December 4, 5, & 6, 2025 General Antiques & Advertising Featuring The Ray Claridge Collection
Lot #3103:
50'S 9FT MR. PEANUT
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/6/2025
c. 1950-60s Planters Mr. Peanut Fiberglass Figure by Old King Cole.
Standing nearly 9 feet tall, this monumental Mr. Peanut figure is an extraordinary survivor of American roadside and retail advertising. Produced in the 1950s–60s by the legendary Old King Cole Manufacturing Company of Ohio — the same company responsible for creating iconic fiberglass mascots such as Big Boy, A&W Root Beer’s family, and countless custom promotional figures — these Mr. Peanut statues were originally supplied only to Planters distributors and retailers.
Unlike the smaller 3–5 ft promotional figures, this full-scale fiberglass giant was built as a marquee display. Never offered to the public, they were made in very limited numbers, and most were lost to weather, damage, or disposal once advertising campaigns ended.
Tragically, nearly all surviving stock molds and figures at Old King Cole were destroyed in a fire, leaving the few existing Mr. Peanut figures as the only relics of this era of advertising artistry. Among the largest Mr. Peanut figures ever produced, with very few survivors.
Mr. Peanut, created in 1916, remains one of the most beloved American advertising mascots. This giant Old King Cole example stands as a true centerpiece of mid-century Americana.
This figure is believed to have originally come from the Atlantic City Boardwalk, where Planters once used oversized Mr. Peanut displays to attract crowds and promote their brand.
With the Old King Cole factory destroyed and most original figures lost, this is one of the only known examples of its size and quality left in existence. It would be a highlight piece in any major advertising, Americana, or pop culture collection, museum, or commercial showcase.
CONDITION: Excellent condition, showing what appears to be original paint with some areas of touch-up. Nothing that distracts from the overall iconic look some paint crackling to the piece throughout consistent with age. Good strong colors mounted on a cast-iron base that is mounted to a Oak wooden platform for display. There is a removable panel on the back of the figure, revealing the early fiberglass insides showing metal support bars.
This is not a standard shippable item and will require 3rd party shipping or pickup arrangements to be made.
Item Dimensions: 51" x 28" x 108"