An antiques collector made an extraordinary discovery when he came across a sealed Coca-Cola bottle believed to date back to the early 1900s.
At the time, he couldn't afford the $100 price tag, so instead, he took a photograph and moved on.
Two years later, while on a tour of the World of Coca-Cola museum in Atlanta, he showed the photo to a guide who was immediately impressed. The guide noted that the museum's oldest sealed bottle dated back only to the 1940s, suggesting that the photographed bottle could be of significant historical value.
Several years after his initial find, the Reddit user u/partyjam3—who prefers to remain anonymous—returned to the same shop in remote upstate Florida. Incredibly, the bottle was still there. This time, he negotiated the price down to $75 and made the purchase. He later shared the story in the "Antiques" subreddit, where the post received 3,100 upvotes.
"I happily made that purchase and it is now one of my most prized possessions although fully knowing it really belongs on display in the museum," he told Newsweek.
Eager to learn more about the bottle's value, he brought it to Antiques Roadshow at the Georgia State Raceway Museum on April 29. However, valuing the item proved difficult.
"My appraiser was baffled when he found nothing on his computer with which to compare my bottle. He could only 'guesstimate' a value saying he had never before seen a sealed early 1900's bottle. He was quite sure it had never been opened. He thought the historical value could range from $1,000 to way more at an auction," he explained.
Expert Insight
Dan Deane, vice president of the Coca-Cola Collectors Club, shed light on the bottle's potential origins and historical importance.
According to Deane, Coca-Cola was initially bottled using Hutchinson bottles, characterized by their "blob top" design and reusable wire-and-rubber stoppers. These were replaced around the turn of the century by straight-sided bottles sealed with metal caps crimped around the bottle opening—a far more sanitary method.
"The early bottles were straight sided, like the one in your photo," he explained. These straight-sided bottles were made by different manufacturers contracted by individual bottlers, resulting in wide inconsistencies in design. Some bottles even featured the city of origin cast directly into the glass.
"These bottles are rarer, since the usage of them was stopped within a couple of years of the introduction of the famous Coke bottle shape known as the Hobble Skirt Bottle," said Deane.
Deane estimates that "this bottle may bring somewhere around $500 under the right circumstances." The fact that the bottle is still sealed—and may contain over 100-year-old product—could significantly increase its value, particularly among niche collectors.
Reddit Reacts
Fellow Redditors were quick to celebrate the find, praising both the rarity and condition of the bottle.
"Right, it's a unique item and anything is only worth what's somebody else's willing to pay for. This is definitely something that requires niche marketing and research," shared one user.
"It would be a great museum piece. Can't be very many this old still sealed," said another.
"So cool you got to go to the Roadshow! A 100+-year-old sealed bottle is amazing, congratulations on your find," another added.
"Someone is going to pay you a fortune for that," said another user.
Now, the Redditor is in contact with someone from the World of Coca-Cola awaiting a more official appraisal.
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