50th Anniversary of World Trade Center - Merrill Lynch and Co, Inc - Twin Towers or World Trade Center Buildings in the Vignette - 1970's dated Stock Certificate

Vignette of New York City skyline. The original World Trade Center was an extensive complex comprising seven buildings located in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. It was inaugurated on April 4, 1973, and met its demise in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. At the time of their completion, the Twin Towers—1 World Trade Center (the North Tower) standing at 1,368 feet (417 m) and 2 World Trade Center (the South Tower) at 1,362 feet (415.1 m)—held the title of the tallest buildings in the world. The complex also included the Marriott World Trade Center (3 WTC), 4 WTC, 5 WTC, 6 WTC, and 7 WTC, encompassing a total of 13,400,000 square feet (1,240,000 m²) of office space.

Construction of the core complex took place between 1966 and 1975, with an expenditure of $400 million (equivalent to approximately $2.27 billion in 2021). The initiative was proposed by David Rockefeller to promote urban renewal in Lower Manhattan, and his brother Nelson was responsible for signing the legislation that authorized its construction. The architectural design of the buildings was executed by Minoru Yamasaki. In 1998, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey opted to privatize the complex by leasing the buildings to a private entity for management, ultimately awarding the lease to Silverstein Properties in July 2001. Throughout its operational years, the World Trade Center came to symbolize globalization and the economic might of America. Despite facing initial criticism from both the public and professional critics regarding its design, the Twin Towers evolved into an iconic representation of New York City. They played a significant role in popular culture, appearing in an estimated 472 films. Additionally, the Twin Towers were the site of Philippe Petit's renowned tightrope-walking performance on August 7, 1974. In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, references to the complex in various media were modified or removed, leading to the creation of several dozen "memorial films."

Merrill, officially known as Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and formerly branded as Merrill Lynch, is the investment and wealth management division of Bank of America in the United States. Together with BofA Securities, which serves as the investment banking division, both entities are involved in prime brokerage and broker-dealer services. The firm is based in New York City and previously occupied all 34 floors of 250 Vesey Street, located within the Brookfield Place complex in Manhattan. Merrill employs more than 14,000 financial advisors and oversees $2.3 trillion in client assets. Additionally, the company operates Merrill Edge, a platform for electronic trading. Before 2009, the firm was publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. On September 14, 2008, during the peak of the 2007–2008 financial crisis, Merrill Lynch & Co. agreed to be acquired by Bank of America, coinciding with the failure of Lehman Brothers. The acquisition was finalized in January 2009, and in October 2013, Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. was integrated into Bank of America Corporation, with some subsidiaries retaining the Merrill Lynch name, including the broker-dealer Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith. In 2019, Bank of America rebranded this division as "Merrill."

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