Expert: Steven Taylor - 1/27/2010

Question
QUESTION: My mother has an old certifcate registered by the crown trust company in 1963 for 100 shares of new athona mines limited.Is this worth anything?

ANSWER: Unfortunately, from the information I have available, the shares have no current value.

The Company did a 1 for 3.5 reverse stock split and became Lakota Resources. Lakota was doing very well, and actually did a 2 for 1 forward split. They later fell on hard times, and was suspended, delisted and cease-traded in 2009. Those cease-trade orders remain in effect, and the stock does not currently trade anywhere.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Was Lakota Resourses sussessful filing for bankrupcy and if so does this make my mother's New Athona Mines Limited certificate completely worthless even if this company comes back to its ventures in Tanzania.

Answer
Currently, the company is trying to emerge from bankruptcy and later clear up its cease-trade orders and become relisted - somewhere. But, all of that will take significant funds - funds which they do not currently have. To raise that money, they will have to issue massive amounts of new common shares and will probably also have to reverse split the share again. Considering your mother currently has about 56 shares, the new dilution will likely reduce the valuation of her existing shares significantly. So, even if they are successful in clearing up their problems and return to trading, your mother's shares will probably not be worth much. However, you should continue to hold the shares and see what happens.