1926 Rickenbacker Motor Company Stock Certificate, Good Condition, Three Folds

Description

Up for auction is a rare Rickenbacker Motor Company stock certificate for 100 shares dated March 26, 1926.
The certificate measures 11 7/8 inches in width and 7 15/16 inches in height. The certificate has three vertical folds but is in very good condition. There are some age stains on the back of the certificate. Please see photos for exact conditions.
The art work includes allegorical figures with winged wheel, gears and tools. The certificate is signed by the company’s president and the assistant secretary-treasurer.
The certificate is countersigned by the assistant secretary of the Union Trust Company and registered by the assistant secretary of the American Trust Company, dated March 26, 1926, and March 27, 1926, respectively.
I have priced this item below market. Through a search of eBay and the Internet, there are four Rickenbacker stock certificates on the market, priced as follows: 9, 5, 5, and 9.95.
The
Rickenbacker Motor Company
was established by Eddie Rickenbacker, America's leading fighter ace during World War I. He used his World War I 94th Fighter Squadron emblem depicting a top hat inside a ring, which was located on the front and the back of the cars.
Rickenbacker Motor Company made sporting coupes, touring cars, sedans, and roadsters. Four-wheel inside brakes were introduced in 1923.
Early six-cylinder engines were joined in 1925 by an eight-cylinder engine. The model was named Vertical Eight Super Fine which referred to the advanced proprietary engine and the high quality of the cars. Although 1927 saw new models, Rickenbacker cars were too expensive for the time and sales were poor. Before the company closed in 1927, more than 35,000 cars had been built.
The manufacturing equipment was sold to Audi and transported to Germany, somewhat ironic since Rickenbacker renounced his supposed German heritage (he was actually of Swiss ancestry) in light of World War I. This transaction was reflected in Audi Zwickau and Dresden models, using six- or eight-cylinder Rickenbacker engines.
The certificate up for auction was owned by great grandfather. It's unfortunate that he lost money in his stock transaction. However, it's now time to sell this vintage item to a deserving buyer, so I can clean out my closets…one item at a time and...partially recoup the family loss from the 1920s!
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