Fake & Reproduction Wells Fargo Items

Effective August, 2013: Sorry, but this website no longer provides information on Wells Fargo fakes or reproductions.

Backstory: Since this website was launched in 1997, we have provided information on Wells Fargo fakes along with information on fake and reproduction railroadiana. Wells Fargo started out as an express and stagecoach service and eventually evolved into one of the biggest banks on the planet. It was never a railroad. In the past, Wells Fargo artifacts have traditionally been included in the general category of railroadiana, possibly because of mutual association with the "Old Tyme West". But they are definitely tangential to railroadiana as an area of interest

Over the last several decades, a huge number of Wells Fargo fakes and reproductions have appeared in the antiques market. As a public service, our site has published whatever information we 've been able to gather on these fakes from sources deemed reliable and knowledgeable. This information has been accompanied by a strong disclaimer. As most friends of the website know, we are basically a hobbyist effort, all volunteer with no revenue and funded out of pocket. We have no staff and no expert panel standing by.

Unfortunately we have recently begun to receive more and more emails from the general public, some rather demanding, asking us to authenticate Wells Fargo items suspected as fake. For a variety of reasons detailed on our Fake FAQs page, we don't offer this service. When politely informed of this, some become angry and hostile. As stated above, this is a hobby, and dealing with some of these emails, getting cursed at, etc. -- on a topic tangential to railroadiana -- is not enjoyable. Therefore, this website no longer deals with any aspect of Wells Fargo fakes and reproductions. Apologies to friends of this website who have contributed information over the years and to those folks who are simply and courteously looking for information. It's a sign of the times.