{"product_id":"1860-american-express-company-stock-certificate-signed-by-founders-wells-fargo","title":"1860 American Express Company Stock Certificate Signed by Founders Wells \u0026 Fargo","description":"\u003ch3 style=\"color: rgb(34, 34, 34);\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: large;\"\u003e1860 American Express Company Stock Certificate Signed by Founders Henry Wells and William G. Fargo – GRAD Authenticated\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(34, 34, 34);\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: large;\"\u003eAn extraordinary piece of American financial history, this original \u003cb\u003e1860 American Express Company stock certificate bears the signatures of Henry Wells and William G. Fargo\u003c\/b\u003e, two of the most influential businessmen and pioneering financiers of 19th-century America. Together, these legendary entrepreneurs helped establish not one, but two of the most recognizable financial institutions in American history: \u003cb\u003eAmerican Express and Wells Fargo\u003c\/b\u003e, both of which remain major corporations more than 170 years after their founding.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(34, 34, 34);\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: large;\"\u003eDated October 20, 1860, just one year before the outbreak of the Civil War, this historic certificate represents five shares of American Express capital stock, with a stated value of $500 per share, totaling \u003cb\u003e$2,500—an enormous sum in mid-19th-century America\u003c\/b\u003e. Issued during the company’s first decade, the certificate offers a remarkable glimpse into the early financial foundations of an enterprise that would grow into a global financial powerhouse.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(34, 34, 34);\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: large;\"\u003eFounded in 1850, American Express helped revolutionize the transportation of money, valuables, and goods across a rapidly expanding nation. Wells and Fargo were instrumental in its early success and, in 1852, established Wells, Fargo \u0026amp; Company to serve the booming American West. Their businesses became essential to America’s commercial expansion, connecting distant communities, facilitating trade, and helping establish the financial infrastructure of a growing nation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(34, 34, 34);\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: large;\"\u003eThe certificate itself is an impressive example of 19th-century American financial engraving, featuring elaborate ornamental borders, patriotic American eagles, and detailed illustrations of a stagecoach and steamship—powerful symbols of the transportation and commerce that defined the company’s earliest operations. It is boldly signed by \u003cb\u003eHenry Wells as President and William G. Fargo as Secretary\u003c\/b\u003e, with an additional countersignature from the company treasurer.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(34, 34, 34);\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: large;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe certificate was originally issued to \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eCrommelin, Goodwin \u0026amp; Curtis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, a name associated with New York’s early Wall Street financial community. Contemporary records identify Crommelin \u0026amp; Goodwin as bankers operating from \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/search\/10+Wall+Street?entry=gmail\u0026amp;source=g\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/search\/10%2BWall%2BStreet?entry%3Dgmail%26source%3Dg\u0026amp;source=gmail\u0026amp;ust=1794095841535000\u0026amp;usg=AOvVaw2IkQp52Ua9u8RAlhVT2Uv1\"\u003e10 Wall Street\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e in 1859–1860, while surviving historical accounts establish Robert Oscar Crommelin as an active stockbroker and financier. This connection places the certificate within the financial circles of pre-Civil War New York, when American Express was still in its infancy and the foundations of modern American finance were being established.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(34, 34, 34);\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: large;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eFew partnerships in American business history have left such an enduring legacy.\u003c\/b\u003e More than 170 years later, the names American Express and Wells Fargo remain fixtures of American finance. This remarkable document represents a direct connection to the formative years of both institutions, signed by the very men who helped create them.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: rgb(34, 34, 34);\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: large;\"\u003eThe original signatures of Henry Wells and William G. Fargo have been \u003cb\u003eauthenticated by GRAD Authentication\u003c\/b\u003e. An exceptional historical collectible combining two legendary American entrepreneurs, an iconic early corporation, and a beautifully engraved financial document from the eve of the Civil War.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1913\" data-end=\"1974\" class=\"\" style=\"box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.6px;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"box-sizing: inherit;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: large;\"\u003eShipping FedEx with Insurance \u0026amp; Signature Confirmation\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BC Vintage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67952823042350,"sku":null,"price":1245.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0829\/5061\/9438\/files\/57_f2e26109-d22c-4c2b-ac45-4b5ba88129b0.png?v=1794029124","url":"https:\/\/bcvintage.com\/products\/1860-american-express-company-stock-certificate-signed-by-founders-wells-fargo","provider":"BC Vintage","version":"1.0","type":"link"}