More Porcelain Enamel

[SergioWilkins]

Hey, all!

While out searching around in some rural areas in S.W. Ontario today, my buddy Kyle and I stopped to check out a mound of dirt and debris pushed up into a pile from the location of an old, abandoned gas station. Most bottles in the pile were from the 1980s, with a few going back to the 1950s and 1960s. I was about to give up on finding anything interesting, when lo and behold - a small, porcelain enamel disk was sticking out of the dirt with white letters clearly visible on a black background. Sure enough, I pulled it free of the soil and found the marking:

ESSO DIESEL FUEL

upon it. It is about 2 1/2" in diametre, with just one rivited eyelet above the marking. It's in great shape, with just a small amount of superficial rust around the outer edges.
Does anyone know what purpose this little tag would have served? This marks my first auto-related porcelain enamel sign discovery, so I will be enjoying it for many years to come.
As an appropriate aside, only 9 days ago I purchased a 2006 Diesel-fueled Volkswagon Jetta to get me around to various digging sites across S.W. Ontario and the N.E. United States. Coincidental that I just happened to find this diesel-fuel related Esso tag today? I think so!
Take care,

 

[nostalgia]

I've had these before, they come in a variety of different names like "ESSO FURNACE OIL / ESSO EXTRA GASOLINE / ESSO STOVE OIL" etc...

What I've been told is that they were either attached to the giant drums in the gas station yard or (and this is what I really think) attached to 5 gallon portable metal drums....

I have a couple in my collection; I'll try to picture them later this week.... If I can find them!

Great find by the way!

 

[peejrey]

Hey! My grandfather owned an Esso Gas station

 

[SergioWilkins]

Hey, Frederic

Thanks for the information! I was wondering what use such a small tag would have - marking individual drums or cans of fuel with one would make sense. I would love to see some photos of the ones you own. Did any other companies make them? Are these a Canadian item, or are they American-made and American-used?
Hey, peejrey - I hope he didn't own the one I found this piece at - the place looked in rough shape... nothing but a foundation left.
All the best,

 

[peejrey]

Nah... Incline Esso in Chatanooga TN

 

[nostalgia]

It took me a while but here is the picture of some of the Esso tags I have:

 

[SergioWilkins]

Hey, Frederic!

Thanks very much for the photo! Seeing the group of them like that is very cool!
Now I'll have to aspire to find the complete set of different markings.
All the best,