Agana Guam Hobbleskirt Coke

[Bill H]

Bob,

The "1" I have on #16 looks like the 1 on the Moroline bottle, without the period of course. It also looks like the 1 on the second bottle, but without the line across the base.

Bill H

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

ORIGINAL: Bill H

Bob,

The "1" I have on #16 looks like the 1 on the Moroline bottle, without the period of course.  It also looks like the 1 on the second bottle, but without the line across the base.

Bill H

Bill ~

Based on your empirical observations, I see no reason to believe it is anything but a definite number 1 [sm=thumbup.gif]

But whether it represents the Toledo, Ohio plant or something else, still remains to be seen ... which I am currently researching.

Thanks

Bob

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Regarding the various letters ...

The only reference I have been able to find so far regarding Owens-Illinois using letters is in this Bill Lockhart article (whose link was posted earlier but never fully discussed) where he states ...

http://www.sha.org/research/owens-Illinois_article.cfm

"The Owens-Illinois mark on Coke bottles changed to the Oval-I mark about 1954 (when it changed on other bottles - see above). The final mark-related change on Coke bottles occurred by at least 1953 (probably in 1951), when Owens-Illinois began placing a smaller single letter above the manufacturer's mark to identify the plant making the bottle. Factories and marks included A (Alton, Illinois); B (Bridgeton, New Jersey); C (Charlotte, Michigan); F (Fairmount, West Virginia); S (Streator, Illinois); and W (Waco, Texas) (Porter 1996:4)."

However, it is not conclusive (and a bit confusing) because ...

1. The dates mentioned are 1951 and 1953 and not the 1940s.
2. None of the letters jive with Dave's list on page 5 of this thread.

For example:

TRADE-MARK (small) Clear 7 Owens-Illinois 45 "7 B"

In this example from Dave's list, the number 7 stands for plant #7 in Alton, Illinois. But Dave's B does not jive with Bill Lockhart's B, which he indicates it is for the plant (#14) in Bridgeton, New Jersey. According to Bill Lockhart, the Alton, Illinois plant (#7) letter is an A.

Please note, (as I said above) the only reason I am posting this information (despite its confusion) is because it is the only reference I have been able to find so far that mentions anthing about "letter codes" and that it might lead to something else later on.

Bob

 

[Bill H]

Here a three more photos of my wood case. The wood is most likely pine, and the nails holding the thing together are flat head nails, probably 4 penny. These cases could certainly be cranked out on an assembly line by the tons. The nails were driven in by hand, and the tips of the nails where they poked through into the box were peened over. If someone every decided to mass produce replicas it would be fairly easy to do. Table saw with a couple of blades, one a dado to cut the slots where the dividers insert into, and a router to make the hand hold openings. On each end of the case is a brand made with a hot branding iron of some sort. The brand was put on before the red stamping, so my assumption is the brand is the brand of the company that manufactured the case. The brand is a straight line above which is an inverted V. The guys that put these things together were pretty good because there are no hammer marks around the nails.

Bill H

 

[Bill H]

Another photo

Bill H

 

[Bill H]

Oops, I'll try again. Bill H

 

[Bill H]

Got it figured out. Bill H

 

[Bill H]

I am now angry with myself. Here is another photo. Bill H

 

[Bill H]

Final photo of the crate. Bill H

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Bill ~

Thanks for the pictures of the wood crate. Good job. And don't be too hard on yourself, we all forget ocassionally to put the little x in the embed box before posting pictures. If it ever happens again you can view your reply before posting it and will have about five minutes do do any necessary editing.

Regarding your crate ...

I am starting a collection of original WWII related Coca Cola pictures, which includes both bottles and crates. And even though they take time to find and are far and few between, I have found some interesting one's including the picture below. I'm not sure of the exact date on this particular picture but it was described as being from WWII. It is the closest I have on file that looks similar to yours. If it is similar to yours, the only thing missing on yours is the metal strap. Are there any indents on yours where a strap might have been?

I know for certain that at one time Owens-Illinois had their own "Box Division" where they made their own crates and cardboard boxes. So it is highly possible that most (if not all) of the various original containers we've been seeing were in fact made by Owens-Illinois themselves and not from an ouside source.

[ Notice in this picture that the words Coca Cola on the end of the one crate are horizonal and in block letters ]