Colored sheet seal? adhesive affixed near the left edge to a plain sheet .

TRANSCRIPTION Front: Stonington Oct 19, 1857 Treasurer of New York & New Haven Rail Road Please Pay James I. Van Alen Esq. or Order such Dividends as may be due on Twenty five Shares of your Stock Standing in my Name. John A. Trumbull Reverse (endorsement heading): John A. Trumbull Oct 19th 1857 order for dividend ITEM DESCRIPTION (Premium Listing Format) 1857 NEW YORK & NEW HAVEN RAILROAD – STOCK DIVIDEND ORDER Issued at Stonington, Connecticut & Signed by Shareholder John A. Trumbull Original handwritten dividend authorization to transfer dividend payment rights to James I. Van Alen, a well-known New York businessman and banker. The order directs the Treasurer of the New York & New Haven Railroad to remit dividend payments on 25 shares standing in Trumbull’s name. This form represents the actual step required to claim or reassign corporate dividend distributions before the widespread use of standardized dividend checks. Shareholders routinely issued these written orders to accountants, brokers, or bankers for processing. HISTORICAL CONTEXT In 1857, the New York & New Haven Railroad was still a relatively young line, chartered to link Manhattan and New Haven along the Long Island Sound. The year was marked by financial strain across the United States due to the Panic of 1857, a nationwide economic contraction that put pressure on banks, railroads, and industrial investors. Despite the downturn, the NY&NH continued paying dividends — a sign of stability and strong passenger/freight demand, especially on the New York commuter corridor. This piece also references: James I. Van Alen (1819–1886), notable New York financier and member of a prominent Newport family. Stonington, Connecticut, an important coastal railroad junction on earlier shoreline transportation routes. Documents linking known financiers to active railroad investment during the financial turmoil of 1857 are desirable examples of mid-19th-century stock handling.

It measures approx. 2 3/4" x 7 1/2"

**Shipped securely inside a poly sleeve sandwiched in cardboard, inside a rigid mailer via USPS Ground Advantage service w/ tracking**