✅ SOLVED Southern Express Company?

[Thrasher]

A good friend of mine found this and let me have it. I've been looking online and my only guess is that it's a moneybag seal for Southern Express Company... It seems to me made of lead and I believe it had wires through it. Not sure how accurate my investigation is because I can't find any real information to back that up. Southern Express Company was founded in 1861, but I cannot seem to find out what ever happened to them.... or if that is even where this thing originated. I just thought it was pretty neat.

 

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[A2coins]

thats pretty cool Im stumped

 

[A2coins]

Welcome also from Mi Tommy

 

[GaRebel1861]

Lead bail seal is my guess.

 

[DCMatt]

The federal government put them out of business in 1918.

American Railway Express Company was established by the U.S. government in 1918, during World War I, at the same time that the government took over the nation’s railroads. The domestic express businesses and property of the nation’s major express carriers–Adams & Company (founded 1842), American Express Company (founded 1850), Wells, Fargo & Company(founded 1852), and Southern Express Company (founded 1861)–were expropriated and merged into a public corporation.

I read a little about the company. They made a lot of money (apparently from both sides) during the Civil War - enough to survive the aftermath and reconstruction. It was a pretty large railroad system @ 1900. Here is a map from 1884.

https://www.loc.gov/item/gm71000842/

 

[Reanm8er]

Welcome Thrasher! Very cool!

 

[Rookster]

Welcome to Tnet.

 

[Mackaydon]

Here's a Route Map of the Southern Express Co.
https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3861p.rr001450/
Is your find location close to one of these routes?
Don.......

 

[Thrasher]

The federal government put them out of business in 1918.



I read a little about the company. They made a lot of money (apparently from both sides) during the Civil War - enough to survive the aftermath and reconstruction. It was a pretty large railroad system @ 1900. Here is a map from 1884.

https://www.loc.gov/item/gm71000842/

thank you so much for figuring this out. you guys on here are awesome at digging up information. I guess "digging" is in your blood. very cool, thanks again!

 

[Thrasher]

I did... directly in the center of Alabama =)

 

[Thrasher]

you guys are awesome, thank you very much!