This Reynolds Metals Company Specimen Stock Certificate was printed in 1985 from the company famous for their Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil.

The Reynolds Metals Co. as founded in 1919 in Kentucky by the nephew of R.J. Reynolds (tobacco). Reynolds manufactured many aluminum items including aluminum siding in the 1940s, boats and more but became iconic for their Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil. Reynolds would become one of the largest Aluminum manufactures in world employing over 30,000 people. Reynolds was acquired by Alcoa in 2000.

Specimen stock certificates are certificates that were archived by printers and the company as perfect examples of the company’s stock issue. Specimen’s can be identified by their “specimen” stamp, stamped holes spelling “specimen”, or they are often issued with a serial number of a series of zeros. Often, they are also issued with no serial number at all. Specimens can also represent a design that was never issued. All of these attributes make the specimen stock certificate rarer than the issued version of the share. Many enthusiasts collect specimens as a whole new category of Scripophily.