Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Atlanta, Georgia could not settle on how the Coke bottle will look. So, in 1915, they requested some glass houses to design one and submit a sample. Eventually, Earl R. Dean, of the Root Glass Company won. Later, Mr. Root himself perfected it to a size suited for the machines. Some minor changes later, the US enjoyed the final design until April 1917. In the 1970s, various such bottles were discovered in Birmingham at a landfill used by a local bottler. Countless damaged 1916 test bottles were found as well. Only two intact bottles of its type are known to exist. The other one was sold for a staggering $240,000 by Juliens, New York in 2011. This particular bottle is valued to be $150,000. But, with the starting bid opening at $50,000, it could result in being sold for much more.
The Morphy Auctions site states, ‘This is the only known bottle of its type that has surfaced completely intact. Advanced bottle collectors we have consulted consider it to be extremely rare and important’. Experts believe that it is one of the original prototypes preceding the final design because it shows the city on its heel. Willing to invest? Hurry! You just have five days left!
[Via:Antiquestradegazette]
