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Importing and Exporting Company of South Carolina Confederate Blockade Runner Stock Certificate

Rare.  About 12 known.  Charleston, SC. Only about one-half of the known certificates have nice eye appeal such as this one.

Company had steamers Alice, Caroline, Cecile, Ella (II), Emily (II), Fannie, Helen Denny, Margaret and Jessie, Maude Campbell, William G. Hewes.

Stock Certificate signed by W. C. Bee.  Bee was president of this company and a prominent Charleston citizen that invested significant amounts of his own money towards running the blockade.  Much of the success of this company was due to Captain James Carlin...acknowledged as one of the most successful captains to run the U.S. Navy’s blockade.

This company was one of the earliest blockade runner companies.  Charleston shipping and commission merchants, W. C. Bee and C. T. Mitchel, ran the company.  They initially purchased 2 ¼ shares each in the first offering of 100 shares.  The company became known as the “Bee Company” and its sale of imported goods were known as “Bee Sales”.  This was because of Bee’s strong association with the company.  The largest shareholder was rival John Fraser and Co which held 9 ½ shares of the initial 100.  In April 1862 the company undertook its first of many ventures.  This company was the largest and most successful of all the blockade runner companies and it more than paid back investors for their investment.  Total dividends paid during the war totaled $9,000 and 120 English pounds per share.  The company concluded operations on January 20, 1865.  After the war, company assets were sold in Europe and an additional dividend of 70 English pounds was paid to close the books.