Germania Fire Insurance Co. - 1900-20's dated New York Insurance Stock Certificate
Inv# IS1010 Stock
Insurance Stock. Female figure with crown and sword at throne. Scarce!!! The Germania Fire Insurance Company was founded in 1859, counting many prominent German-born New Yorkers among its executives and directors. (Landmarks Preservation Commission, Manhattan)
A mutual insurance company is an insurance company owned entirely by its policyholders. Any profits earned by a mutual insurance company are either retained within the company or rebated to policyholders in the form of dividend distributions or reduced future premiums. In contrast, a stock insurance company is owned by investors who have purchased company stock; any profits generated by a stock insurance company are distributed to the investors without necessarily benefiting the policyholders.
The concept of mutual insurance originated in England in the late 17th century to cover losses due to fire. The mutual/casualty insurance industry began in the United States in 1752 when Benjamin Franklin established the Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses From Loss by Fire. Mutual property/casualty insurance companies exist now in nearly every country around the globe. Read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_insurance
A stock certificate is issued by businesses, usually companies. A stock is part of the permanent finance of a business. Normally, they are never repaid, and the investor can recover his/her money only by selling to another investor. Most stocks, or also called shares, earn dividends, at the business's discretion, depending on how well it has traded. A stockholder or shareholder is a part-owner of the business that issued the stock certificates.
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