Earl Bennett Stock Certificates
Stock certificates from various natural resource companies
Contents: About the Collection | Researching Your Own Stock Certificates | Tech
About the Collection
In April 2023, Earl H. Bennett donated his collection of 1,500 historic Idaho mining stock certificates to U of I Library Special Collections and Archives. Bennett was Dean of the College of Mines and Earth Resources and the College of Science at U of Idaho. He also served as the State Geologist for Idaho for many years. His professional work led him to develop a deep interest in the history of the Coeur d’Alene Mining District. His expertise in the subject is recognized throughout the state and region.
Bennett is also a scripophile. Scripophily is the study and collection bond and share certificates. Though not widely known, the historic value of the material collected in this practice is insurmountable. Bennett’s collection of stock certificates not only highlight the history of mining in Idaho, but bring the expansive history to a ground level. The certificates themselves are full of historic detail. Stock certificates are physical documents issued by companies to indicate ownership. Usually, the document will include the number of shares owned by the holder of the certificate, the purchase date, a corporate seal, and signatures.
The collection assembled by Earl Bennett is particularly focused on certificates issued by mining companies in Idaho, though also has certificates from other industries and states. During the accessioning and processing procedures, the intention had always been to create a digital collection from some of the materials. Luckily for folks in Special Collections, Bennett had done high-resolution scans of most of the stock certificates, allowing for a more streamlined process. Digitizing this integral part of Idaho history is one of the many ways we can preserve the past. Not every stock certificates is represented in this digital collection. Please see the full scope of the collection by viewing the archival finding aid for the Earl Bennett Stock Certificates collection, 1860-2000.
Researching Your Own Stock Certificates
While the University of Idaho Library cannot provide an assessment of a stock certificate’s monetary value or provide recommendations regarding stock certificates, there are some ways to find more information about your stock certificate that may help you determine what to do with it.
State government websites usually have information about companies registered in the state.
If the company associated with the stock certificate was registered in Idaho, you can visit the Idaho Secretary of State’s website at https://sos.idaho.gov/business-services/. Under “Are you looking for other services,” click Business Search. Type the company name into the search bar (use Advanced Search for more search options). You’ll see the status of the company, its filing date, and whether it has an agent. Clicking on the business name will open a bar with more information about the company, including a box labeled “View History.”
Most of the stock certificates in our collections were registered in Idaho, but some were registered in other states or in Canada. Other states should have similar information on their Secretary of State’s website, and information about Canadian companies can be found at https://www.securities-administrators.ca/investor-tools/how-to-determine-the-value-of-an-old-stock-certificate/. The state archives of individual states may also have further information about companies registered there.
In general, if the company is no longer in operation and was not acquired by another company, then the stock certificate cannot be redeemed. It may still have value as a collectible. If the company is still in business or was acquired by another company that is still in business, it is possible that the stock certificate can still be redeemed.
Here are a few additional resources that may be helpful in determining what to do with old stock certificates:
Technical Credits - CollectionBuilder
This digital collection is built with CollectionBuilder, an open source framework for creating digital collection and exhibit websites that is developed by faculty librarians at the University of Idaho Library following the Lib-Static methodology.
Using the CollectionBuilder-CSV template and the static website generator Jekyll, this project creates an engaging interface to explore driven by metadata.