For decades, Nucor and other publicly traded companies issued stock certificates to certify ownership of a specific number of shares of a company.  The various colors indicated the quantity of shares represented by each certificate. Nucor’s stock certificates featured intricate, high-quality engravings produced from a plate made by the American Bank Note Company. The certificates were printed in limited quantities, and blank certificates were kept in vaults at American Bank Note Company and at our transfer agent. Ever cost-conscious, even when Nucor changed the logo in 2000, the decision was made not to make a new plate and replace the 1972 logo on the stock certificates. However, Nucor did periodically change the signers of the stock certificates to update the CEO and CFO.  Leon Topalian and Steve Laxton were the last CEO and CFO, respectively, to sign physical stock certificates, which are now largely obsolete.  The physical stock certificates have been replaced by electronic “book-entry” records for more efficient, secure ownership tracking.