R.F.O. WEALTH ADVICE

17 One may thus sometimes discover the family business history, the history of indus- try, arts and professions and very often the history of family fortunes or debacles. It is not simply a hobby, it is a specialised type of collecting which is carried out in many ways: per category on specific themes such as railway or tram companies, mining companies or banks, rather wide themes which have involved many different issuers. Some certificates are linked to well known business people such as the Rothschilds or Vanderbilts. In the case of shares, they are issued by companies which are practically never reimbursed, but in order to be paid they must be sold to another purchaser. In some cases they earn dividends depending on how well the company is performing. As far as bonds are concerned, they can be issued either by companies, governments or public bodies and indeed even by individuals and usually pay a fixed interest rate. Today collectors who purchase such objects have as their reference market other collectors, auctions, stock exchanges or online sales platforms. Their value is determined by several factors. Firstly their rarity, vignette,, drawing, historical period, hand-written signature of a famous person, date and condition.