Scripophily (collecting stock and bond certificates) is the art of the deal literally. Since the 1800s, industries have engraved ornate stock certificates as both a pictorial testament to their economic power and a way to thwart counterfeiters.
But today, digital trading is rendering stock certificates obsolete. Gary Dietz, president of Dietz Associates (www.robinsoft.com), wants to preserve these old certificates. " Our Web site shows people the beauty and historical value these collectibles bring," Dietz says." Visitors can look and learn, or they can buy." Yeah, at US$25 to $3,000 a crack.
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The Aesthetics of Equaity
