Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Hutchinson Coke


The very first Coke bottles were Hutchinson style bottles - these are extremely rare and date before 1900. Straight-sided (S-S) Coke bottles with crown tops date about 1900-1919; colors were clear, aqua, green, blue, and amber with amber bottles in good condition typically bringing the highest prices. "Coca-Cola" embossed in script letters contained Coke and is more valuable, while the "Coca-Cola" embossed in block letters contained a flavored drink other than Coke so is less valuable.
There are two styles of Hutchinson Coke: one with "Coca-Cola" in script and one without. The Biedenharn hutch is the one without "Coca-Cola" in script.

MORE ON HUTCHINSON COKE
The first Hutchinson bottles to contain Coca-Cola were made by the Biedenharn Candy Company of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Although Biedenharn was the first to bottle Coca-Cola, the company bottled many other beverages as well, and the Biedenharn Hutchinsons were not embossed with the Coca-Cola trademark. These bottles are still highly collectible, even though many Biedenharn bottles probably never contained Coca-Cola. Some later Hutchinson bottles, though, were marked Coca-Cola, and original examples are extremely rare! A Biedenharn Candy Company Hutchinson bottle, with no mention of Coca-Cola, is generally worth around $250 in excellent condition, while original Hutchinson bottles marked with the script Coca-Cola logo may be worth $2,000 or more! Beware of reproductions, though. Both Biedenharn and "Coca-Cola" Hutchinsons have been reproduced. The reproduction Biedenharn Hutchinson bottle shown in the illustration is clearly marked "1894-1979" on the back, indicating an anniversary bottle, but other reproductions may be less obvious.

*Note: I've "whited out" the wording on the Biedenharn Hutchinson bottle so that it shows in the photos better, but the original lettering was embossed - not white.

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