American Bicycle Company Stock Certificate 1902 - New Jersey

Beautifully engraved RARE SPECIMEN certificate from the American Bicycle Company dated 1902. This historic document was printed by the American Banknote Company New York and has an ornate border around it with a vignette of an eagle with a U.S. Flag Drapped over a shield. This certificate came from the archives of the American Banknote company and is over 106 years old. The ledger page is attached to the certificate on the left side and is stamped 1902. This is the first time we have had this certifcate for sale.


Certificate Vignette

1843 - Albert Pope’s date of birth, May 23rd. He ended up becoming a Captain in the Civil War. Came out of the Civil War looking for a job. Later he was referred to as Col. Pope.

1876 - Pope attended the Centennial Exposition where he saw a two wheeled contraption. When he came back he researched and went to Europe.

1877 - The Pope Manufacturing Company was organized. First small beginnings in the bicycle business as importers and makers at 45 High St. Boston, Ma. His first wheel cost $313.00 and the factory was not equipped for mass production. He began looking for a vendor.

1878 - Larger salesrooms and a Bicycle Riding School at 87 Summer St. Boston, Ma. The first American manufacturer of cycles begun with the Columbia Bicycle at the Weed Sewing Machine Company factory in Hartford, Ct. The first regular trade catalogue was twenty pages long. The first bicycles were the 60" Hi Wheelers and sold for $125.00 when sewing machines sold for $13.00.

1879 - Agency systems and a uniform pricing system was established. The model was the "Standard Columbia".

1880 - Model’s "Special Columbia", "Youth’s Columbia", "Mustang", and "Youth’s Mustang". The "Columbia Ball Bearing" was introduced. Started the Wheeling Association to fight for better road and cycling clubs. Still around today.

1881 - Larger quarters at 597 Washington St. Boston, Ma. The Columbia Warrant or Guarantee was instituted.

1882 - A Branch House in New York was established. Model "Expert Columbia" was the first bicycle ridden across the U.S., from Oakland, Ca. to Boston, Ma. - 103 days, 3,700 miles. Then went around the world. "Columbia Enamel" was introduced.

1883 - Model’s "Columbia Racer" and "Three-track Tricycle".

1884 - A Branch House in Chicago was established.

1885 - Model’s "Columbia Light Roadster" bicycle and "Two-track Tricycle".

1886 - Model’s "Columbia Safety" (front drive), "Semi-roadster" bicycle, and "Ladies Two-track Tricycle". Records of one mile in 2:29 4/5 seconds and 22 miles in the hour were made on a "Columbia Racer" and stood as World’s Records for years to come.

1887 - The building at 77 and 79 Franklin St. Boston, Ma. was occupied in January. Model’s "Columbia Tandem", "Columbia Racing", and "Light Roadster Tricycles".

1888 - Model’s "Veloce Columbia" (rear drive Safety), "Volunteer Columbia", and "Surprise Columbia Tricycle".

1889 - Model’s "Columbia Light Roadster" and "Tandem Safeties".

1890 - Model’s "Columbia Ladies Safety" and "Racing Safety". Columbia "Cushion Tires" were introduced. Final control and absorption of the Weed Sewing Machine Company took place. Stock went from $5.80 to $75.50. Colonel Pope bought the company for $15.60 and started the Pope Manufacturing Company. "Father of Good Roads" awarded. Instrumental of Congress awarding $10,000 needed for good road construction. M.I.T. started four courses in road engineering.

1891 - Model’s "Columbia Light Roadster Safety" and "Pneumatic Racing Safety".Great enlargement of the factory. Erection of a new building for the headquarters at 221 Columbus Ave. Boston, Ma.

1892 - Model #30 (Relay). Century Columbia. Columbia Pneumatic Tire. Started a big growth period. Purchase and enlargement of Hartford Rubber Works, a steel company, the largest nickel plating factory in the world, tube mills, motor carriage factory (auto), bicycle factory - over 1 million per year sold - $200.00 ea. sold in every civilized country of the world. "Trotting" transformed by the application of Columbia Pneumatic Tires and Ball Bearings.

1893 - Model’s #31, 32, 33. Columbia’s Pneumatic Tires were first successfully applied to road carriages. The Tube Mill was completed and put into operation. A new East wing was added to the factory.

1894 - Model’s #34, 35, 36, 37, 38, and 39.Erection of a new office building at Hartford, Ct.

1895 - Model’s #40, 41, 42, 43, and 44. Concentration of all interest at Hartford, Ct.Sale of Hartford Cycle Company’s product taken. Started purchasing all competition (over 75 companies) and put them under the American Bicycle Company that he owned. Pope put together other companies for the automobile. Built factories, formed "Electric Company".

History from Columbia Bicycle History.

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About Specimen Certificates

Specimen Certificates are actual certificates that have never been issued. They were usually kept by the printers in their permanent archives as their only example of a particular certificate. Sometimes you will see a hand stamp on the certificate that says "Do not remove from file".

Specimens were also used to show prospective clients different types of certificate designs that were available. Specimen certificates are usually much scarcer than issued certificates. In fact, many times they are the only way to get a certificate for a particular company because the issued certificates were redeemed and destroyed. In a few instances, Specimen certificates we made for a company but were never used because a different design was chosen by the company.

These certificates are normally stamped "Specimen" or they have small holes spelling the word specimen. Most of the time they don't have a serial number, or they have a serial number of 00000. This is an exciting sector of the hobby that grown in popularity and realized nice appreciation in value over the past several years.