Merchants Union Express Co. - 1867 dated Express Stock Certificate

NY, 1867, Receipt. 8.75" x 5.25". Very Rare! Wm. H. Seward, Jr. V.P.

Established in 1866, the Merchants Union Express Company emerged as a formidable competitor to the well-established American Express Company. Upon its formation, the Merchants Union Express Company initiated a vigorous and aggressive rate war, substantially reducing American Express’s prices to secure market share. This intense two-year struggle for dominance in the express transportation industry drove both companies to the precipice of financial ruin, as they invested heavily in attempting to eliminate the other from the market.

Facing mutual collapse, the exhausted rivals mutually agreed to merge on November 25, 1868, forming a consolidated entity initially designated as the American Merchants Union Express Company. William Fargo oversaw the combined operation. Following the merger’s completion and the industry’s stabilization, the company was renamed the American Express Company in 1873. The brief existence and subsequent merger of the Merchants Union Express Company were pivotal moments in American business history. They directly contributed to the establishment and enduring success of the contemporary American Express brand, which transitioned from primarily a package carrier to the global financial services powerhouse it is today.