The Express companies were closely tied to the railroads and provided shipping services for sensitive goods such as money, gold, silver, and other valuables in addition to freight and general shipping services. These companies provided key services across the country facilitated by the railroads and generally negotiated exclusive contracts such that an Express owned the rights to do business along a given stretch of railway.

Many of these companies exist today in different forms, and others have since gone out of business.
Adams Express
American Express
American Railway Express
Baggage Express
Brinks Express Co.
Canadian National Express
Canadian Pacific Express
Denver & Rio Grande Express
Dominion Express
Globe Express
Great Northern Express Co.
Northern Express
Pacific Express
Railway Express Agency
REA Express
Southern Express
Southeastern Express
United States Express
Wells Fargo & Co. Express

These companies produced many different items from locks, safe boxes, signs, lanterns, badges, and more that are very collectible and valuable, in general. However, buyer beware, especially with Wells Fargo items because there are many fake and counterfeit Wells Fargo items as well as some from other more notable express companies like Adams and American Express.