<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 B000000 12/31/96
000 C000000 0000018748
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 A
001 A000000 CENTRAL SECURITIES CORPORATION
001 B000000 811-179
001 C000000 2126883011
002 A000000 375 PARK AVENUE
002 B000000 NEW YORK
002 C000000 NY
002 D010000 10152
002 D020000 0055
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
007 C010100 1
007 C010200 2
007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
007 C011100 11
007 C011200 12
007 C011300 13
007 C011400 14
007 C011500 15
007 C011600 16
007 C011700 17
007 C011800 18
007 C011900 19
007 C012000 20
007 C012100 21
007 C012200 22
007 C012300 23
007 C012400 24
007 C012500 25
007 C012600 26
007 C012700 27
007 C012800 28
<PAGE> PAGE 2
007 C012900 29
007 C013000 30
007 C013100 31
007 C013200 32
007 C013300 33
007 C013400 34
007 C013500 35
007 C013600 36
007 C013700 37
007 C013800 38
007 C013900 39
007 C014000 40
012 A000001 FIRST CHICAGO TRUST COMPANY OF NEW YORK
012 B000001 85-05287
012 C010001 JERSEY CITY
012 C020001 NJ
012 C030001 07303
012 C040001 2500
013 A000001 KPMG PEAT MARWICK LLP
013 B010001 NEW YORK
013 B020001 NY
013 B030001 10154
015 A000001 THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, N.A.
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 NEW YORK
015 C020001 NY
015 C030001 10003
015 E010001 X
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 N
019 B000000 0
020 A000001 TUCKER ANTHONY & R.L. DAY
020 B000001 04-2236023
020 C000001 47
020 A000002 NEUBERGER & BERMAN
020 B000002 13-5521910
020 C000002 32
020 A000003 PFORZHEIMER, CARL H. & COMPANY
020 B000003 13-5315200
020 C000003 23
020 A000004 INGALLS & SNYDER
020 B000004 13-5156620
020 C000004 12
020 A000005 WM. BLAIR & CO.
020 B000005 36-2214610
020 C000005 10
020 A000006 NORDBERG CAPITAL INC.
020 B000006 13-2975128
020 C000006 7
020 A000007 PAINE WEBBER
020 B000007 13-2638166
<PAGE> PAGE 3
020 C000007 6
020 A000008 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH
020 B000008 13-5674085
020 C000008 5
020 A000009 MORGAN STANLEY & CO.
020 B000009 13-2655998
020 C000009 4
020 A000010 DAVENPORT & CO.
020 B000010 54-0901611
020 C000010 4
021 000000 151
022 A000001 CHEVRON CORP.
022 B000001 25-1215010
022 C000001 173360
022 D000001 36795
022 A000002 FORD MOTOR CREDIT CORP.
022 B000002 38-2138998
022 C000002 159887
022 D000002 3430
022 A000003 GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORP.
022 B000003 13-1500700
022 C000003 125193
022 D000003 14827
022 A000004 U.S. GOVERNMENT TREASURY
022 C000004 18536
022 D000004 0
022 A000005 DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE
022 B000005 13-1898818
022 C000005 1464
022 D000005 1020
022 A000006 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH
022 B000006 13-5674085
022 C000006 0
022 D000006 2396
022 A000007 JEFFRIES & CO.
022 B000007 95-2622900
022 C000007 0
022 D000007 815
022 A000008 HOWARD WEIL LABOUISSE, FREIDRICHS, INC.
022 B000008 72-0696314
022 C000008 0
022 D000008 680
022 A000009 MORGAN STANLEY & CO.
022 B000009 13-2655998
022 C000009 0
022 D000009 572
022 A000010 MGI PHARMA, INC.
022 B000010 41-1364647
022 C000010 500
022 D000010 0
023 C000000 478940
<PAGE> PAGE 4
023 D000000 60535
024 000000 N
025 D000001 0
025 D000002 0
025 D000003 0
025 D000004 0
025 D000005 0
025 D000006 0
025 D000007 0
025 D000008 0
026 A000000 N
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 Y
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 N
026 G020000 N
026 H000000 N
027 000000 N
028 A010000 0
028 A020000 0
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 0
028 B010000 0
028 B020000 0
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 0
028 C010000 0
028 C020000 0
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 0
028 D010000 0
028 D020000 0
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 0
028 E010000 0
028 E020000 0
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 0
028 F010000 0
028 F020000 0
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 0
028 G010000 0
028 G020000 0
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 0
028 H000000 0
030 A000000 0
030 B000000 0.00
<PAGE> PAGE 5
030 C000000 0.00
031 A000000 0
031 B000000 0
032 000000 0
033 000000 0
035 000000 0
036 B000000 0
038 000000 0
042 A000000 0
042 B000000 0
042 C000000 0
042 D000000 0
042 E000000 0
042 F000000 0
042 G000000 0
042 H000000 0
043 000000 0
044 000000 0
045 000000 N
048 000000 0.000
048 A010000 0
048 A020000 0.000
048 B010000 0
048 B020000 0.000
048 C010000 0
048 C020000 0.000
048 D010000 0
048 D020000 0.000
048 E010000 0
048 E020000 0.000
048 F010000 0
048 F020000 0.000
048 G010000 0
048 G020000 0.000
048 H010000 0
048 H020000 0.000
048 I010000 0
048 I020000 0.000
048 J010000 0
048 J020000 0.000
048 K010000 0
048 K020000 0.000
055 A000000 N
055 B000000 N
056 000000 N
057 000000 N
058 A000000 N
059 000000 Y
060 A000000 Y
060 B000000 Y
061 000000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 6
062 A000000 N
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 0.0
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 0.0
066 A000000 Y
066 B000000 N
066 C000000 Y
066 D000000 N
066 E000000 N
066 F000000 N
066 G000000 N
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069 000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 N
070 B010000 Y
070 B020000 Y
070 C010000 Y
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 Y
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 Y
070 E020000 N
070 F010000 Y
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 Y
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 Y
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 Y
<PAGE> PAGE 7
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 N
070 L010000 Y
070 L020000 Y
070 M010000 Y
070 M020000 N
070 N010000 Y
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 Y
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 Y
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 32700
071 B000000 28276
071 C000000 285792
071 D000000 10
072 A000000 12
072 B000000 2004
072 C000000 3884
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 137
072 F000000 0
072 G000000 0
072 H000000 955
072 I000000 61
072 J000000 61
072 K000000 3
072 L000000 43
072 M000000 49
072 N000000 23
072 O000000 100
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 47
072 S000000 44
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 1
072 W000000 386
072 X000000 1773
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 4252
072AA000000 18154
072BB000000 0
072CC010000 52705
072CC020000 0
072DD010000 4397
<PAGE> PAGE 8
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 17908
073 A010000 0.2800
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 1.3700
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 148
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 30109
074 D000000 0
074 E000000 292
074 F000000 323472
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 2972
074 J000000 0
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 178
074 M000000 22
074 N000000 357193
074 O000000 232
074 P000000 0
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 275
074 S000000 9102
074 T000000 347584
074 U010000 13555
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 25.64
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 2743
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 322840
076 000000 24.12
077 A000000 Y
077 B000000 Y
077 Q020000 Y
078 000000 N
080 A000000 VIGILANT INSURANCE COMPANY
080 C000000 950
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 1
082 A000000 N
082 B000000 0
083 A000000 N
083 B000000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 9
084 A000000 N
084 B000000 0
085 A000000 N
085 B000000 N
086 A010000 0
086 A020000 0
086 B010000 0
086 B020000 0
086 C010000 0
086 C020000 0
086 D010000 0
086 D020000 0
086 E010000 0
086 E020000 0
086 F010000 0
086 F020000 0
087 A010000 COMMON STOCK
087 A020000 155123102
087 A030000 CET
087 B010000 $2.00 SERIES D CONVERTIBLE PREFERENCE
087 B020000 155123409
087 B030000 CETPRD
088 A000000 N
088 B000000 N
088 C000000 N
088 D000000 Y
SIGNATURE WILMOT H. KIDD, III
TITLE PRESIDENT
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<MULTIPLIER> 1,000
<S> <C> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS 12-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1996 DEC-31-1996
<PERIOD-END> JUN-30-1996 DEC-31-1996
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 135,609 142,124
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 320,692 356,846
<RECEIVABLES> 1,364 178
<ASSETS-OTHER> (2) 169
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 322,054 357,193
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 0 232
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 0 0
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 146 508
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 9,437 9,102
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 106,505 117,638
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 13,025 13,555
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 13,018 13,025
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 965 95
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 6,893 1,573
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 185,083 214,722
<NET-ASSETS> 321,908 356,686
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 2,065 3,884
<INTEREST-INCOME> 990 2,004
<OTHER-INCOME> 5 137
<EXPENSES-NET> 703 1,773
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 2,357 4,252
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 6,921 18,154
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 23,066 52,706
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 32,344 75,112
<EQUALIZATION> 0 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> 1,483 4,397
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 1,501 17,908
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 0 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 0 0
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 0 488,432
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 0 488,432
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 1,660 91
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 12,979 1,473
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 0 0
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 703 1,773
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 309,325 322,840
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 21.74 21.74
<PER-SHARE-NII> 0.18 0.33
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> 2.30 5.28
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> 0.11 0.34
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0.12 1.37
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0.00 0.00
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 23.99 25.64
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 0.45 0.55
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0 0
</TABLE>