344

1916 American Express Money Orders Porcelain Enamel Sign

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Advertising Signs Start Price:375.00 USD Estimated At:750.00 - 1,500.00 USD
1916 American Express Money Orders Porcelain Enamel Sign
IMPORTANT NOTE ON BUYERS PREMIUMS:

Lot 100 to 343 have a premium of 15%.

The rest of the sale is 19.5% as noted in the listing.

Lot Pick Up: Holabird-Kagin Americana,
3555 Airway Drive Ste #309,
Reno NV 89511,
Sunday - December 9, 10am-4pm
1916 - This 17" x 13" double sided sign features blue porcelain enamel with white lettering and red-white-blue details. On each identical side of the sign, the white text indicates "Money Orders/ For Sale Here" with "American/ Express Co." in the center around a finely detailed US flag shield. The lower right corner faintly indicates in blue lettering on a white background, "4004 SEPT 1916", which may indicate the approximate time of production. The edges of the sign are heavily eroded, rusted, and chipped, making it difficult to locate any other makers markings. The blue coloration is inconsistent, indicated that one side of this sign saw more sunlight than the other. Similar signs were flanged (having "wings" that were affixed to building facades) and it is possible that this sign was also originally flanged, though the damage along the edges makes it hard to tell. In 1882, American Express started its expansion in the area of financial services by launching a money order business to compete with the United States Post Office`s money orders. Sometime between 1888 and 1890, J.C. Fargo took a trip to Europe and returned frustrated and infuriated. Despite the fact that he was president of American Express and that he carried with him traditional letters of credit , he found it difficult to obtain cash any except in major cities. Fargo went to Marcellus Flemming Berry and asked him to create a better solution than the traditional letter of credit. Berry introduced the American Express Traveler`s Cheque which was launched in 1891 in denominations of $10, $20, $50, and $100. Traveler`s cheques established American Express as a truly international company. In 1914, at the outbreak of World War I , American Express offices in Europe were among the few companies to honor the letters of credit (issued by various banks) held by Americans in Europe, despite other financial institutions having refused to assist these stranded travelers. -62063