Ottoman Share Certificate Compagnie Industrielle du Levant Belgium Company in Smyrna İzmir

Ottoman Share Certificate - Compagnie Industrielle du Levant, Smyrna (1926)

Description

A bilingual Ottoman Turkish (Arabic script) and French share certificate issued in 1926 for Compagnie Industrielle du Levant, based in Smyrna (modern İzmir). The certificate predates the Turkish Alphabet Reform (November 1, 1928), and therefore Ottoman Turkish is written in the Arabic script.

The company was founded in 1902 in Brussels, Belgium, with the objective of establishing, acquiring, leasing, or operating industrial, commercial, financial, or other enterprises in the Levant, particularly in Asia Minor. At the time of issuance, the company’s capital was 500,000 Ottoman Lira, divided into 20,000 shares, with this certificate representing one of those shares. Historical operations included ventures such as a cotton factory in İzmir.

The certificate features Belgian Royal Tax Stamps alongside Ottoman fiscal stamps, reflecting cross-national commercial and fiscal practices during the late Ottoman and early Republican periods.

Key Features

• Date of Issue: 1926

• Language: Ottoman Turkish (Arabic script) and French

• Company: Compagnie Industrielle du Levant (Belgian origin)

• Headquarters: Smyrna (İzmir)

• Capital: 500,000 Ottoman Lira, divided into 20,000 shares

• Notable Stamps: Belgian Royal Arms, Ottoman fiscal stamps

• Historical Significance: Reflects foreign industrial investment in Ottoman territories and illustrates the use of bilingual financial documents in the late Ottoman period.