A few antique certificates still hold value as securities, even though they are no longer traded on stock exchanges.

I do NOT estimate the value of such certificates. That is beyond my expertise. I strictly estimate the values collectors are likely to pay for certificates as collectors.

To discover whether your certificates may still have value as securities, or to learn more about the history of specific companies, you can do the research on your own or you can seek the advice of experts in the field of extinct securities.

If thinking about doing your own research, check out the advice on this page on Investopedia. Even though I'm a research guy, researching security values is an area I would probably defer to the pros (and save myself a lot of time.) In the United States, I currently know of five companies that actively research the values of old securities on a fee basis:

Before contacting them, check your certificates carefully. Are they cancelled in any way? If they are cancelled, no matter how lightly, then they no longer have value as securities. (Recognizing cancellation.)

Cancelled certificates do not have value as securities...

... but they still have value as collectibles. Search the database for information about estimated collectible values. Also, read about the pricing of certificates as collectibles. If you find your certificates are still not listed, PLEASE send copies.

Uncancelled gold bonds

I reserve my strongest possible warning about buying and selling uncancelled gold bonds as investments. Read carefully.

U.S. bonds cannot be redeemed for gold ! There are very specific U.S. laws (see Gold Bonds) that outlaw redemption in gold. If you encounter anyone offering to sell gold bonds as investments, STOP! Immediately contact an assistant U.S. attorney general. The Justice Department is very interested in stopping these criminals.

This is nothing to mess around with.

Some U.S. citizens have lost a lot of money on these schemes. If you don't believe me, that is your prerogative. However, I beg you to visit the U.S. Treasury Department's web site for in-depth information and what to watch out for. That site also has links to other sites that describe similar non-U.S. and European schemes.

I also discuss the purported values of gold bonds elsewhere on this web site. See Gold Bonds and Scams and Hypes.