Share certificates are a unique way in which companies can promote themselves to their customer base. In the days before digitisation came along, they were an opportunity to showcase themselves to the people investing money in their company. As an ideal chance to promote themselves, they are often elaborate, colourful and full of fascinating detail giving insights into the company and its products.

Share certificates are highly collectable and often command high prices (one reason for us not having any in the collection). They are however a unique form of advertising and as such we are incredibly pleased to have been donated this one by one of our supporters, Guy Loveridge. Guy has many links to automotive history and among many other things he is current chairman of the Society of Automotive Historians in Britain, an automotive book publisher and a motor sport commentator. On top of this Guy is practical and hands-on and is helping with the rebuild of our Austin Ruby engine.

Close examination of this certificate shows one of the company’s products, a radial engine for use in aircraft.