Share certificate
- I have lost my share certificate. How do I get a new one?
- Do I need a share certificate?
- I reported a lost share certificate but now I've found it. What do I do?
Answers
Q: I have lost my share certificate. How do I get a new one?
A: Please advise the Registrar - in writing - which share certificate is lost and you will be sent a Letter of Indemnity for completion. You should sign and return this to the Registrar to enable a duplicate share certificate to be issued. You can contact the Registrar.
Q: Do I need a share certificate?
A: A share certificate in your name is evidence of your ownership of shares. However, with the development of electronic means of trading shares, most corporate investors no longer use share certificates and rely instead on secure systems for exchanging data with the registrar and the London Stock Exchange. Some brokers now offer services which enable you to hold shares in electronic format without needing to have a share certificate. This means that in theory you can deal much faster because there is no need to supply certificates as evidence of ownership, but there is often a charge for this service.
Q: I reported a lost share certificate but now I've found it. What do I do?
A: If you have already completed a letter of indemnity and sent it back to the Registrar, the original certificate is now invalid. You must send it back to the Registrar to be cancelled.
If you have not yet returned it, please send the letter of indemnity back to the Registrar with a covering letter confirming that you have found the certificate and there is no need for a replacement to be issued.