A ladies' father bought 500 shares of Oklahoma Peerless Oil & Refining
Company in 1919 in IL. Oklahoma Peerless was a Ardmore, OK company (my
home town). Her mother is in a nursing home in FL and has the original
Stock Certificate issued her dad in 1919. I have a copy of that
certificate. The daughter is trying to find out if this stock still
has value, and came here to Ardmore, OK a few months ago but found no
answers to her search. We still have a refinery here in Ardmore and it
has changed ownership about 6 times in 80 or 90 yrs. I told her
Peerless oil was probably bought out by another refinery here, do not
know how to find this info. We have found out Oklahoma Peerless filed
with the Secretary of State in OK in 1917 and was suspended by the Tax
Commission in 1925. The incorporators were Ardmoreites. I know these
500 Shares could be worth a considerable sum or may not be worth
anything. Should these stocks be of high value, anyone who helps find
the answer will be rewarded. Thanks in Advance.  -Butch Bridges,
Ardmore, OK

Hi. 

From http://www.e-analytics.com/stocks/oldstock.htm, 
the first thing to do is contact the Secretary of State 
for the state the shares were issued in. The State Corporation
Commission (or equivalent) for the issuing state may also be able to
provide some information if the company is still in business.

If the Secretary of State can't help, contact the "transfer agent,"
who will be listed on the stock certificate. If the transfer agent is
still in business and actively representing the company or its
successor, they will be able to provide the information required in
order to value the stock and to adjust the quantity of stock (in
necessary do to splits, mergers, etc.). Keep in mind that transfer
agents are not always in business several years later.

A company which provides the service you are looking for, for a fee,
is

R. M. Smythe in New York specializes in researching, auctioning,
buying, and selling historic paper, and will find out if your stock
has any value. The fee is $75 per issue. Their address is 26 Broadway,
Suite 271, New York, NY, 10004-1701; their web site is located at
http://www.rm-smythe.com; and their phone number is 800-622-1880.

"Old Company Research" could help you find this out.
For a $39.95 fee, they can determine if  the certificates have any 
value. Even if they have no investment value, they may be interested
in buying the certificate as a collectible.  

If they do not find any information regarding the company being
researched, you will not charged for their service or time. 
Their number is 1-888-STOCKS6 or dial direct to 703-579-4209. 
http://www.oldcompanyresearch.com/

You can find out if the company was acquired in Capital Changes
Reporter that is published by CCH.  It may be in your library.  If
not, a legal or accounting firm may have a copy.