AMSTERDAM. Aandeel Fl.250. Serie 1. green, black. #40000. No 21999. Brown staining at the top border and also a small piece of the top border missing, luckily outside the printed part of the certificate. A little more staining at the bottom and at the right border. Text in Dutch on the front and German on the back. Thebank was founded in Dec. 1871 by 9 banks: 5 from Germany, 2 from Austria and 2 Dutch banks. Most capital came from The Bank für Handel und Industrie (Darmstadt) and the k.k. priv. Osterr. Credit-Anstalt für Handel &Gewerbe (Vienna). They each invested1,7 mio Guilders out of a total of 7.9 million (this lot includes a detailled list of its founding shareholders and the capital they each invested). A public share issue followed on Jan. 1, 1872 through which 40.000 shares of 250 Guilders each were sold. What we offer is one of these founder shares. After the Franco-Prussian war (1870-71), Germany received considerable amounts of French war damage payments. It now sought ways to invest it in foreign companies. Hence the German idea for this Dutch bank, a bank which would help stimulate the trade relations between Germany and the Netherlands. The Amsterdamsche Bank soon became very active in the Amsterdam diamond industry and was also an important player on the Dutch stock market. Expansionin other Dutch cities quickly followed, partly through acquisistions. In 1964, the bank merged with the Rotterdamsche Bank to form AMRO Bank. In 1990 followed the merger between ABN Bank and AMRO to form ABN AMRO Group. An important piece of Dutch banking history.