Stock Certificate for 100 Shares in the United States Shipbuilding Company

Dimensions 12 1/2 x 8 inches. Black and orange ink, vignette of battleship on the ocean, with decorative border. "United States Shipbuilding Company 1902" embossed stamp with anchor in center. No. 1538, originally issued to E. R. Chapman & Co. (a New York brokerage firm) on December 23, 1902. Signed by the President, "B. B. Lewis" and the Assistant Treasurer "Cyrus Wells". Signed by "E. R. Chapman" on back on December 29, 1902. The United States Shipbuilding Company was a short-lived trust company originally conceived and promoted by John Willard Young, son of Mormon leader Brigham Young. It consisted of 7 shipbuilding companies, a property owner, and a steel company. The stocks and bonds for this company were not attractive to investors, and it folded less than a year after its founding. Litigation over this debacle continued for several years.