E.I. duPont de Nemours and Co. - Specimen Stock Certificate - Founded by Éleuthère Irénée du Pont

Specimen Stock printed by American Bank Note Company. Great vignette! Available in Purple or Brown. Please specify color.

Founded in 1802 by Éleuthère Irénée du Pont, the E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company began as a gunpowder mill on the banks of the Brandywine River in Delaware. Du Pont, a French immigrant who had studied chemistry under the renowned Antoine Lavoisier, observed that American-made gunpowder was significantly inferior to European standards. By applying advanced French manufacturing techniques and maintaining a strict focus on safety and quality, the company quickly became the primary supplier of explosives for the United States government. Throughout the 19th century, DuPont played a pivotal role in fueling the nation’s westward expansion, providing the blasting powder essential for mining, rail construction, and military endeavors, including the American Civil War.

The 20th century witnessed DuPont’s remarkable transformation from an explosives manufacturer into a global leader in material science and industrial chemistry. Under new leadership in the early 1900s, the company embarked on a journey of diversification, leading to the groundbreaking invention of revolutionary synthetic materials that reshaped modern life. This era, epitomized by the slogan “Better Things for Better Living…Through Chemistry,� saw the creation of iconic materials such as Nylon, Teflon, Kevlar, and Lycra. These materials transcended their respective industries, transforming fashion, aerospace engineering, and beyond. While the company underwent a significant corporate merger and subsequent split with Dow Chemical in the late 2010s, its legacy remains firmly rooted in a scientific heritage that propelled humanity from the era of black powder to the age of high-performance polymers.