | Lot# 1209 (Presale Estimate - $2,000 - |
| cutting Walker off from reinforcements while | | | | $4,000) Final Bid - $2600 |
| inciting the neighbouring states. Vanderbilt | | | | |
| sent mercenaries to Costa Rica, where they | | | | Estate of Alexander Hamilton (NY) Nov. 29, |
| obtained a small force of native troops to | | | | 1804. $200. Printed form. Signed as trustees |
| attack Walker. As a result Walker suffered | | | | by Gouverneur Morris (1752-1816) patroon, |
| defeat and had to flee in May 1857. | | | | Morrisana, diplomat and US senator. He was a |
| Vanderbilt was then back in business with | | | | member of the Continental Congress and one of |
| Nicaragua. | | | | the three drafters of the Articles of |
| | | | Confederation. Also signed by Rufus King |
| The first Accessory Transit Certificate | | | | (1755-1827), Revolutionary soldier, |
| signed by Cornelius Vanderbilt that we have | | | | Continental Congressman, US senator from NY, |
| sold in over a decade, a museum quality | | | | twice a US senator, unsuccessful Federalist |
| certificate that may not be obtainable again | | | | candidate for President in 1804 (thus at |
| in a lifetime of collecting. | | | | signing). Another signer was Oliver Wolcott, |
| | | | Jr. The other signers were Robert Benson and |
| Lot # 1083 (Presale Estimate - $1000 to | | | | Thomas Wilkes. Framed behind glass with an |
| $1500) Final Bid - $1800 | | | | engraving of Gouverneur Morris. Not examined |
| | | | out of frame, but appears to be EF. |
| Black Star Line (DE) 1919. #2153. 5 shs. | | | | |
| Green. Eastern Hemisphere globe with the | | | | Issued just four months after Hamilton's |
| title "Africa The Land of Opportunity" | | | | famous duel with Vice President Aaron Burr. |
| flanked by a field hand and an ocean liner. | | | | Hamilton was brilliant at getting the affairs |
| Signed by Marcus Garvey as president. VF.* | | | | of the United States in order, but he allowed |
| | | | his own personal finances to fall into |
| Marcus Garvey (1887-1940) was convinced that | | | | complete disorder. The four gentlemen who |
| African Americans could not prosper in | | | | signed this certificate formed a committee to |
| countries where they were the minority race, | | | | liquidate Hamilton's assets in order to try |
| Garvey urged a "Back to Africa" movement, and | | | | to save something for Mrs. Hamilton and the |
| conceived of a steamship trading company | | | | children. |
| trading between New York, the West Indies and | | | | |
| Africa. Over a half million in subscriptions | | | | Prices were generally much improved and |
| poured in, but the enterprise never | | | | autographed items and rare pieces did |
| materialized. Garvey was arrested, convicted | | | | exceptionally well. None of the prices |
| of mail fraud, and deported to Jamaica. | | | | listed here include the Buyers Premium. |
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