HAINAUT. MONS. Vente d'une Action de F500. black. No 101. 8-page document, of which only 2 pages are (hand)written plus a separate 2 page letter of the same date. The larger document has its right border heavily damaged with paper loss approx 1-2cm into the text. Yet, this is a hugely interesting document, written in the name of Guillaume, roi des Pays-Bas & Grand Duc de Luxembourg. It is a notary document issued in Mons which states that Mr. Florent Emanuel Montenez buys for 500 fr. a share in the Charbonnages de la Grande Garde de Dieu et Petit Picry inQuarignon form Marie-François Joseph le Debrue. The text continues with a third party, Mr. Pierre Joseph de Fontaine-Spitaels to whom the share seems to be transferred further on (if we understand correctly). This man was an important local banker and industrialist who wanted to consolidate much of the heavy industry (metallurgy and coal mining) in the region. With the aid of the Société Générale, this leads for instance to the creation of the S.A. des Hauts-Fourneaux, Usines et Charb. de Marcinelle et couillet (1833). Back on this much earlier coal mining company... we believe there were no actual shares issued, just a notary registration of the share holdings (as happened often in those days). Hence this is the oldest Belgian coal mining scripophily we have ever een able to offer. The mine, Charb. de la Grande Garde de Dieu et Petit Picry was later (1837) absorbed by the S.A. des Charb. de l'Agrappe&Grisoeuil. It was among the richest mines in the country. The Société Générale acquired the company but in 1846 sold it to the Compagnie des CharbonnagesBelges, led by the Rothschilds.