A group of Northern speculators formed the American Submarine Company to take advantage of a vote in the U. Congress to approve the use of privateers. However, when President Abraham Lincoln declined to accept the authority, construction of this consortium’s submarine, the Intelligent Whale, languished. The boat was not completed until 1866, long after the war ended. The then ostensible owner, O. Halstead, made several efforts to sell it to the government, and the U. Navy finally held formal acceptance trials in 1872. The Intelligent Whale failed. Halstead was not present, having been murdered the year before by his mistress’s ex-lover. Beautifully engraved issued Certificate from The American Submarine Company printed in the 1860’s. This historic document was printed by the Ferd. Signed by William M.