Historical stocks, bonds, and share certificates are securities that have long since lost their material value. Nevertheless, these so-called nonvaleurs are too good to be thrown away. With their elaborate graphic design, historical securities provide information about companies and businesses, many of which no longer exist or have long since been absorbed into other companies. They are an important source for the regional economic history of the 19th and 20th centuries.

In order to make these securities accessible to the public, the Mainz City Archives, in collaboration with the two experts and collectors Prof. Dr. Volker Beeck and Frank Kinback, has selected 20 historical securities from Mainz and the surrounding region for an online exhibition.