International Mercantile Marine Co. - 1917-20's dated Set of 3 Bonds - Co. that Made the Titanic - 3 Different Colors - International Navigation Company

6% Gold Bond. Set of 3 includes, $10,000, $5,000 and $1.000 denominations. Famous "Titanic" bond. American Bank Note. Very Rare with no holes in the ship vignette! Set of 3 Bonds. Colors: Brown, Blue and Olive.

The International Mercantile Marine Company (IMM), a prominent U.S. shipping conglomerate founded in 1902 by J.P. Morgan, controlled several key transatlantic shipping lines. Morgan’s ambitious goal was to monopolize the North Atlantic shipping trade by acquiring major American and British steamship companies, including the American Line, the Red Star Line, and most notably, the British-based White Star Line. Despite operating the largest American-owned merchant fleet in the world for several decades, IMM’s strategy proved flawed. American antitrust legislation, the complexities of the shipping business, and an agreement with the British government limited Morgan’s attempt at a total monopoly.

The company’s history is intrinsically linked to the tragic fate of one of its most renowned vessels, the RMS Titanic, owned by IMM’s subsidiary, the White Star Line. The sinking of the Titanic in 1912 marked a turning point for the company and the golden age of ocean liners. Combined with severe overleveraging, IMM defaulted on bond payments in 1914 and entered a “friendly” receivership in 1915. Despite reorganization and survival during World War I, the company underwent a series of sales and mergers in the 1920s and 1930s, eventually emerging as United States Lines in 1943. The story of IMM serves as a poignant reminder of the risks and challenges associated with large-scale consolidation in the early 20th-century maritime industry.