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Alta California Telegraph Company Stock Certificate, Gold Rush [166896]

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Stock & Bond - Industrial Start Price:250.00 USD Estimated At:500.00 - 1,000.00 USD
Alta California Telegraph Company Stock Certificate, Gold Rush [166896]
SOLD
250.00USD+ (62.50) buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2023 Jun 22 @ 14:30UTC-7 : PDT/MST
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Very rare! Pre-Transcontinental Telegraph! Gold Rush era. Certificate No. 681, issued for one shares to (blank) on December 1st, 1853 in Sacramento City. Signed by president Justin E. Strong and secretary Hawkins. Not cancelled. Black border and print. No printer listed. 5 x 13" 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 organize 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
Country (if not USA):
State: California
City: Sacramento
Provenance: