What do the numbers mean on old Coke bottles? (2024)

What do the numbers mean on old co*ke bottles?

If a bottle is from one of the first three time periods listed above (1938-1965) there will likely be a small embossed date code found on the waist left or right of a letter or symbol. For instance, the number “42” on a bottle marked either “87 L 42” or “42 L 87” would denote a bottle made in 1942 during WWII.

co*ke Bottle Values

Regular, vintage co*ke bottles start at around $10, and anniversary models or special editions can sell for about $30, reports Country Living. Despite their age, many bottles are not especially valuable because there were so many made, according to the Coca-Cola Company.

The rarest co*ke bottle ever to be made is known as the Root Glass Company Modified Prototype Bottle. It was designed in 1915 by the company's parent bottling company in Atlanta. The bottle is believed to be one of the only two remaining test bottles from the original Atlanta facility.

If a bottle is from one of the first three time periods listed above (1938-1965) there will likely be a small embossed date code found on the waist left or right of a letter or symbol. For instance, the number “42” on a bottle marked either “87 L 42” or “42 L 87” would denote a bottle made in 1942 during WWII.

As early as 1950, Time reported Coca-Cola prices went up to six cents. In 1951, Coca-Cola stopped placing "five cents" on new advertising material, and Forbes Magazine reported on the "groggy" price of Coca-Cola.

The green color

Today, the "Coca-Cola bottle green" color is nearly as synonymous with the drink as the bottle shape itself. This color was a natural result of the copper and minerals found in the sand that Root used to make his bottles (including the Coca-Cola bottle that his company patented).

How do I identify old bottle markings?

In most cases, one- or two-digit numbers are actually mold numbers that indicate the specific bottle mold or section in an automatic bottle machine. If numerous molds were identical, each one received its own number. Base numbers also indicate bottle styles or shapes, manufacturing dates, or factory location codes.

Look for these old bottles with the characteristic crown top. The embossed maker's mark or letters on the side of a bottle or on the base of a bottle will help to reveal a bottle's age. Marks or letters on collectible milk bottles and Coca Cola bottles are commonly indicators of age and origin.

Hutchinson soda bottles are a unique type of antique bottle that had a wire stopper inside the neck and blob of the bottle. We collectors often refer to them simply as "Hutches". The wire piece that makes up the stopper on the bottle is slightly hourglass shaped.

NEW DELHI: Coca-Cola may stop selling soft drinks in glass bottles as they have become more expensive to produce compared to plastic bottles and cumbersome for most consumers to carry.

Coca Cola 1955 New Bottle, Unopened. Over 67 Years Old. 1 pint 10 ounce.

The straight-sided bottles can vary in value from $25 up to around $400, depending on the condition and the uniqueness. Amber-colored bottles, sold widely in the South and Midwest, tend to be more valuable than the clear or light green or flint straight-sided bottles that were more common in other parts of the country.

Coca Cola 1955 New Bottle, Unopened. Over 67 Years Old. 1 pint 10 ounce.