Henry Wells & William Fargo sign an American Express stock certificate 1865

Lot description

Signed by Wells & Fargo! American Express Company Stock Certificate owned by the eccentric Mrs. Elizabeth E.G. Emerson of Rochester WILLIAM FARGO (1818-1881) & HENRY WELLS (1805-1878) Partly Printed DS "Henry Wells" as President, "Wm G. Fargo" as Secretary and "Alex Holland" as Treasurer, 1p, 12 x 8.25. Completed in manuscript. New York, February 8, 1865. No. 1715. In part, "This Certfies that Mrs. Elizabeth E.G. Emerson - Rochester is entitled to One (1) Shares in the AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY...That the term of Said Company shall be Thirty Years from and after the first day of January 1860..." Printed form on verso, not filled out, indicates Mrs. Emerson never sold her one share. Light toning. Fine condition. At left and right portions: " Capital Stock / 6000 Shares / March 19th 1863" and " Shares 500 Dollars Each." Stamped in blue at left and right: " Authorized Capital / 10,000 Shares / Feby 11th 1865. " The American Express Company, which was formed in 1850 and disbanded by law in 1860, recapitalized in 1861. The pioneer service transported valuables, currency, mail and commodities across the country, expanding to banking and tourism after 1869. Signed by two co-founders of the American Express Company, Henry Wells and William G. Fargo, and by Alexander Holland, the son-in-law of the third co-founder, John Butterfield. Cancelled 5-cent Internal Revenue stamp affixed at upper left stamped " AE Co." Elizabeth E.G. Emerson's obituary in the March 9, 1886, edition of The New York Times was headed: " DEATH OF AN ECCENTRIC WOMAN. Living in seclusion for many years and dying worth $150,000." Reported from Rochester, N.Y. In part, "Her name was Elizabeth E.G. Emerson, and she was always supposed to be poor. She has, however, left a fortune of $150,000...Her age was 71 years. She was the daughter of the Rev. Dr. W. Eastman, of Smithville, Ontario...She always objected to having any one about her house, and was known to carry her coal in from the street herself in the night time rather than have a man do it...Her fortune was invested for the greater part in Government bonds and in American Express Company stock..."