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iggyworf

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Got this debossed RC bottle today. I know there was major discussion last yr about the earliest RC cola bottle. I skimmed thru all the old threads to refresh the memory. Mine is 12 oz. With LGW and the # 1 below it on the bottom. If I recall only LGW 2 3 4 5 6 were talked about. Not sure if that # is the year as in 1931 ect. I don't know if this bottle will shed any light on the subject or not. But wanted to post it none the less. It is not in great shape. Lots of scratches. Doesn't appear to be any 'ghost acl' on it.
 

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Canadacan

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Very Cool indeed!...so I would assume it had a paper label...anyone ever seen an RC paper label?
 

SODAPOPBOB

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iggy Here are the links to both of the original threads. They are unlocked and can be posted to. I'm not sure about a number 1 being found but it should be easy to determine by scrolling through the various pages. I believe the 2 through 6 numbers were discussed in Morb's thread ...
dbv1919 ~ Started in May of 2014

https://www.antique-bottles.net/forum/Oldest-ACL-Royal-Crown-Cola-Bottle-m650674.aspx


morbious_fod ~ Started in October of 2014

https://www.antique-bottles.net/forum/Earliest-ACL-Royal-Crown-Cola-redux-m663404.aspx
 

iggyworf

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SODAPOPBOB said:
I received another communication from the eBay seller of my clear RC bottle and
they informed me that they dug several of the same type of bottles except that
where mine has a 2 the others have 3, 4, 5, and a 6. Normally I'd say single
digit numbers like that are mold numbers, but the odds of finding sequential
mold numbers in a single dump seem astronomical to me, suggesting that the
numbers might very well be codes for 1932,1933,1934,1935, and 1936. ???(Please note the question marks) [:)] This is from dvb1919's thread. Do we know how to date these LGW bottles?
 

SODAPOPBOB

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iggy Based on everything I recall about dating Laurens Glass Works bottles, I'm confident the numbers 1 through 6 are mold numbers and not dates. You can reread the other threads and see what you can find, but I'm pretty sure the results will be the same. Plus, you will also discover the earliest date found for Royal Crown Cola is 1934. There was an earlier Royal Crown Ginger Ale, but its the Cola that applies here. This link will take you to a site where the LGW (Laurens Glass Works) mark is listed alphabetically http://www.glassbottlemarks.com/bottlemarks-3/
 

iggyworf

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Bob, Thanx. I have checked that site often and looked at it for this bottle. Without any other numbers on the bottle I guess it will be hard to determine the year. Thought it might mean '1931' but maybe not. I reread thru the threads pretty good. Lots of great info on RC cola ect!
 

M.C.Glass

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I have one like yours Iggy, but mine is a #6. Also scratchy but with clear glass, yours looks aqua.
 

SODAPOPBOB

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To expound on the numbers 1 through 6 ... Its possible that Laurens Glass Works was conducting an experiment similar to what the Root Glass Company did prior to 1909 when large single-digit numbers were embossed on the base of early Coca Cola bottles. But with Laurens the experiment involved RC bottles around 1935-1936. With Root it is thought the single-digit numbers involved various formulations of molten glass to see which formula held up the best on the finished bottles. In other words ... With Laurens Glass and the numbers 1 through 6, its possible that each number represents a different glass formula. In a sense they are mold numbers, except that all bottles with a number 1 were of one experimental glass formula as were the numbers 2 through 6 of various other formulas. And then after a predetermined period of time they were able to track which bottles held up the best. If I'm not mistaken, I believe the numbers 1 through 6 only appear on the debossed pyramid bottles. If this is correct, then it could help support the experimental theory in that one of the test they conducted was to see how well the thinner, debossed area of glass held up. Which appears not to have passed the test because they eventually discontinued the debossed pyramid bottles and started embossing them instead. The test also appears to have involved both aqua as well as clear glass bottles, which likely had something to do with the different glass formulas I mentioned. One thing is certain! Laurens used date codes prior to the debossed pyramid bottles and used them on the later embossed pyramid bottles as well. So in my opinion there is no reason to think that Laurens would stop using date codes and then start using them again were it not because of some type of experiment.
 

SODAPOPBOB

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P.S. There would have been no need to date code the 1 through 6 bottles because they already knew those particular (experimental) bottles were from a specific year.
 

SODAPOPBOB

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This is the opening statement and accompanying picture by member dbv1919/Brad from the original thread started in May of 2014 ... "Hey, just a question, has anyone ever saw an RC bottle ACL older than a 1936? From the left 1936, 1937, 1937 debossed and 1938 and 1938 embossed. Thanks, Brad"
 

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