Anybody collect old cans?

[Chris142]

I did some searching online, found a few sites on old cans but none had the info I was looking for.

I found an old rusty can on my property.It looks to be an old Beer can or soda pop can. It's very rusty so I can't read the name or what it was.It has a very distinct seam that looks to be soldered and spot welded.

Possibly spot welded then sealed with solder?

Reading about old cans I read that most beer/soda cans had aluminum tops while this one is all metal. It was opened with a can opener which left to "v" shaped holes in the top.

Any ideas?

 

[LScowboy]

very likely an old beer can, soda in all metal cans with the V shaped holes (from a "churchkey") are quite obscure

unfortunately the value is nil, due to the rough condition, however if you were to knock down a building on this same property, sometimes you can find a similar can in perfect condition, where the construction worker who built the structure hid the can inside the walls to cover up his lunchtime "crime", and because being inside protected it, you have a very old can in very nice condition

In that case, you likely have have something worth some money, depending on the rarity of the beer, and beauty of the figural art on the can, it could be worth over $1000

PS - the beer can was invented in 1935, and that was the first food or drink to come in a can, so if someone tries to sell you a beer can from an earlier time frame, they are a scammin you!

PPS - the aluminum top started in 1962 if memory serves me (to make the pull tab feasible)
so your rusty can would have been made between 1935 and 1962

also - some beer was manufactured into cans that were much like an old brake fluid can, if you remember those, they had a cone shaped top and were sealed with a bottle cap, not kidding about this! - they are called "conetops"


cheers!

wild bill
BiTOG breweriana expert

 

[Chris142]

This ones been shot. Didn't think it had any value but I'm still trying to figure out how old my house is, was hoping the age of the can would help.

I did find out that my area was used for target practice during ww2. The can and its friends are in my gully and I think the army guys may have been hiding in my gully drinking beer

An online search shows it ver simmilar to a Schlitz can.

 

[LScowboy]

could be nearly any brand, though certain brands were regional favorites - try to find one hidden in a place where it was protected from weather (inside the walls of your house?) and then harvest the big money cans! - do you have an infrared camera or something?

 

[Kira]

Hello, To LScowboy: You're way off in saying 1935 was the dawn of any food or beverage in a can. The wagon trains had canned foods. There are pictures of workers eating out of cans taken in the 19th century. I'm not trying to be a pedantic hen. Some facts have simply mis-mixed in your skull. Take it from me, my skull is the Mixmaster. Kira

 

[carwreck]

While it is true that food and oil were canned way before 1935, beer was not sold in cans until 1935.

1925 --- beer can patent
1929 --- American Can Company tests its prototype at the request of Anheuser-Busch and Pabst.
1933 -- "Church key" can opener
1935 --- Official release of Krueger's Finest Beer and Cream Ale sold in cans in Richmond, VA.

http://pssht.com/keglined/main.html