Société Industrielle du Radium Limited is a British company created to commercially exploit radium, the radioactive element discovered by Pierre and Marie Curie in 1898. Radium, extracted from pitchblende and uraniferous minerals, was at the start of the 20th century one of the most precious and coveted materials in the world, with medical (radiotherapy for cancer), industrial (luminescent paints) and scientific applications. The 1920s–1930s saw the creation of many radium extraction and refining companies, notably in the Belgian Congo (Shinkolobwe), Czechoslovakia and Canada. Société Industrielle du Radium Limited, incorporated under the Companies Consolidation Act 1908, has a capital of £200,000 divided into 50,000 shares of £4 each. Certificate N°827 represents 100 shares (N°31564 to 31663) held by M. Georges residing in Paris. Issued on 19 May 1930, signed by both Directors (S.T. Harman and Nayldeane) and Secretary Parkes. The document is bilingual in English and French, reflecting the Franco-British orientation of the company. By 1930, the commercial radium market was in decline, superseded by radon and uranium. A rare document linking the history of radioactivity with British industrial scripophily.