Beautiful Rare Specimen certificate from the Reo Motors Car Company printed around 1916. This historic document was printed by the Republic Banknote Company and has an ornate border around it with a vignette of the company logo between two allegorical woman. This item is over 100 years old. 
Certificate Vignette Beautifully engraved certificate from the Reo Motors Car Company issued in 1916. This historic document was printed by the Republic Banknote Company and has an ornate border around it with a vignette of the company logo between two allegorical woman. This item is hand signed by the Company's President ( Ransom Eli Olds ) and Secretary and is over 91 years old. The signature alone lists in the Saunders autograph guide for $950. The Olds Motor Co. was incorporated in 1897. The initial capital investment was $50,000.00. In 1897 the company produced 4 automobiles his first gas powered vehicle to the public. The asking price was one of $1,000. R. E. Olds was affiliated with Oldsmobile for 8 years; from August of 1897 through January of 1904. R. E. Olds went into competition with Oldsmobile. After leaving the company in 1904 he formed REO Motor Vehicles. In the years of '05 and '06 more REOs were sold than Oldsmobiles! Reorganized as Reo Motors, Inc. share for share 1/2/40 Reo Motors, Inc. name changed to Reo Holding Corp.
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 were 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 has grown in popularity over the past several years.
Certificate Vignette
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 were 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 has grown in popularity over the past several years.
