1431

Pacific Pearl Company Stock Certificate--Julius Kroehl, First Submarine (101537)

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Documents Start Price:250.00 USD Estimated At:500.00 - 1,000.00 USD
Pacific Pearl Company Stock Certificate--Julius Kroehl, First Submarine  (101537)
SOLD
2,100.00USD+ (525.00) buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2019 May 16 @ 13:06UTC-7 : PDT/MST
SHIPPING & HANDLING: Shipping and Handling cannot be estimated prior to invoicing, based on the size and weight of your purchase. All shipping is subject to a minimum charge of $19.00. If additional shipping and handling costs are required, the buyer will be reinvoiced for the balance due. Items are not shipped until the invoice is completely paid. Many buyers purchase a number of lots. Every effort will be made to include all lots in a single shipping charge calculated to cover the weight and size of the package(s). NOTE: Some shipments (of unusual size, dimension, or weight) may require sp...
This company was a venture to harvest pearls and pearl shells in the Pacific Ocean. The first site chosen were the Pearl Islands in Panama. The company formed in New York and had Julius H. Kroehl as their Chief Engineer. For the company, Kroehl invented and built the first submarine able to dive and resurface on its own, the Sub Marine Explorer, in 1866. It operated as a diving bell, but was autonomous as a submarine propeller. The submarine was dispatched to Panama in December 1866. After arriving at Aspinwall, the vessel was transported via railroad to the city of Panama. It was reassembled, tested, and then shipped to the island of St. Elmo. Harvesting continued through the summer, resulting in thousands of pounds of pearl shells and many pearls. As the crew was staying in Panama to return the season's harvest, Kroehl had a fatal recurrence of malaria. He died on Sept. 9, 1867. With no funds to continue harvesting, and without Kroehl's leadership, the crew returned to the New York. In Sept. 1869, they resumed harvesting, but many workers became ill and died using the submarine, probably from decompression sickness. The company had plans to harvest off Baja California, but nothing ever came of it. On April 2, 1924, the Company was involuntarily dissolved. This stock is No. 125, issued for 25 shares to C.A. Morris on March 28th, 1867 in New York (before Kroehl's death). Signed by Mark Brumagim as president and George Wrightson as treasurer. Not cancelled. Purple border, black print and two vignettes: mermaid with pearl necklace (top center) and nude allegorical woman sitting in giant shell (bottom center). Printed by The Major & Knapp Eng, Mfg & Lith. Co., NY. Pinholes, folds, clean. 7 x 10.5" Ken Prag Collection

Date: 1867
City/County: Pearl Islands
State: Panama