Watch List notes:

China Mail Steamship Company, Ltd., share receipt and agreement for 20 units, dated 23rd May 1916, certificate number 349, capital of $2,100,000 divided into 100,000 shares. The company's first steamship CHINA at centre, flag with the company's logo at the bottom impressed with the company's stamp, green guilloché borders, hand-signed. China Mail Steamship Company was set up by a group of American-Chinese businessmen in San Francisco to fill in the void when Pacific Mail Steamship Co. decided in 1915 to withdraw its ships from the Oriental service. Despite the great popularity with the travelling public - the Chinese in particular - with ships no longer needed for military use after the first World War, the Pacific routes which the company operated in faced more competition and new capital was needed. Efforts to raise capital in Hong Kong and China were in vain, and mounting debts ultimately caused China Mail to go bankrupt in 1923. Very Fine, some minor holes and some expected folds and creases on such large documents.

Estimate: 3000 - 6000