Standard Oil Trust Signed by William Rockefeller and Jno. D. Archbold - 1889 dated Autographed Oil Stock Certificate

Stock signed by William Rockefeller as president and Jno. D. Archbold as secretary on front. Exceptionally nice example!

William Avery Rockefeller (1841-1922) was a co-founder of the notable Rockefeller family in the United States, alongside his elder brother, John D. Rockefeller. He was the son of William Avery Rockefeller, Sr. and Eliza (Davison) Rockefeller, born in Richford, New York. In 1853, his family relocated to Strongsville, Ohio. He later constructed an extravagant mansion known as "Rockwood Hall," which has since been demolished, situated within the Rockefeller family estate of "Pocantico" in Westchester County, New York. In 1865, he ventured into the oil industry by establishing a refinery. Two years later, his brother's firm, Rockefeller & Andrews, acquired this refinery, and in 1870, it evolved into Standard Oil. William Rockefeller was pivotal in developing Standard Oil's extensive export operations in New York and oversaw the entire enterprise. In 1872, he played a crucial role in resolving conflicts between refiners and crude oil producers. During this period, he forged strong partnerships with prominent oil figures in the East, including Henry H. Rogers and Charles Pratt, who eventually joined Standard Oil. William served as a trustee of the Standard Oil Trust until its dissolution in 1890.

Rockefeller, in collaboration with Henry Rogers, orchestrated a fraudulent scheme that yielded a profit of $36 million. Initially, they acquired Anaconda Properties from Marcus Daly for $39 million, with the stipulation that the payment would be deposited in a bank for a specified duration (National City Bank was managed by associates of Rockefeller). Subsequently, Rogers and Rockefeller established a fictitious entity called the Amalgamated Copper Company, appointing their own clerks as nominal directors and claiming the company had a valuation of $75 million. They then arranged for the Amalgamated Copper Company to purchase Anaconda from them for $75 million in capital stock, which they had conveniently printed for this transaction. Following this, they secured a $39 million loan from the bank, using Amalgamated Copper as collateral. This allowed them to reimburse Daly for Anaconda and to sell $75 million worth of Amalgamated stock to the public. After repaying the bank's $39 million loan, they realized a cash profit of $36 million. Thus, through deception of Daly, the bank, and the public, Rockefeller and Rogers generated a $36 million profit before Amalgamated Copper even commenced operations. Amalgamated controlled the mines in Butte, Montana, and eventually evolved into the Anaconda Copper Company. Married to Almira Geraldine Goodsell, Rockefeller also developed the National City Bank of New York, which is now part of Citigroup. He fathered six children and, upon his passing in 1922, left behind a fortune estimated between $150 million and $200 million.

John Dustin Archbold (born July 26, 1848, in Leesburg, Ohio; died December 6, 1916, in Tarrytown, New York) was a prominent American capitalist and one of the pioneering oil refiners in the United States. His modest oil enterprise was acquired by John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company. Archbold quickly advanced within Standard Oil, managing numerous intricate and confidential negotiations throughout the years. By 1882, he had become Rockefeller's closest confidant and frequently served as the company's principal spokesperson. Following 1896, Rockefeller delegated business responsibilities to Archbold as he focused on his philanthropic endeavors; as vice president, Archbold effectively oversaw the operations of Standard Oil until his passing in 1916. Influenced by Rockefeller's strategies, Archbold prioritized stabilization, efficiency, and the reduction of waste in the refining and distribution of petroleum products. In 1911, the Supreme Court mandated the dissolution of the company into approximately thirty-six smaller entities, after which Archbold assumed the presidency of the largest, Standard Oil of New Jersey.

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