Beautifully engraved certificate from the South Porto Rico Sugar Company issued in no later than 1959. This historic document was printed by the American Banknote Company and has an ornate border around it with a vignette of an old farm scene. This item has the printed signatures of the company's officers and is over 47 years old.
Certificate Vignette The South Porto Rico Sugar Company operated a large sugar complex in Puerto Rico which owned cane land near La Romana in the south, an investment which led in subsequent years to the establishment of one of the largest sugar mills in the world. In 1959, the company changed its name from the South Porto Rico Sugar Company to the South Puerto Rico Sugar Company . In 1967, the South Puerto Rico Sugar Company merged with Gulf and Western Industries. Porto Rico vs. Puerto Rico The change in rule from Spain to the United States brought many legal changes. Porto Rico originally occurred as a misspelling in the Treaty of Paris and persisted in part because it was easier for English speakers to pronounce. It became the official name of the island in 1898. After more than 30 years of lobbying, Puerto Ricans persuaded the U.S. Congress to legally restore their land's rightful name, Puerto Rico, in 1932.