Agana Guam Hobbleskirt Coke

[SODAPOPBOB]

Bill H ~

Welcome to the forum.

The wood case you speak of is the first of its kind that I know of. Please post pictures of it and the stenciling. It might be the first time on this forum or elsewhere that such an artifact has ever been seen.

Regarding the Owens-Illinois letter/number combos, no one I know of has been able to figure out exactly what they stand for. But because I believe Owens-Illinois had a reason for using them, they are surely a representation of something specific.

The following is from page 2 of the original thread started by member Adapt in June of 2012, which includes the currently known Owens-Illinois letter/number combos identified on various Coca Cola hobbleskirt bottles. Perhaps by a closer examination of them again a logical formula might emerge.

By the way, Dave, I like your spreadsheet a lot and encourage you to continue it. Currently there is nothing like it that I know of and expect in time it will serve as a valuable tool for collectors. In fact, I think you have the makings of a small book in the works here which, like almost everything else involving WWII related Coca Cola bottles, has yet to see the light of day . Please keep up the hard work.

I'll be back later with more.

Bob


Link to Page 2 of Original Thread:

https://www.antique-bottles.net/forum/m-525898/mpage-2/key-/tm.htm

Where the following is found ...

Bill Porter's List of Letter/Number Combos:

Petaluma, California ... 2A <(I)> 44 (1944)
Susanville, California .. 3A <(I)> 47 (1947)
Pocatello, Idaho ......... 8A <(I)> 50 (1950)
Reno, Nevada ............ B3 <(I)> 50 (1950)

Dave's List of Letter/Number Combos:

9D <> 44 (Pat-D, Oakland CA embossed on the base, green glass)
5L <> 44 (Pat-D, No embossing on base, clear glass)
2C <> 44 (Trade Mark, no embossing on base except for a single raised dimple, clear glass)
8P <> 44 (Pat-D, no embossing on base, clear glass)
8R <> 44 (Pat-D, no embossing on base, clear glass)
5K <> 44 (Pat-D, Oakland CA embossed on the base, green glass)

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

We can add this one to ...

Bill H List of Letter/Number Combos:

6N <(I)> 45

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Bob's List:

I only have one Clear Glass WWII era Coca Cola bottle, which is marked ...

Trade-Mark ... (Under the Coca Cola script)
.6 <(I)> 45 ... (On the side)
G ... (On the Base)

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Notice on Dave's list (which I edited slightly) where he shows two almost identical bottles, except that one has 9D and the other has 5K. Both are dated 1944. Both are Pat'D bottles. Both are from Oakland, Ca. Both are green. But why the different Number/Letter combos? In my opinion, there "has" to be an explanation for it! Could it indicate where the bottles were made and/or possibly where they were to be shipped to?

9D <(I)> 44 ... (Pat-D, Oakland CA embossed on the base, green glass)

5K <(I)> 44 ... (Pat-D, Oakland CA embossed on the base, green glass)

If we change the letters to numbers, we come up with ...

D = 4 / 9-4
K = 11 / 5-11

Which, at present, doesn't make the least bit of sense to me!

Bob

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Based on the chart below, I am going to eliminate the letters D & K as having anything to do with plant numbers. Notice where ...

1. Plant #4 closed in 1944.
2. Plant number #11 closed in 1940, and wasn't reassigned until 1963.

The 1944 date might fit, but I seriously doubt that any of the letters are directly related to Owens-Illinois plants. If correct, then it means the letters represent "something else."

But what's really weird, is the fact that Dave's list shows two bottles with a number 5. And yet, according to the chart below, there was no plant number 5 until the one opened in Charlotte, Michigan in 1963. Also check out Dave's number 8 bottles. Apparently that plant closed in 1939 and wasn't reassigned until 1962.

Something doesn't jive here, but I'm not sure yet what it is!

Bob

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Just for the record!

The list of known letters at present are ...

A ~ B ~ C ~ D ~ K ~ L ~ N ~ P ~ R

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

If we use Dave's list as an example, and convert the letters to numbers, and the numbers to months of the year, we come up with ...

9D <> 44 (Pat-D, Oakland CA embossed on the base, green glass)
5L <> 44 (Pat-D, No embossing on base, clear glass)
2C <> 44 (Trade Mark, no embossing on base except for a single raised dimple, clear glass)
8P <> 44 (Pat-D, no embossing on base, clear glass)
8R <> 44 (Pat-D, no embossing on base, clear glass)
5K <> 44 (Pat-D, Oakland CA embossed on the base, green glass)

9D = September 4, 1944
5L = May 12, 1944
2C = February 3, 1944
8P = August 16, 1944
8R = August 18, 1944
5K = May 11, 1944

But would Owens-Illinois need to track their (possible overseas only) bottles that closely? And if so, why? And what about which plants made the bottles? Or were they possibly all made at the same plant, which they already knew, thus having no reason to mark the bottles accordingly? If we can find "confirmed" evidence of even one plant that made WWII era hobbleskirts, that would be a milestone in my opinion.

Bob

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Check out this WWII photo showing numerous cases of Coca Cola bottles. It doesn't give an exact date when it was taken but does indicate it was somewhere in Italy. I zoomed in on the stenciling but cannot make it out entirely. One part looks something like ...

CU L17

If that is an L, then it "might" relate to the L on the list I posted. ???

If anyone can read the stenciling better, please share with us what it says.

Thanks.

Bob

WWII Coca Cola Photo / Italy:

http://www.coca-colaconversations.com/tag/world-war-ii

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Bill H ~

Does your wood case have any similar letters or numbers on it like the one from Italy does?

Thanks.

Bob

 

[daven2nl]

Bob,

Could it be something as stupid as just a mold code, so that the MFR (O-I) knows if there is a defect where to look for the problem?

I was out mountain biking and found more WW2 cokes laying on the side of the trail. More data for the collection! The problem is that they are so scattered everywhere, it takes real effort to get from one pile to another (with 10-12 bottles in each scatter).

I could retire and start a clear coke E-bay business but 99.99% are heavily hazed glass - I suspect from sitting in the jungle for 70 years. It won't clear up, even after soaking in muriatic acid. I think the glass is permanently etched. Still - the date, ETC is usually readable so they are all good from a historical perspective (for the spreadsheet I'm working on).

I found a 1958 hobbleshirt (1st I've found post 1954) that had the date embossed on the base, not side.... a T in a circle was the MFR mark. Also looked clear - not green. I didn't look closely because I was out riding but I'm definitely going back to look more closely later.

-Dave