HIRES ROOT BEER ~ vs ~ VERNOR'S GINGER ALE

[SODABOB]

Typical definition of the word "Diploma"

(Which is generally a paper certificate)

Diploma

noun

1. A document conferring a qualification, recording success in examinations or successful completion of a course of study

2. An official document that confers an honor or privilege

 

[SODABOB]

Medal ~ 1893

View attachment 176136

Medal and Diploma

(Exact date unknown but likely referring to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The "Ugly Kid" was first introduced around 1890)

View attachment 176137

 

[SODABOB]

World's Columbian Exposition / World's Fair

Chicago, Illinois ~ May 1, 1893 to October 30, 1893

According to Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_Columbian_Exposition

Held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492

 

[SODABOB]

I have done an extensive search but cannot find a single Hires Root Beer item that depicts the image of anything that even resembles a "Paper Diploma" but there is an almost endless variety of items that depict the image of "Medals." As near as I can determine, the paper labels on Hires bottles that refer to "Diplomas" are actually referring to medals that represent diplomas.

Speaking of "Medals" and the "1893 Columbian Exposition" ...






This next image is from the World's Fairs Medals link I posted earlier - and specifically for medals from the 1893 Exposition held in Chicago. The sub-link is where I found this particular medal under the listings for ...

"Elgit" 501-

Main Link

http://www.expositionmedals.com/1893/



Sub-link - Eglit 501-


http://www.1893columbianexpo.com/Eglit_501-.html

With this particular medal listed as ...

E-506 ~ I did an extensive search and this is the closest match to the above medal I could find. But whether its the actual medal depicted above, I cannot say with 100% certainty. If this were to have come to the "vote" I referred to earlier, I would have voted it is a match - or at least close enough to have qualified for the free acl book.

Speaking of the acl book, because no one found or posted this particular medal, I'm cancelling that particular opportunity to receive the acl book but will try and think of another way to give one away.

(Click back and forth and compare to medal image above. Notice the similar profile)

 

[SODABOB]

P.S.

Regarding the word "Eglit" on the medals link ...

The best overview available on the type and classification of the Medals is found in the work by Nathan Eglit, first printed in 1989. Although his work does not provide a rarity guide or a price guide, he does describe each Medal as it related to the WCE, and his "Eglit" assigned medal numbers are still in use today.

 

[SODABOB]

Now for the fun / slightly complicated part ...

This is where I found the clear image of the Hires medals ...

Hires Root Beer Checker Board

eBay

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/232088578587?rmvSB=true


Others



http://picclick.ca/Xxrare-Orig-1892-Hires-Root-Beer-Advertising-232088578587.html




http://jamesdjulia.com/item/2278-382/



https://www.instagram.com/p/8PDHDkzPw_/

Note: I have done an extensive search and cannot find a single example where this Checkerboard included the checkers themselves. Apparently it came as a small "folded" board only that was intended to be used with checkers people already had.













Every example of this checkerboard I have seen has this "1892 Copyright" on it. But I do not know exactly what the copyright refers to. Typically, copyrights refer to "printed/published" material. But in this case, I'm not sure if its referring to the checkerboard itself or something else such as the "Ugly Kid" or possibly the medals, or something else entirely. However, I do know that copyright dates don't automatically date an item and could simply be a starting point for something that was produced for a number of years. It could be the checkerboard was copyrighted in 1892 but not actually produced until 1893. (More about this later)

 

[SODABOB]

Here are a couple of examples of the official 1893 Columbian Exposition "Diploma"

(Which I have never seen on a Hires Root Beer bottle or collectible)

Note/Reminder: To keep track of things in my photo file on this particular topic I title everything with "Hires" even though it may not be specific to Hires, as in the case with these diplomas.

The diplomas were blank at first, as in this example, and then filled in later depending on who they were presented to.

The Akron Daily Democrat ~ Akron, Ohio ~ July 29, 1893



Example of a completed/filled in Diploma

(Notice its a reversed image of the diploma pictured in the 1893 Akron newspaper. This one is how they actually were)

 

[SODABOB]

Now for the part I consider to be the most interesting of all ...

Please Note:

1. These newspaper articles are all from 1894

2. They are just three examples of similar articles that appeared in numerous newspapers

3. I have done an extensive search and cannot find another "root beer checker board" of any type from the 1890s that the articles might be referring to other than Hires Root Beer

4. Hires is the only root beer I'm aware of that was in any way associated with the 1893 Chicago Exposition

5. I am of the current opinion the articles are indeed referring to Hires Root Beer Checker Boards

6. The sources and dates will appear when you open the images

 

[SODABOB]

Observations ...

1. Most of us have probably noticed that the various Hires paper labels appear to depict different medals. But exactly what all of the different medals are supposed to represent and why different labels depict different medals, I do not currently know.

2. Based on what I've seen, Hires paper labels that depict medals did not first occur until Hires started producing their beverage in carbonated bottles around 1894. I can't recall ever seeing a pre-1894 extract bottle or box that depicted any medals.

3. I'm not implying (at least, not yet) that every medal depicted on Hires paper labels are counterfeits. And yet, I can't help but wonder about the 1894 newspaper articles that seem to suggest the medals depicted on the Hires checkerboards might be counterfeits - at least some of them.

4. I did a follow up search on the 1894 counterfeit articles to see what the outcome was but all I could find were vague references that indicated the Government was going to notify the so called counterfeiter's and advise them to cease and desist the practice or else be subjected to further investigation. After that, the accusations seem to have disappeared. So I can only assume that those who were accused stopped the practice and were never prosecuted.

 

[SODABOB]

P.S.

If there is something legitimate about the counterfeit medals, and it does apply to Hires and not some other brand of root beer at the 1893 Chicago Exposition, then why would Hires be allowed to continue the practice of depicting medals on carbonated bottle labels from the teens through the 1930s? Or did the investigation just apply to Hires checkerboards?

(To be continued after I do some more research on this most confusing topic)