Century Ribbon Mills, Inc. (Ernest & Herman Levy) - 1930's dated Stock Certificate - Produced and Sold Silk Ribbon

General Stock. Pretty vignette of seminude female printed by American Bank Note Company. Rare!!! Available in Brown. Please specify color.

Ernest Levy was born in Germany in 1853. At the age of 24, he emigrated to the United States alongside his brother, Hermann, after spending several months engaged in trade within the diamond fields of the Transvaal, South Africa. In 1878, seeking refuge from the cold, Ernest Levy entered a New York auction room. When he raised his hand to wipe his brow, the auctioneer mistakenly interpreted this gesture as a bid of $50, resulting in Ernest acquiring a "jag of ribbon." After successfully selling the ribbon for a profit, the brothers recognized the potential in the ribbon industry and founded the Ernest & Hermann Levy company.

The Levy brothers gradually developed their business, and by 1922, it had transformed into Century Ribbon Mills, Inc. Limited information is available regarding Ernest Levy's life, but in 1925, he was one of three benefactors who contributed to the preservation of St. James' Protestant Episcopal Church, commonly referred to as "the Church of the Presidents," located in Elberon, New Jersey. Additionally, he was responsible for the construction of the West End Casino in West End, New Jersey. In his later years, Ernest Levy resided at 1160 Park Avenue, a fourteen-story apartment building designed by George T. Pelham and completed in 1925. He passed away at the age of 76 on January 21, 1929.