December 1 & 2, 2026 Fine & Decorative Arts
The live portion of this session begins on Wednesday, December 2, 2026.
Lot #2280:
EXTREMELY RARE 1915 COCA-COLA ROOT GLASS EXPERIMENTAL PROTOTYPE BOTTLE – ATLANTA, GEORGIA
Offered here is an exceptionally rare and historically significant 1915 Coca-Cola Root Glass experimental prototype, representing a pivotal chapter in the development of one of America’s most recognizable commercial designs. In 1915, Coca-Cola sought a distinctive bottle that consumers could recognize by shape alone. Eight designs were evaluated in Atlanta, Georgia, with the winning submission coming from the Root Glass Company of Terre Haute, Indiana, credited to Earl R. Dean. The original design required modifications to accommodate contemporary bottling equipment, resulting in several experimental variations before the familiar contour bottle was introduced nationally in 1917. Confidential testing reportedly occurred at bottling plants in Birmingham and Anniston, Alabama; Augusta, Georgia; and Nashville, Tennessee. These early prototypes were produced in limited quantities for evaluation, with many reportedly destroyed following testing. The present Atlanta example features a distinctive experimental contour, prominent Coca-Cola embossing, Atlanta heel identification, and boldly embossed Coca-Cola script on the base. These characteristics distinguish it from later production bottles and associate it with the earliest developmental stages of the iconic design. Respected researcher Dennis Smith documented damaged experimental bottles recovered in Birmingham, while collector Bill Porter previously characterized this unusual Atlanta variation as a potential missing link in the contour bottle’s evolution. Additional historical background appears in The Man Behind the Bottle by Norman Dean, son of original designer Earl R. Dean. Condition: Attractive green glass with strong embossing and excellent overall presentation. Notable fleabites along the crown lip, additional fleabites near one Coca-Cola trademark, and scattered fleabites around the heel and base. Original manufacturing irregularities are present. Examined under ultraviolet light with no evidence of repairs or restoration detected. Historical research, identification, and catalog assessment by Wyatt Eaton, Tennessee antique bottle collector and researcher specializing in early Southern bottling history and rare American soda bottles. An extraordinary surviving prototype associated with the creation of one of the most celebrated commercial designs in American history.
Condition: (Excellent).
Item Dimensions: 2 - 1/4" Dia. x 7 - 1/2" T.