RC Cola!

[dbv1919]

One more weird LGW thing. I was looking at some 1938 bottles and one is a LAURENS GLASS WORKS but the pattern on the bottom is different than the LGW 123456 and it is different than the 4 L G W 3 pattern also. I am 100 percent sure its a 1938 by the 38 acl and 38 neck embossing. Its identical to my other two Owens Illinois 1938 bottles. Go figure. I think we looked at it on the original post looks like L G W on top and I on bottom nothing on heel.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Brad I'm thinking it's a number 1 and not an I I can't recall ever seeing the letter I embossed like that with the cross-part but I have seen a lot of the number 1 with the cross-foot The letter I is usually embossed like a lower case l (L)

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

I realize it's late in the game to be throwing in the towel, but the more I look into Laurens Glass Works the more confused I get. There are just too many inconsistencies in their dating and mold codes to make total sense of them. In case no one has noticed, Royal Crown Cola bottles are not the only bottles that have LGW and a single-digit number. I have seen similar marks on other brands as well, especially various Pepsi Cola bottles. Which means the LGW 1-6 marks are not exclusive to just Royal Crown Cola bottles. The only things I am fairly certain about regarding all Royal Crown Cola bottles, whether they were made by Laurens Glass, Owens-Illinois, or some other glass maker is ... 1. The pointed-pyramid/triangle bottles precede the flat-top-pyramid/trapezoid bottles2. Most but not all of the non-acls precede the acls3. Their earliest 12 ounce non-acl bottle dates to circa 1935-19364. Their earliest 12 ounce ACL bottle was produced in 1937 And now back to the 1943 bottle for a moment ... The bottle pictured below is from Honolulu, Hawaii and was made by Owens-Illinois in 1943. It is marked on the base with 20 <(I)> 3 and Duraglas. The 20 represents the Owens-Illinois plant in Oakland, California. Some might debate the date, but because it has Duraglas and a single-digit number, I am confident it dates to 1943. I realize it's not a Laurens Glass Works bottle, but it at least tells us there are Royal Crown Cola bottles from 1943 and made during WWII. I'm hoping the paper labels arrive today. If they do I will be sure to closely examine them and post some new pictures this afternoon or evening.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Just for the record regarding one of the Pepsi Cola bottles I mentioned ... ( I dare not even guess as to the date it was made ) 1. Front2. Shoulder Embossing3. Base with LGW 2

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Lastly (for the time being) ... I'm not sure this will help, but I think our best clue of all regarding the LGW 1-6 bottles is that the lower numbers are NON-ACLs and the higher numbers are ACLs. But exactly what this tells us I'm not sure, nor if it is even a bona fide clue.

 

[iggyworf]

Great work again Bob. Regarding that Pepsi bottle. I am pretty sure that style is from the 30's. Now whether or not the LGW 2 stands for 1932 I am not sure about.

 

[iggyworf]

Another thing, I received my other debossed Rc cola bottle on Sat. But my camera is on the fritz again so I can't post any pics. Although I don't think it will help in any of our mysteries here. It is clear with a ghost ACL. Debossed trapezoid with star on top. Bottom is marked LG 38. I think that is Liberty Glass and probably 1938. Still it's an early one and is pretty clean.
Thanx for all the investigative work.

 

[iggyworf]

Maybe too add to the LGW dating confusion. Here are 2 pepsi bottles with LGW #'s and date codes.The first has 3LGW9 at the base. That should be for 1939. And LGW 5 on bottom.The 2nd has 4LGW0 at base. Would that be 1940? Apparantly no LGW on bottom. Fiddled with my camera and got it to work for the time being.

 

[iggyworf]

Here is a pepsi from ebay with a LGW 4. This also should be from the 30's. I think this and the other ones I posted might of had paper labels. But I can't confirm that. http://www.ebay.com/itm/COLUMBIA-SC-COBLE-PEPSI-COLA-BOTTLE-STRAIGHT-SIDE-/281485737237?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4189db7d15

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

iggy Good stuff - every little bit helps! I think the only think not considered yet is the shape of the bottles and a possible connection with the mystery numbers. For side-by-side comparison we have ... 1. Your Royal Crown LGW 1 Bottle2. The Pepsi Cola LGW 2 Bottle3. My Royal Crown LGW 2 Bottle Question: Are the shapes identical or just similar?