We went thru attempting to ID a Wells Fargo & CO. shotgun some time ago. The owner maintained
it must be genuine, since it had an official Wells Fargo & CO. badge tacked to the stock.
Unfortunately there was a time when one could purchase the badges by the dozen in boxes on the
gunshow tables....
in fact on May 28, 2008 our own Very Major 2 posted
"You'll fine both of those badges here
http://railroadiana.org/fakes/pgFakes_WF.php"
I have even seen pre-1860 cut-down percussion Belgian shotguns poorly marked up and passed off as the
genuine Wells Fargo Coach Shotgun.
usually these "artifacts" do not have any provenance that will stand up to scrutiny.
the most honest auction description I have recently seen stated
"this gun is
like those Wells Fargo
might have employed on their routes to defend against bandits and other ne?er-do-wells. The right side of the stock bears a badge marked ?W.F. & CO./GUARD/EXPRESS/SAN FRANCISCO?.
The left side has ?WELLS FARGO & CO?S. S.F. CAL. EXPRESS? stamped into the wood.
In all likelihood, these markings were added later"
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I did find the following for you:
From the Wells Fargo website: (
https://www.wellsfargo.com/about/history/faqs#Q10)
"Did Wells Fargo produce belt buckles or chest badges?
From the 1960s on there have been many items produced by others as souvenirs of the "Wild West."
Among them are Wells Fargo marked belt buckles (often marked on the back as made by Tiffany),
chest badges, Bowie knives, brass body tags, and stagecoach plates.
There are also many items with a brass shield saying "Property of Wells Fargo San Francisco Division,"
often attached to an actual antique. None of these were made by or for Wells Fargo.
In the 1970s, Wells Fargo did issue a commemorative belt buckle and a commemorative star-shaped badge.
They are clearly marked on the back as copyrighted by Wells Fargo and Company.
"How do I know if the Wells Fargo markings on an antique shotgun are real?
"Wells Fargo" marked shotguns have become a problem among collectors of antique firearms.
In general, each town's Well Fargo Agent bought weapons from local stores carrying whatever was available ? it was not a central headquarters function. Just as with companies today, Wells Fargo's offices did not keep outdated records. Therefore, there are no comprehensive lists of Wells Fargo firearms.
Additionally, in recent years, many people have added "Wells Fargo" to actual antique weapons.
All of this makes it very difficult to know whether any shotgun currently for sale was or was
not used by Wells Fargo, regardless of the markings. For further information, you may check the
book by James Bartz, Company Property, (the Westbound Stage, 1993), for sale at
http://www.westboundstage.com."
-----------------------------------
hope this helps
prof marvel