Curtin Oil Company – Stock Certificate for 1,000 Shares, Serial No. 785, June 30, 1875

Early engraved stock certificate issued by the Curtin Oil Company of Venango County, Pennsylvania, dated June 30, 1875, for 1,000 shares at $10 each. The certificate features classic oil-field imagery including derricks, barrels, and refining scenes, along with a bold eagle vignette and ornate side panel design. Issued during the formative decades of the American petroleum industry, this certificate captures the speculative energy of the Pennsylvania oil boom.

Company Background:
Venango County was at the heart of America’s first oil rush following Edwin Drake’s successful well in 1859. By the 1870s, hundreds of small oil companies operated in western Pennsylvania, drilling wells and refining crude oil for kerosene and industrial lubricants. Firms like the Curtin Oil Company participated in the rapid development that laid the foundation for the modern petroleum industry, preceding the consolidation era dominated by Standard Oil.