A rare Coke collectible - the Export Bottle
In 1926, The
These were green bottles with tops resembling champagne foils that were served on ships crossing the Atlantic Ocean. These bottles were used in the late 1920s and early 1930s as our business was first developing in Europe. You can see one of the bottles in the magazine ad I’ve included here.
People often ask me about the most unusual
Because this bottle was distributed for such a short period of time, the Export Bottle is truly a rare item. We have three of these bottles in the Coke Archives, and there are a few in private collections, but this bottle is very hard to find. Most of the bottles one sees today have damage to the foil or the label.
Because the bottles are so rare, if an original Export Bottle went up on auction, it would bring in thousands of dollars.
Now, there have been reproductions of the Export Bottle, so watch out! Don’t pay thousands for a “late-model” bottle!
My name is Phil Mooney, and I've served as the historian/archivist for 
I always wondered about this bottle; wondering if they were any records kept about what shipping line carried these bottles and how many cases of these bottles are laying on the ocean floor! I want one for my collection.
Posted by: Ray | October 20, 2008 at 01:23 PM
P.S. Am I reading the ad right? $6.00 a case. 5 dozen bottles to a case?
Posted by: Ray | October 20, 2008 at 01:29 PM
Ray- We don't have any record of which shipping lines carried the bottles. If you did find one for your collection, consider yourself very lucky! These bottles were consigned to concessionaires aboard vessels bound for foreign ports, or consigned directly to a foreign port. The label with the text in English was designed for European and Far Eastern ports, and there were also labels with the text in Spanish designed primarily for Latin-American ports. -Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | October 21, 2008 at 04:50 PM
Ray- You are reading the ad correctly! That's right - the price was six dollars per case, and there were five dozen bottles in a case. Remember, that was 1926! --Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | October 21, 2008 at 05:07 PM
Dear Sirs, I have faithfully been trying to locate anyone that can give me more information on the Indian Head Profile 1927 Coke Bottle I located on some land that was being cleared for my home? I would love to hear from you! thanks Anie
Posted by: Anie | November 17, 2008 at 10:18 PM
Anie - It sounds like your bottle is a flavor bottle, likely used for a brand called "Big Chief." Big Chief was a flavor brand that often used Native American imagery in packaging, similar to what you describe. They were at times produced in distinctive shapes. Like other flavor bottles, the bottle would be worth about $10. --Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | November 18, 2008 at 05:06 PM
Good day,
I was hoping you could assist me. I have the Rugby World Cup 1995 collectible can set, sealed but no coke inside. My uncle used to work for Coca-Cola so they didn't fill the cans. How much will this be worth should I wish to sell it?
Thanks
Posted by: Erick | December 17, 2008 at 03:05 AM
Erick - Commemorative cans and bottles can vary greatly in terms of value. I haven't seen a Rugby World Cup set sell recently, and don't have a recent sales price. The best way to find the current value of a can set like yours is to check on auction sites such as eBay to see the prices of similar sets. (That's also the best way to find the value of individual commemorative cans and bottles.) Sites like eBay bring a wide variety of buyers from around the world and also let you see if people who collect related items (such as those who collect rugby items vs. Coca-Cola items) are impacting the price. Thanks -- Phil
Posted by: Phil Mooney | December 17, 2008 at 09:58 AM