Franklin Electronic Publishers Specimen Stock Certificate

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Franklin Electronic Publishers Specimen - Apple Computer Clones

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Our Price: $88.00

Sale Price: $75.00

Vintage Stock Certificate

Product Code: SC1881

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Description

Founded in 1981 as the Franklin Computer Corporation in New Jersey, Franklin Electonics sold clones of the Apple II computer called the Franklin ACE 100 and the ACE 1000 which was equivalent to the Apple II Plus. Apple sued Franklin for copyright infringement for reverse engineering their computers and copying their computer code. This was one of the first cases that centered around the idea that computer code could be protected and set precedent for years to come. Apple won their case and Franklin filed Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in 1984.

Franklin peaked at over 450 employees and continued operations making Apple clones after their Bankruptcy. Eventually being forced out the computer market, they pivoted to hand-held devices such as spell checkers, dictionaries, references and bibles. They even had Johnny Cash as a spokesperson for their Bible device. It eventually merged with the Sanders Acquisition Company in 2009.

Stock certificate printed in 1994.

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.