Mailbag Monday: Finding the Value in an Old Stock Certificate
In going through my 88-year-old father’s papers, I came across several capital stock certificates for 100 shares each for “Central Wyoming Oil and Uranium Corporation” dated 1954. I have tried Google searches to find out if they are indeed worth anything but have had no luck. Can you tell me if they are worth anything or what the process would be to find out? I tried the sec.gov website to no avail. Thank you in advance for any help you can give me.
— Marie
Marie, you’re right — a google search of that company name turns very little up. But there are ways to research the value of paper stock certificates, which were common during your father’s time but are now largely a thing of the past.
First, you want to look at the certificate itself. Does it say cancelled on it, or contain punch holes through the paper? That likely means the certificate has already been cashed in. If you can’t find any signs of cancellation, check to see if your father’s name is on it it — if so, that’s a good start.
Often, though — as seems to be the case in this instance — the company issuing the stock no longer exists. This is common — companies frequently merge with other entities, are purchased, go out of business or end up bankrupt. But the certificate may be printed with the name of the transfer agent, which the SEC says is the best place to start your research. If no agent is listed, or that agency also no longer exists, you can contact the agency that incorporates businesses in the state where the company was located. In your case, that would be Wyoming, and the state has a handy guide to tracing old stock here. They may be able to tell you who the new transfer agent is.
There are also companies who will do this for you, though you should be aware that you’ll likely be charged a fee and you may be chasing something that has little or no value. The Wyoming document referenced above suggests a company called America West Archives, which has a subsidiary, OldStockResearch.com. They charge a research fee of $35 to $45 per company and claim a 95% success rate (keep in mind, that means they’ve turned up results — not necessarily of value — 95% of the time). If they come up with no information, you’ll receive a full refund.
Another option is Scripophily.com, which researches, buys and sells original stock and bond certificates. They charge a flat research fee of $39.95 per company, and again, if no information is turned up, you won’t be charged.
Finally, if you have a brokerage account, you may be able to get your broker to research this for you.
Keep in mind that even if you find that these certificates hold value, if your father isn’t alive anymore, you’ll need to prove that you’re the legal heir to the security. And if the certificate doesn’t have cash value, it may still have collector value, based on condition, age, design, industry and other factors. One of the services above can help you determine if this might apply in your case.
