If the company that originally issued the certificate is still around, or has been acquired by a company or string of companies that still exist, your certificate might be worth something. You can research it yourself for free using resources on the Web or in some public and university libraries. Also check with the state agency (often the secretary of state) that registers corporations in the company’s home state. Several companies research old stock certificates for a fee. Very old, rare stock certificates sometimes have value as a collector’s item. For more information, see http://www.sec.gov/answers/oldcer.htm or http://www.investopedia.com/articles/02/101802.asp or http://www.sls.lib.il.us/reference/por/features/99/comphist.html.