Ringling Bros - Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows Specimen Stock

Ringling Bros - Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows Specimen Stock Certificate. Often called the most beautiful of scripophily stock certificate collectibles. Vignettes of clowns, circus animals and two horse pulled circus wagons. P.T. Barnum was the famous 19th century traveling showman. Bailey, a competitor, bought Barnum's show from his widow in the 1890s, and organized a railroad traveling show called THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH¨. The Ringling Brothers separately had a successful traveling circus in the 1890s. The two combined in 1907 when the Ringling Brothers bought the Barnum and Bailey Circus. The two shows toured independently until 1919, when they combined. The show's last performance under a tent was in 1956. Irvin Feld bought the company in 1967, performing in indoor arenas. The Feld family sold the circus to the Mattel company in 1971, but retained production control. They bought it back in 1982. Certificate is in EF condition.