# Orange Crush Amber "Krinkly" Dating Help



## shadeone (Mar 31, 2020)

The 1940s amber "krinkly" or "honeycomb" style Orange Crush bottles were replaced in 1955 by the clear and curvy "Mae West" style bottles. I have found most of the earlier Amber bottles to be easy to date with the exception of this particular logo variation...







This particular variant has "7 fl ozs" under the "company bottle" line (whereas most standard ones just have "company bottle" with nothing else beneath it) and has a base code that reads:
7 FL OZS
L 64
1 1095

Now most normal people would take this to be "L" for Laurens Glass Works and 64 for the year 1964... However, as I stated earlier, these particular bottles were phased out in 1955 and as far as I know, not produced in the 60s. Collector Ivan Lang provided a version of this same logo style bottle made by Duraglass and it is dated 1954:





Now, I have found other examples of this bottle in completed ebay auctions and the like, with the same "L64" code as well as the 1095 part, but the single digit to the left of the 1095 varies. So far I have found 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7
Example, here is one with a "5" in that particular location:





People have mentioned that the single digit is possibly a plant code, but my theory is that this single digit indicates the year manufactured in this case? Can anyone prove or disprove this and possibly explain the L64, or give any insight on how to properly date this variation of Orange Crush bottle?


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## J.R. Collector (Mar 31, 2020)

I thought they were phased out by 1970 so L 64 might be the glass house and date.


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## J.R. Collector (Mar 31, 2020)

Correction : phased out in the mid 70s


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Mar 31, 2020)

What does the back say?


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Mar 31, 2020)

Here is the one i have. It is full. It is 1931.


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## hemihampton (Mar 31, 2020)

were they making ACL's in 1931? LEON.


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## carling (Mar 31, 2020)

It's 1941.


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## Canadacan (Apr 1, 2020)

ROBBYBOBBY64 said:


> Here is the one i have. It is full. It is 1931.


carling is correct. It's 1941...as the dot after the one indicates this.


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Apr 1, 2020)

You are so right! I am so sorry. I got mixed up.  The dot is the only way to tell the difference between 1930-1932 and 1940-1942.


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## shadeone (Apr 1, 2020)

I'm specifically talking about one logo variation here... the one that has "7 fl ozs" after the company logo part:





This variation seems to 90% of the time come with the L64 and 1095 markings that I am questioning here...

Also, what evidence exists that the amber "krinkly" types were still being produced into the 70s? Or even 60s? Obviously they were re-used and re-filled until they were no longer viable, but here are some newspaper clippings from the mid 50s showing the introduction of the "Mae West" or "draped" style bottle. They were proud of this new bottle. They wouldn't have kept deliberately producing the old amber krinkly bottles for another decade or more after the introduction of this new shape.


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Apr 1, 2020)

hemihampton said:


> were they making ACL's in 1931? LEON.


1941 sorry i was incorrect.


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## SODABOB (Apr 5, 2020)

Michael Rosman Orange Crush Bottles - Identifying & Dating


Krinkly Amber

http://www.angelfire.com/yt/soda/Rosman-OC-amber.html


Krinkly Clear

http://www.angelfire.com/yt/soda/Rosman-OC-clear.html


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## mrosman (Apr 22, 2020)

SODABOB said:


> Michael Rosman Orange Crush Bottles - Identifying & Dating
> 
> 
> Krinkly Amber
> ...


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## mrosman (Apr 22, 2020)

Hi Soda Bob.... the two websites you write as 'ancient'.... written way back when just starting collecting and classifying Orange Crush - probably about 1990...
More recent and up to date is my book, on Ebay or Kijiji.....


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## mrosman (Apr 22, 2020)

The dating help you mention, for everything from Wards to the modern era is all outlined in my book


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## SODABOB (Apr 22, 2020)

Michael

Good to hear from you and thanks for letting us know about your book - which I should have known about but didn't.  Here's a pic of your 2nd Edition so others will know what to look for.  

Thanks again, 

Bob


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## shadeone (Apr 22, 2020)

I have the latest edition of the book. Still doesn't answer the main question I have here though. What proof (aside from the few "L64" stamped bottles in question) is there that there were amber krinkly bottles being produced past 1955, after the introduction of the Mae-West bottle? 
Where are the krinkly bottles dated 1957-1963 (if L64 really means 1964)?
I still find it hard to believe that there would still be amber krinkly bottles being produced after the media blitz surrounding their "new amazing bottle" in the mid-late 50s. Companies that big have nationwide standardization guidelines to follow.


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## Canadacan (Apr 23, 2020)

shadeone said:


> I have the latest edition of the book. Still doesn't answer the main question I have here though. What proof (aside from the few "L64" stamped bottles in question) is there that there were amber krinkly bottles being produced past 1955, after the introduction of the Mae-West bottle?
> Where are the krinkly bottles dated 1957-1963 (if L64 really means 1964)?
> I still find it hard to believe that there would still be amber krinkly bottles being produced after the media blitz surrounding their "new amazing bottle" in the mid-late 50s. Companies that big have nationwide standardization guidelines to follow.


You are absolutely correct!... another collector that is on the same page as me. You posted my 1954 7oz Krinkly which was the last of those bottles, it's possible they made a few into 1955 because that was the transition year. If the bottle marked L64 meant 1964 on the back it'd be marked Crush International  Inc ….in the summer of 1959 Orange Crush Company became Crush International  Inc.

Another thing that I keep refuting is the date of the brown Mae west bottles. In many articles they suggest or print the noted year on them as 1955, this is impossible because those bottles have Crush International Inc. on the back....as I mentioned that was not introduced until mid to late 1959.
I will show this in these next photos.
To further this, the same applies to the Canadian 26oz and 10oz brown Mae west, those bottles are complicated for collectors to understand because they are marked 'design reg'd 1956' ...the bilingual ones are not marked 1956. This leads people to believe that they are from 1956....and that is incorrect.
 In 1965 in Canada and the USA they had a campaign and brought back the brown bottle! Canadian ads touted "It's BACK!...by popular demand! or "Back in the Unique Brown bottle"

1954 Krinkly and the new style bottle introduced in 1955...this one is dated 1957.



Note the back on the clear 1957 is marked Orange Crush Company.



These are two of my USA browns...they are not from 1955,56,57,etc



Note the back has Crush International Inc., these are 1960's bottles
Now I could not get any date codes off of these two but rest assured they did not have Crush International Inc. on them in the 50's.




This ad alone should convince any none believer!...the carton is also era correct with the newer Crush International  Inc logo in the center.
Orange Crush-South Carolina- The Greenville News, 24 Aug 1965, Tue, Main Edition, Page 6


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## SODABOB (Apr 23, 2020)

I'm doing some research and might have found an explanation for the L64 bottle, but because I'm still working on that I will reserve comment until I'm done.  In the meantime these Patent designs should help answer a couple of questions, especially when and who patented the so called "Mae "West" bottle.

Neal C Ward - 1920 - 55,892

https://patents.google.com/patent/USD55892






Albert E Reppening - 1938 - 110,731

https://patents.google.com/patent/USD110731S/







James Nash - 1955-1956 - 177,271

https://patents.google.com/patent/USD177271S/en?q=Bottle&inventor=James+Nash&oq=James+Nash+Bottle


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## shadeone (Apr 23, 2020)

Probably should actually be called the "ice cream cone" bottle haha


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## SODABOB (Apr 23, 2020)

shadeone

Great find - However, now it begs the question as to who and when the Mae West nickname originated?  As for myself, I don't know.


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## Canadacan (Apr 23, 2020)

From one news article it was referred to as the new Crystal bottle another just sated it was clear.
I guess the biggest name use was 'King Size'
As for Mae West?...I think that's just collectors terminology borrowed from the reference to Coke bottles? Me I actually prefer the less used term 'Diamond Draped' !!!...now I'd like to know where that one came from!


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## SODABOB (Apr 24, 2020)

Cc

Have you seen this one?

*1955









*

Did ja know that Bludwine coined the nickname "Hobble Skirt" before the Patent 1915 Coca Cola bottle was designed?


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## SODABOB (Apr 24, 2020)

P.S.

Just for the record ...


*1913 Bludwine Ad 

View attachment Bludwine El Paso Herald March 15, 1913 (2).jpg*


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## Canadacan (Apr 24, 2020)

Bob thanks for those!.. I'm sure I completely missed that giant bottle photo!


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## SODABOB (Apr 26, 2020)

After doing some research, the best hypothesis I could come up with regarding why an amber Orange Crush bottle was produced as late as 1964, is as follows ...

1.  The L64 is definitely a Laurens Glass Works mark for 1964

2. The 1095 is either a style number or a Laurens catalog number - The 1 is a mold cavity number

3. The bottle's existence may not be as mysterious as it seems.  I believe it's not only possible, but highly likely that the Orange Crush bottle in question was bottled by a single bottler who specifically requested them from Laurens.  Even though I cannot backup my single bottler hypothesis with any documentation, if the bottler can be found, I believe it would provide us with some additional information that might explain the rest of the story.

Question:   WHO bottled it and WHERE were they located?


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## SODABOB (Apr 26, 2020)

P.S. / Suggestion

Conduct a search and see if we can find any other Orange Crush bottles with 1095 on the base, Especially if they can be dated earlier than 1964.  I haven't done this yet, but will as time allows.  If any exist, they could provide a clue or two.


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## Canadacan (Apr 26, 2020)

You know it's entirely possible that it's a mold makers error.


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## SODABOB (Apr 26, 2020)

Cc 

I'm basing my hypothesis on the fact that Laurens used a solo L on some of their later bottles.


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## SODABOB (Apr 26, 2020)

Another thing I noticed are different mold cavity numbers - 1 - 5 - and 6 - which suggest there were at least six molds on the bottle forming machine.  If the marks are a mold makers error, then how do we account for the different mold numbers?  Please note that I am just trying to make some sense of this and that noting is etched in glass yet (pun intended). 

*1*





*5





6*


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## SODABOB (Apr 26, 2020)

I forgot to mention that base plates on bottle molds were interchangeable - which means an older bottle mold could be equipped with a newer base pate, as illustrated on this 1971  Peps Cola mold.  In the case of the Orange Crush bottle, Laurens Glass Works could very easily have used an old mold and equipped it with a new base plate.  Hence, changing the year code when it was made, which was for quality control purposes..


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## SODABOB (Apr 26, 2020)

Hypothesis No. 2

Laurens Glass Works night shift "Whimsies"  -  Scroll to the last paragraph on page 31 - Click on the + to enlarge


https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1022&context=lib_facpub&sei-redir=1&referer=http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=from%20cracked%20to%20perfect%20bottles&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCoQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscholarcommons.sc.edu%2Fcgi%2Fviewcontent.cgi%3Farticle%3D1022%26context%3Dlib_facpub&ei=D3yvUYuNN4i2yAHioICwCw&usg=AFQjCNE3Epod7yqRGpJpDXRvz45t60vr2w#search="from cracked perfect bottles"


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## Canadacan (Apr 27, 2020)

Hmmm, very interesting. Yes I hear what your saying with the 64 and yet they have the different mould numbers.
So where are the other years for.....any samples showing up?
When I search and find the same bottle design from Illinois glass I find various years, 1947,48, 51, 54, and even 1955.

I do have another theory though...……...


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## SODABOB (Apr 27, 2020)

Cc

Thanks - I'm looking forward to your other theory

In the meantime, I have been looking at later bottles and found some interesting discoveries. This is still in the preliminary stage, and I need to continue my search, but notice the base marks and date codes on these two bottles.

Green = Every green bottle I have been able to find a picture of the base is marked L 72 G 1269 (1972)

Amber = I haven't been able to find very many base pics of these amber bottles, but notice this particular example is marked with L 65 5 939  (1965)

I'm not sure what's up with these bottles yet, other than they are definitely marked with a solo L

















I added this for comparison - which is one year earlier than the above example


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## SODABOB (Apr 27, 2020)

P.S.

Although I haven't found a decent base pic yet, some of the later CLEAR Mae West bottles also have a solo L on the base


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## SODABOB (Apr 28, 2020)

I wasn't expecting to find this one, but it is what it is ...

*L  55











*


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## SODABOB (Apr 28, 2020)

I was starting to think the last bottle I posted might be a fluke, but here's another one ...


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## SODABOB (Apr 28, 2020)

I think we all agree the new Orange Crush King Size bottles were first introduced in 1955, and thought I would post this ad and patent to re-confirm it ... 

Chattanooga, Tennessee - November 3, 1955

View attachment Orange Crush King Size Bottle_Chattanooga_Daily_Times_Tenn_Thu__Nov_3__1955 Date.jpg





Patent Filed July 11, 1955 - Patent granted March 27, 1956 

Note:  It was not uncommon for a bottle to enter the marketplace before it received a final patent.  That's why some bottles have Patent Pending on the base.


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## SODABOB (Apr 28, 2020)

This bottle is currently on eBay - I contacted the seller and he said the base marks are ...

*LG   75   424   8








*


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## SODABOB (Apr 28, 2020)

Hypothesis No. 3

( Which sort of ties in with my Hypothesis No. 1 )

In other words ….

In 1964, a single bottler might have conducted a promotion by temporarily "reviving" the old amber Krinkly bottle and bringing it back just for the promotion.  If this explains the existence of what I believe to be a 1964 amber Krinkly Orange Crush bottle made by the Laurens Glass Works, it might be extremely difficult to prove unless someone can find an article or some other reference about such a promotion.  I looked around a little, but haven't found anything along those lines yet - but will continue to search as time allows.


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## Canadacan (Apr 29, 2020)

Well in part my theory was a possible promotion bottle. But I'm not so convinced now that you posted the brown Mae west L55.

So just some things to think about, the brown bottle was brought back in 1965 by so called "popular demand"
That Mae west L55 says Crush International Inc on the back, that can't be 1955 because in 1955 it was the Orange Crush Company.
This change never took place until 1959 when it became Crush International Inc.
My clear 8oz Mae west is dated 1957 and marked Orange Crush Company. The other thing is when the new bottle was introduced in 1955...and still rolling out in 1956 it was stated that it was 'Crystal Clear'...Canadian ads stated that it was clear as well.

As much as I'd like to believe that some third shift crew created the L64, and now seeing the L55, my thoughts are one, they are simply mould errors, or secondly these codes are being read wrong and that it's just the last number that corresponds to the year....if that's the case they work fine.

Who knows maybe some proof will shows up about a special creation for this L64, that could be in the city or state that plant was located and they were able to present these as a special return rather than the Mae West......sounds dreamy!...hahaha!!!


Orange Crush-South Carolina- The Greenville News, 24 Aug 1965, Tue, Main Edition, Page 6





Orange Crush-back in the brown bottle-Nanaimo Daily News, 21 Jun 1965, Mon, Page 3





Well that's clearly a clear bottle in this press release from Canada, and note they say 'former seven ounce, colored bottle'.
Orange Crush- The Chilliwack Progress, 11 Jan 1956, Wed, Page 6


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## SODABOB (Apr 29, 2020)

Cc - Thanks

I totally agree that Crush International Inc., and the Canadian version, Crush International Ltd., were both established in 1959.  However, I am still of the opinion the double digit numbers that follow the L mark are year codes.  Almost every bottle manufacturer I am aware of used some type of year code for quality control purposes.  Of course, there are exceptions to this, but those are minimal.  Especially in the Applied Color Label era, which began in 1934 for American made soda bottles.  One of the things I'm not 100% sure about is if the 55 mark is actually a 55.  Due to the poor images, they could be the number 65.  If that's the case, then those particular bottles would fit in just fine with the Crush International Inc / Ltd dates of 1959. 

So, let's not give up just yet.  With a little more research, the answer could be waiting for us just around the bend.  For now, I'm going to focus on the so called L 55 mark and see if I can find some better images. Like I said, it could be a 65 and not a 55  ???

Bob


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## SODABOB (Apr 30, 2020)

More Confusion?  or  Possible Connection?

Orange Crush wasn't the only brand that used the *L* mark

*Nehi  29  L  65  










Dr Pepper  L  78  50  1322  (with dots)









Laurens Glass Works Dots





Sun Drop  L  78  26  1202











Nugrape  L  73  22  1089







*


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## SODABOB (Apr 30, 2020)

These wouldn't fit in my last post ...

*Mountain Dew  L  65  47











Coca Cola 1975 Commemorative Anniversary   L  75  32  1345













*


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## SODABOB (Apr 30, 2020)

Back to the beginning ...

So how do we account for this one?

*Orange Crush Amber Krinkly   L  64  1  1095



*


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## SODABOB (Apr 30, 2020)

Cc

Have you seen this one?  It must be rare because I can only find two examples of it.  In the pics it appears silver, but its actually gold plated.   I don't know who made it other than its Canadian.


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## SODABOB (Apr 30, 2020)

*Orange Crush - Bottle Shortage - Laurens Glass Works - Greenville, South Carolina - September 18, 1964



*


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## Canadacan (May 2, 2020)

Bob yes I have seen that Anniversary Crush from Canada, held one  in my had at my friends house, I swore it was silver!..lol, I'll have to ask him.


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## SODABOB (May 3, 2020)

*Orange Crush - Seven Up Bottling Company - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania?*

Let me be the first to point out that it is not uncommon for some sellers to put a new cap on an old bottle. Most of us have seen numerous examples of this practice, which are usually pretty easy to spot.  However, even with that said, I can't help but wonder about these Orange Crush bottles that have the newer cap on them.  I found at least six examples of them, and every description claimed the bottles were still full.  Not only that, but the examples I found were sold on eBay over a period of years between 2016 and 2019.  As near as I could determine, the bottles I found were sold by different sellers and not the same seller over and over again.  But even if they are bogus, I present it here more of a "possible origin" of the L64 bottles and not as anything definitive.  In other words, they might be a CLUE worth looking into.

One thing is certain;  The Pittsburg Seven Up bottling company definitely bottled Orange Crush in the 1960s, as seen in the following attachments.  Especially notice the two different receipts from 1960.  Notice that one of them has Orange Crush on it but the other one doesn't.  I can't say for certain, but its almost as if they didn't carry Orange Crush at one point, but then added it to their line later on.   I/we might want to look into this and see if anything more definitive might turn up.  Like I said, this is just a CLUE that MIGHT account for the existence of the L64 bottles.

*L64 Bottle with newer Pittsburgh Seven Up Bottling Co. cap*





*Base of the same bottle





First Receipt - No Orange Crush






Second Receipt - With Orange Crush





Newspaper Ad - Pittsburgh Press - April 4, 1963


View attachment Orange Crush Pittsburgh Seven Up_The_Pittsburgh_Press_Thu__Apr_4__1963.jpg

Amber Mae West with Pittsburgh 7-Up Cap



*


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## mrosman (May 6, 2020)

SODABOB said:


> Michael
> 
> Good to hear from you and thanks for letting us know about your book - which I should have known about but didn't.  Here's a pic of your 2nd Edition so others will know what to look for.
> 
> ...


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## SODABOB (May 6, 2020)

Michael 

Thanks

You posted your 3rd Edition book in a pdf format so I converted it to jpg


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## mrosman (May 27, 2020)

Thanks Bob for advertising my book "Krinkly to Mae West" for me... the picture you show is the 2nd.ed, much smaller in content and physical size of book.... try my 3rd. edition, larger, and much more complete...


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## mrosman (Jun 24, 2020)

Hi Bob.... thanks for the picture of the 2nd. ed. of my book..... I did have a copy but I think one of my kids took it for their library....
Michael


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## mrosman (May 18, 2022)

Hi RobbyBobby... just running through and reviewing the O.C. listings... the bottle you show is interesting... it is a 7oz. American bottle with a 6oz. Canadian crown cap... indicating to me that it has been refilled and recapped by someone who did not have a knowledge of this sort of thing. Hope you don't mind my late comment.... Michael


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## graybeal (Jan 1, 2023)

I’ve enjoyed reading about the L64 Crush bottles and wonder if anyone figured anything out. I have a wrinkle to throw in that wasn’t covered and why I stumbled upon this thread.

I have two Orange Crush bottles by Glenshaw Glass (G in a square followed by 62). One is Amber Krinkly and the other is clear Crush. Both 7 ounces and both G 62, presumably 1962. I’ll have to take pics of the bases.


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## Canadacan (Jan 1, 2023)

graybeal said:


> I’ve enjoyed reading about the L64 Crush bottles and wonder if anyone figured anything out. I have a wrinkle to throw in that wasn’t covered and why I stumbled upon this thread.
> 
> I have two Orange Crush bottles by Glenshaw Glass (G in a square followed by 62). One is Amber Krinkly and the other is clear Crush. Both 7 ounces and both G 62, presumably 1962. I’ll have to take pics of the bases.


Ok well I was convinced at one point that the L64 was a mold error, but what I believe now is maybe the mold # has been misinterpreted.
It's the second number that represents the year, so in fact you have a  1952 and a 1962.


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