This is a gold bond certificate issued by the Reading Company during the 1930s. Large-format and printed in green, it features a vignette of figures symbolizing industry. It bears cancellation stamps and perforations. Offered as a collectible. Shipped flat. 

The Reading Company, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was one of the most influential railroads of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Originally chartered in 1833 as the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, it was created to haul anthracite coal from the mines of northeastern Pennsylvania to Philadelphia and beyond. Its access to the coalfields made it one of the richest corporations in the United States during the mid-1800s, and for decades it was the largest corporation in the world by revenue.

The Reading was more than just a coal hauler. It grew into a diversified transportation empire, operating not only freight lines but also an extensive passenger network across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Its iconic Reading Terminal in Philadelphia became a major transportation hub and architectural landmark, blending commerce with travel. Culturally, the railroad is immortalized as the “Reading Railroad” space in the Monopoly board game, cementing its place in American pop culture. Its streamlined passenger trains, like the Crusader and King Coal, symbolized both elegance and efficiency.

The Reading fell victim to the decline of coal demand and competition from trucking and highways. In 1976, after years of financial struggle, it was absorbed into Conrail under the federal government’s restructuring of Northeastern railroads. Today, the Reading name still resonates with collectors, railroad historians, and enthusiasts of Americana.

By the 1930s, it was in financial decline during the Great Depression. This issued and cancelled bond reflects the era of railroad financing in America’s industrial heartland and remains a striking collectible with bold coloration.