COCA-COLA

  John S. Pemberton, an experimental pharmacist standing over an old brass or iron kettle in Atlanta tried over 300 combinations of different herbs and spices during a period of over four years before he finally came up with a liquid that tasted in his words "all right". That magic brew was named Coca Cola, and speculation still exists as to whether the potion was developed as a soft drink, or as a "cure-all" headache tonic.

  From those humble beginnings in 1886, Coca-Cola has risen to a position of dominance in the soft drink industry. Many thousands of bottle and can generations have been produced over the years which are the subject for many books on collectibles.

    Coca-Cola's brief flurry with cone top cans occurred in the late 1930's to the early 1940's preceding World War II. A 16 ounce tall cone top and a 32 ounce cone top can with the Coca-Cola logo was produced. The only known examples of these much sought after cans are found at the Coca-Cola archives in Atlanta, Georgia, and a 32 ounce can is on display in the Schmidt Coca-Cola museum in Elizabethtown, KY.

    It is the opinion of the Atlanta Archivist, and most collectors that Coca-Cola cone tops were never filled or market tested, but existed only as can company samples. The value of either one of these cans would most certainly be in the thousands of dollars if more were found.

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