{"product_id":"american-express-company-stock-certificate-from-1865-signed-by-fargo-john-butterfield","title":"American Express Company Stock Certificate from 1865 Signed by Fargo \u0026 John Butterfield","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is an original stock certificate from the American Express Company, dated April 4th, 1865. It was\u003cstrong\u003e signed by William G. Fargo\u003c\/strong\u003e served as the first Secretary, the co-founder of American Express and Wells Fargo, \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Butterfield\u003c\/strong\u003e the co-founder of American Express and founder of the Butterfield Overland Mail, and Alexander Holland who was an early and important officer of American Express who helped manage its financial and administrative growth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFeatures a vignette with dog in circular frame at top guarding a safe and rail station and ship yard. The certificate represents 500 shares with a par value of $100 and is issued to Joseph R. Dudley.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShows age-appropriate wear and toning typical of 19th century stock certificates, adding authentic character to this Civil War-era document. The certificate bears cancellation markings, indicating this certificate was redeemed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1865, American Express was transforming from a regional freight company into a financial powerhouse under the leadership of \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Butterfield Jr.\u003c\/strong\u003e, son of the legendary stagecoach king who had built the Overland Mail route to California. The elder Butterfield's transportation empire laid the foundation for what would become one of America's most enduring financial institutions. Founded in 1850 through the merger of express companies owned by \u003cstrong\u003eHenry Wells\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eWilliam Fargo\u003c\/strong\u003e, American Express initially focused on moving goods and money across the expanding frontier. By the Civil War era, the company was pioneering the money order system and establishing the trust that would make it synonymous with secure financial services. The firm survived the economic upheavals of Reconstruction and would eventually evolve into the global payments giant known today, though it sold its express operations to focus entirely on financial services by the 20th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCertificates from American Express's earliest decades capture the company at its most entrepreneurial moment, when the express business was building the infrastructure that modern commerce depends upon. Civil War-era financial documents represent a particularly dynamic period in American capitalism, as companies navigated wartime disruption while positioning for post-war expansion. Offered as a collectible.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ticker History","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52558388068639,"sku":"BANK-AE-SI-OLV-1865-001","price":1200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0836\/8757\/1743\/files\/american-express-company-stock-certificate-1890-front-1.jpg?v=1779366702","url":"https:\/\/shop.tickerhistory.com\/zh\/products\/american-express-company-stock-certificate-from-1865-signed-by-fargo-john-butterfield","provider":"Ticker History","version":"1.0","type":"link"}