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Alta California Telegraph Company 1853 Stock Certificate

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Paper Start Price:100.00 USD Estimated At:200.00 - 400.00 USD
Alta California Telegraph Company 1853 Stock Certificate
SOLD
275.00USDto C*****r+ buyer's premium (68.75)
This item SOLD at 2018 Mar 18 @ 13:03UTC-7 : PDT/MST
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Very rare! Pre-Transcontinental Telegraph! Certificate No. 616. Signed by Justin E. Strong, president and H Hawkins, secretary. Not issued to anyone, though the certificate is dated Dec. 1st, 1853 in Sacramento City. Not cancelled. No vignette. 9.5" x 5.25" Deep crease and fold along left side. Rough bottom and right edge. Delicate paper. The company completed a line from Sacramento to Nevada City with subsequent connections to mining camps. Eventually, they headed towards the Bay Area which put them into direct competition with California State Telegraph Co. When Alta laid a line down from Oakland to San Francisco (through the San Francisco Bay), they were sued by California State Telegraph and lost. Eventually, they consolidated.



The Sacramento Daily Union of August 24, 1852 had an article on the wonders of the "electric telegraph." It went on to report that "Justin E. Strong and John. K. Johnson. Jr.. both of Sacramento; in the State of California, being desirous to organise a company under the general law for incorporating Telegraph Companies in California, for the construction of an Electric Telegraph line from Sacramento to Nevada [City] via Mormon Island,| Auburn and Centreville, and from Mormon Island to Placerville via Coloma." Date: 1853 Location: Sacramento City, California HWAC# 57409