Description
In about 1965 the first of these Coca Cola Bottlers Convention medals appeared in the marketplace. They were made in England for an American who had an antique business in Long Beach, California. He could not have them made in the U.S. because of Trademark laws. The medals were good quality, well struck, golden brass, and were sold in special small red boxes also made for him in England, inscribed "Drink Bottled Coca-Cola, Delicious and refreshing, Convention 1915 USA". The cost to have them made in England was substantial, so he had to sell them at a high price, and my recollection is about to , wholesale and retail. They were such a popular item, because they were a previously unknown Coca Cola collectable, and with the Worlds Fair connection, that they were quickly sold out. Another enterprising individual who had an antique store in, I believe, Manhattan Beach, California, discovered that such metal items could be made in Taiwan for far less than in England, so he ordered them to be made by the thousands, and he sold them for about each, but no red boxes. However, the ones he had made were not the quality of England either, so they looked like dull low quality brass, a poor strike, and color, and have a dirty, look and feel to them. It is easy to see the difference if you hold both in hand and compare them. This medal that I am selling is the first England strike in the red inscribed box. It was made in 1965 as I said before, and had a limited number made, whereas the knock-offs were made from about 1972 to1990 in Taiwan by the thousands. My medal is golden brass, well struck, and choice uncirculated condition. Don't let anybody tell you that there is only one type of this medal made, these are the real facts about the origin of the two different coca cola medals. By the way, I know the names of the two antique dealers but I can't reveal them at this time, one is deceased and the other is very much alive and well. I am telling this story so that the facts can become known for posterity.
