Antique 1863 1866 Harnden American Express Money Shipping Receipt Documents Pair For Sale

Pair of original civil war era express shipping receipts documenting packages declared to contain money. The larger American Express Company receipt is dated August 14, 1866, at Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, and records a package received from Samuel Kingsley with a declared value of $61. The Harnden Express receipt is dated April 27, 1863, and records one package said to contain $100, addressed to B. F. Brown in New Albany, Indiana.

The American Express form carries an engraved express chest vignette, lists Livingston, Fargo & Co. of Buffalo and Wells, Butterfield & Co. of New York as proprietors, and is identified along the lower border as printed by Thomas, Typographer, Buffalo. The red Harnden Express form features a running messenger carrying bags marked Boston, New Orleans, and Harnden Express. Both retain handwritten transaction details, agent signatures, and reverse endorsements.

• American Express receipt: 220 x 120 mm
• Harnden Express receipt: approximately 195 x 90 mm
• Sold together as one pair

• Both show horizontal folds, edge folds, rounded corners, edge nicks, toning, and very faint scattered foxing.
• The American Express receipt has three vertical folds, pinholes from prior attachment to other papers, and a 1/2-inch split on the left side, inward along horizontal fold.
• The Harnden piece has one vertical fold. Similar spot to other certificate has 1/2" with weak fibers, no split. Also brown inkstain clearly visible in photos, bleed-through on other side, likely period to signing.
• Both have reverse endorsements and light soiling on the back.
• Handwritten and printed information remains legible.
• Paper retains good body despite being relatively thin by modern standards. Framed for roughly the last 20 years. Neither pressed flat, cleaned, or otherwise conserved. Raking daylight photographs show color well, and enhance imperfections.

Ships in archival Mylar sleeves backed with acid-free mat board in a rigid photo mailer. Each sleeve is sized for safe transit and archival storage and may be larger than the enclosed document. Typically ships within 1 business day. Rates to Alaska and Hawaii differ from continental US; please message for quote. International shipping available through 's Global Shipping Program.

William F. Harnden began regular express service between Boston and New York in 1839, transporting small packages, money, valuables, and commercial instructions. His business helped establish the American private express industry represented by these receipts. American Express was formed in 1850 through the consolidation of competing express interests associated with Henry Wells, William Fargo, John Butterfield, and their partners, whose operating firms remain named on the 1866 form.