J. M. Smucker Company (Working Proof)

This item is an extremely rare American Bank Note Company working proof for a J. M. Smucker Company stock certificate.

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Reference:   Working proofs were used during the American Bank Note pre-production process. Each piece details the intricacies of the old fashioned cut-and-paste method in which the designs were developed. The proof was subsequently circulated amongst American Bank Note Company officials and the executives of the customer (in this case J. M. Smucker) for editing and approval. The markings from this process are evident on the layers of the proof and the distribution board as detailed by the images below. Once the approval and editing process was completed, the mass production of the certificate occurred for distribution to eventual shareholders. This unique item offers a glimpse into the bank note approval and printing process.

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Item Contents:   Working proof (1 piece), mounted on a cardboard backing.

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Presentation:   This item is presented on an oversized, rigid hard board that measures 12 1/2" (w) x 9 (h).

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Proof Sheet:   The main proof (pictured above) is covered by a clear layer (tissue sheet) with the working markings from the editing process. Other original markings appear directly on the proof sheet.

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Cardboard Backing:   The outside of the cardboard backing also contains approval notations as shown below:

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Company History:   Smuckers was founded in 1897 by Jerome Monroe Smucker who sold his first product, apple butter, from the back of a horse-drawn wagon. The company was incorporated in 1921.

Today, the J. M. Smucker Company is a marketer and manufacturer of fruit spreads, peanut butter, shortening and oils, ice cream toppings, sweetened condensed milk and health and natural foods and beverages. J.M. Smucker company brands include Smucker's, Santa Cruz Organic, Jif, Laura Scudder's, Crisco, Pillsbury, Eagle Brand, R.W. Knudsen Family, Hungry Jack, White Lily, and Martha White in the United States, along with Robin Hood, Five Roses, and Bick's in Canada.

The J. M. Smucker Company has been headquartered in Orrville, Ohio, since its founding, and has been family run for four generations. Since 1998, the company has appeared on FORTUNE Magazine's annual listing of the "100 Best Companies to Work For in the United States", ranking number one in 2004.

In May 2008, Smucker's purchased the food division of Knott's Berry Farm from ConAgra Foods, but not the theme park, which Cedar Fair owns.

On June 4, 2008, Smucker's bought the Folgers coffee brand division from Procter & Gamble for $3.3 billion.

    - from: www.wikipedia.org

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State Affiliations:   OH-Ohio

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See Additional American Bank Note Company Proofs