Early Collins Stock Certificates
by: Larry Tjaden
 When Arthur's home-based manufacturing company gradually expanded, it became apparent that his business entity should be an s-corporation - with all of the legitimacy and protection provided within.
 Arthur and his father, Merle (M. H.) incorporated their new company within the state of Delaware. At the time, Delaware was the "makes financial sense" state, because of its lower corporate tax laws. They filed on September 9, 1933, and the Collins Radio Comany became a legitimate corporation.
We have, in our archives, the original bound certificate book, for the Iowa-based corporation - with every one of the completed certificates, returned and glued back into their correct place. In all, there were 37 sheets used - the rest of them, numbers 38 to 249 were unused.
It appears number 250 was removed as a souvenir?

 The stock distribution of the original Delaware Corporation's 250 shares were as follows:
Arthur A. Collins, one share; Merle H. Collins, one share; Margaret V. D. Collins, Arthur's wife, 124 shares; Faith A. Collins, Merle's wife - Arthur's mother, 124 shares.
Each share was valued at $116.

 Later, in 1937, the company decided to change its corporate registration from Delaware to Iowa, this action also entailed re-issuing the existing stock certificate paperwork from old Delaware shares to new Iowa shares.

 The original number of 250 shares were transferred on May 18, 1937, now valued at $295.23 apiece. In 1940 an additional 72 shares were issued, 36 each to Arthur and Merle.

 Again, this was a privately held company where the share certificates were not distributed far from the original book. Only a couple of the them have fold marks where they were mailed to their owners.


Blank Certificate - Iowa Corporation

 Here is an example of a certificate after it was re-attached to the master book. The pages had to be removed so they could be completed, both front and back, with a typewriter. Note that all certificates have been "cancelled" and received official United States Internal Revenue Documentary stamps when reassigned or cashed-in.


Certificate number 1 was created from the Delaware-based stock; and later, transferred to Arthur A. Collins as certificate number 5, below.

Certificate number 5 carries Arthur's name/ownership.

 Share numbers 1 through 4 were used to transfer the Delaware stock to the new Iowa-based corporation. Ownership was then immediately moved forward to Arthur, Merle, Margaret and Faith. Notice that Margaret and Faith were both assigned a 1/2-share, in preparation for Mr. Herdon's single share. Share number 11 was assigned to W. K. Herdon, who could possibly be the first person, outside the family, to own stock - later W. J. Barkley will receive 1 share.

 I tried a little research on W. K. Herdon of 6521 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif., but to no avail.

 Mr. William J. Barkley joined the company March 1, 1935 as Vice-president and General Sales Manager, working out of his office in New York City. He retired in 1955 after serving the company for twenty years.

 W. J. Barkley's share was returned to the book but there is no evidence, by surrender or transfer, that the stock was sold, however it was tagged as "cancelled"

 Share number 8 is interesting in that one Mary R. Andrews made a claim to one of Merle's shares of stock. The indebtedness must have been settled by other means because there is no evidence of her receiving a share.

 Below, is an attempt to show the distribution, and change of ownership, of all 322 shares - up to the end of the book in 1944 when Arthur, serving as the executor of his dad's estate, moved 134 shares to his name.
At that date, I'm assuming the company was about to become a public corporation with shares traded on the Stock Exchange - with all new certificates.

 
Click on the No., on left, to view the certificate. Use your browser's 'go-back' button to return.
No.SharesDateIssued ToTransferred FromOrigional Certificate No.No. of Origional SharesNew Certificate No.Surrender DateSurrendered To
1118may1937Collins Radio Co.Delaware Stock  518may1937Arthur A. Collins
212418may1937Collins Radio Co.Delaware Stock  6 & 718may1937Margaret V. D. Collins
3118may1937Collins Radio Co.Delaware Stock  818may1937M. H. Collins
412418may1937Collins Radio Co.Delaware Stock  9 & 1018may1937Faith A. Collins
5118may1937Arthur A. CollinsCollins Radio Co.115  
6123½18may1937Margaret V. D. CollinsCollins Radio Co.21245  
7½18may1937Margaret V. D. CollinsCollins Radio Co.21241112oct1937W. K. Herndon
8118may1937M. H. CollinsCollins Radio Co.31   
9123½18may1937Faith A. CollinsCollins Radio Co.4124   
10½18may1937Faith A. CollinsCollins Radio Co.41241112oct1937W. K. Herndon
11112oct1937W. K. HerndonMargaret & Faith Collins7 & 10½ & ½   
12½12oct1937Margaret V. D. CollinsW. K. Herndon111   
13½12oct1937Faith A. CollinsW. K. Herndon111   
1415jan1940W. J. BarkleyMargaret & Faith Collins12 & 13½ & ½   
151015feb1940M. H. CollinsFaith A. Collins9123½   
161015feb1940M. H. CollinsFaith A. Collins9123½   
171015feb1940M. H. CollinsFaith A. Collins9123½   
181015feb1940M. H. CollinsFaith A. Collins9123½   
191015feb1940M. H. CollinsFaith A. Collins9123½   
201015feb1940M. H. CollinsFaith A. Collins9123½   
211015feb1940M. H. CollinsFaith A. Collins9123½   
221015feb1940M. H. CollinsFaith A. Collins9123½   
231015feb1940Faith A.. CollinsFaith A. Collins9123½   
241015feb1940Faith A.. CollinsFaith A. Collins9123½   
251015feb1940Faith A.. CollinsFaith A. Collins9123½   
261015feb1940Faith A.. CollinsFaith A. Collins9123½   
2715feb1940Faith A.. CollinsFaith A. Collins9123½   
28367nov1940M. H. CollinsCollins Radio Co.     
29367nov1940Arthur A. CollinsCollins Radio Co.     
302418dec1941Arthur A. CollinsM. H. Collins2836  Arthur A. Collins
311218dec1941Arthur A. CollinsM. H. Collins2836  Arthur A. Collins
32218dec1941Arthur A. CollinsFaith A. Collins27  Arthur A. Collins
3318dec1941Arthur A. CollinsFaith A. Collins27  Arthur A. Collins
34221dec1941Arthur A. CollinsM. H. & Faith A. Collins8 & 331 & 1½  Arthur A. Collins
35½31dec1941Arthur A. CollinsFaith A. Collins33  Arthur A. Collins
368015jul1943Arthur A. CollinsM. H. Collins15 thru 2210 each  Arthur A. Collins
371228mar1944Arthur A. CollinsM. H. Collins3112  Arthur A. Collins
38Blank