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Titanic Stock Signed By P.A.S Franklin who was in Charge During the Titanic Disaster - International Mercantile Marine - Autograph Stock Certificate

Inv# SS1157B   Stock
State(s): New Jersey
Years: 1915
Color: Purple

Stock printed by American Bank Note Company, New York. Purple Common Stock Type.

Philip Albright Small Franklin (1 February 1871 – 14 August 1939) was president and chairman of International Mercantile Marine Company (IMM) from 1916 to 1936. At the time of the Titanic disaster on April 15, 1912, Franklin was in charge of the White Star Line office and terminus affairs at IMM headquarters in New York City.

At the time of the Titanic disaster on April 15, 1912, Franklin was in charge of the White Star Line office and terminus affairs at IMM headquarters in New York City. Upon hearing about the ship's sinking via wireless messages, he did not at first assume the worst, saying in a statement to worried relatives and friends of the ship's ill-fated passengers and press reporters crowding outside the White Star Line offices at around 10:30 PM that night, "There is no danger that Titanic will sink. The boat is unsinkable, and nothing but inconvenience will be suffered by the passengers." Later, at about 11:30, he insisted, "We hope that reports from the Virginian and the Parisian will prove to be true, and that they will turn up with some of the passengers..." (Other than those already aboard the Cunard liner Carpathia) But, by midnight, Franklin admitted the seriousness of the situation, saying in a statement, "I thought her unsinkable, and I based my opinion on the best expert advice. I do not understand it." Nevertheless, his competent handling of the public relations crisis in New York at the time earned him praise from the directors of IMM, and Franklin was later promoted in due course as J. Bruce Ismay had fallen out of favor due to the latter's controversial association with the lost ship. Ismay had, at one point, been considered for the presidency of IMM before the Titanic disaster. Read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Albright_Small_Franklin

The White Star Line was a British shipping company. Founded out of the remains of a defunct packet company, it gradually rose up to become one of the most prominent shipping lines in the world, providing passenger and cargo services between the British Empire and the United States. While many other shipping lines focused primarily on speed, White Star branded their services by focusing more on providing comfortable passages for both upper class travellers and immigrants.

Today, it is remembered for the innovative vessel Oceanic and for the losses of some of their best passenger liners, including the wrecking of Atlantic in 1873, the sinking of Republic in 1909, the infamous loss of Titanic in 1912 and the wartime sinking of HMHS Britannic in 1916. Despite its casualties, the company retained a prominent hold on shipping markets around the globe before falling into decline during the Great Depression, which ultimately led to a merger with its chief rival, Cunard Line, which operated as Cunard-White Star Line until 1950, when Cunard purchased White Star's share in the joint company. Cunard Line then operated as a separate entity until 2005 and is now part of Carnival Corporation & plc. As a lasting reminder of the White Star Line, modern Cunard ships use the term White Star Service to describe the level of customer care expected of the company. Read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Star_Line

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Condition: Excellent

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.

Item ordered may not be exact piece shown. All original and authentic.
Price: $149.00