# National Dope Company



## necie35020 (Nov 3, 2007)

Can anyone tell me about this bottle? On the back base it embossed with D.O.C. 69.


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## cobaltbot (Nov 3, 2007)

Great name on that hutchinson soda bottle.  Could it have been used for something else?  The DOC likely stands for the D.O.Cunningham Glass Company a *Pittsburgh* Company owned by Dominec O'Conner Cunningham.


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## necie35020 (Nov 3, 2007)

Thanks cobaltbot. Do you have any idea how old it is? Or if it might be worth anything?


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## cobaltbot (Nov 3, 2007)

Not sure on value, you would think some value with a name like that.  I think Capsoda has one.  Age 1890's - 1910? although DOC started around 1882.


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## necie35020 (Nov 3, 2007)

It is from Birmingham Alabama. It was found with the other bottles in this photo along with oters not pictured here. All but one of the bottles are embossed. There is a Celery Cola, Rye Ola, Camel Bottling Company, 2 Coca Cola (embossed at the base). The one that has no embossing looks black, but is really dark green when held up to a light. They were all found in Birmingham.  Is the hutch a blob top? Thanks again.


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## bearswede (Nov 3, 2007)

Hi Necie...

 Kovels' 12th edition has a listing under "Sodas" for your bottle with a value of $225... And, yes, it is a blob top...


 Ron


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## necie35020 (Nov 3, 2007)

Thanks Ron. Would these bottles have had paper labels also?  Wish I could find out what kind of soda was sold in it.


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## cowseatmaize (Nov 3, 2007)

Found this online;
 The *National Dope Company* was a producer and bottler of soft drinks in Birmingham from 1909 to 1911.

 Edit; forgot the link. 
 http://www.bhamwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=List_of_bottlers


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## necie35020 (Nov 3, 2007)

Thank you Eric. There should be some way to find out what the bottle contained. I'll keep searching.


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## capsoda (Nov 4, 2007)

They only bottled a few flavors. Birmingham was on the cutting edge of soda sales from the very late 1890s and about 1920 and the hutch was old hat. The company just never quite got profitable. No one wanted to drunk soda out of a hutch when they could have a soft drink in a crown cork bottle. The hutch put them out of business. They are fairley rare but I have never seen one sell for $225. $150 would be more realistic. 

 If you decide to part with any let me know.


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## necie35020 (Nov 4, 2007)

Thanks Warren. I will keep that in mind. I don't know just yet what to do. That's the only hutch I have. It's interesting to me because Coca cola in the beginning contained cocaine and the bottle is embossed with National Dope Company, Birmingham, Ala. One of the bottles that was found with this one is from Jacobs Pharmacy, Atlanta, GA. I posted a photo of it the other day on the "before 1900 page". Also a link to an interesting obituary that gave the name of two survivors (brothers), one worked at Jacobs Pharmacy and the other at a pharmacy here in Birmingham. Several old medicine bottles were found also. I will post pics of them later. The Celery Cola stirs my interest too.


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## bearswede (Nov 4, 2007)

So Warren...
 Any idea why they called it the National Dope Company? Would that really "sell" their product? Any idea what DOC stood for?


 Ron


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## cowseatmaize (Nov 4, 2007)

It was and still is used some as a  term for soda, coke etc. in some areas of the southern coastal states. Kind of like tonic still is up our way. 
 I think cobalt is right wth the Cunningham Ppittsburgh idea.

 EDIT:
 Exerpt;
 You further say "Both of my paternal grandparents worked most of
 their lives in a cotton mill. The mill had a food cart that sold soda
 and snacks. It was often referred to by the mill workers and others
 associated with the mills as the 'dope wagon'."  DARE (Dictionary of 
 American Regional English) has "dope" as
 meaning a carbonated beverage from 1915, including 1918, 1929
 (Thomas Wolfe) and 1963 from North Carolina.  It also has "dope" as
 meaning a medicine, so I suppose that "dope" = soda parallels tonic
 = soda.  The soft drink Moxie used to advertise its benefits as a
 "nerve tonic", before the food & Drug Admin. got after it.


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## capsoda (Nov 4, 2007)

Hey Ron, It was a shot at Coke mostly and the term dope did catch on. My great aunt call every soda a dope all her life.


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## bearswede (Nov 4, 2007)

Nice research, Eric... Thanks!


 Ron

 PS... Now that I think on it, doesn't that seem like a touch of hubris, calling it the NATIONAL Dope Co., given that it's a regional term?


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## necie35020 (Nov 4, 2007)

I remember when "dopes" cost 6 cents each in the early 50's. We always called them dopes. If someone had told me to go to the store and buy soda, most likely I would have bought baking soda. I guess the first time I heard them referred to as soda was in the 60's, after I got married and moved up north. I posted 3 pics of another bottle from National Dope Company, Birmingham, Ala. I forgot about having it in with the other bottles. I really do appreciate all of you helping me.


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## treasurekidd (Nov 4, 2007)

Cool bottle, and the best name I've ever seen on a bottle!


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## necie35020 (Nov 5, 2007)

Now treasurekidd, both of them are just old empty bottles. Thank you for commenting though. I sent an email to Dennis Smith. He says his book "Kolawars" has information on the Birmingham soda bottlers. I intend to get it as soon as possible.


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## frozenmonkeyface (Oct 22, 2012)

It may be too late to ask a question about this bottle, but did anyone ever find any info about the National Dope Company bottle? I ask because I have one just like it and would like to know about the value and what was inside of it. 
 I am new at the bottle game. Thanks for any help!


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## surfaceone (Oct 22, 2012)

Hello Wendy,

 Welcome to the A-BN. How'd you choose that screen name? 

 It contained a soda, of as yet unknown variety..

 Price check on Aisle 2:







 "Status: Completed	Sold Price: $44.90	# of Bids: 10
 2012-01-21 18:21:20	Search Words: Coca Cola Collectibles
 Title: late 1800s national dope co birmingham ala tall hutch bottle coca cola imitator" From.


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## frozenmonkeyface (Oct 23, 2012)

Thanks a lot! I appreciate the help!


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