# Agana Guam Coke bottle, revisited



## daven2nl (Aug 7, 2014)

Hello, There was a thread a while back (now locked) where I discussed the existence of an Agana Guam embossed Coke bottle.  The Pacific War Museum in Anigua has one on display behind glass, however it is broken and in poor condition.  I recently left the island after living there for four years, and for much of that time I'd spent hunting in the jungle for one of these bottles in better condition.  I've come across thousands of WW2 era coke bottles on Guam, mostly clear with some stateside bottles mixed in, all from the 1944-1945 era.  This is logical because Guam was occupied by Japan in December 1941 and was liberated by US forces in July of 1944.  Following the liberation, Guam was used as a major base for American troops until the end of the war.  For that reason, 1944-1945 coke bottles are very common and can be found in deep piles in the jungle if you know where to look.  The same reason (WW2) is why pre-war bottles are so rare.  Guam was sparsely occupied before the war, with most people living in two villages.  These villages were completely destroyed during the war.  In four years I only found three pre-war bottles, two marked 1940 (clear with no city embossing on the base), and a 1928 German coke bottle found on a former Copra plantation. I even spoke with a descendent of the Guam coke bottler (Butler) - the family had no examples either.  Butler himself was interred by the Japanese during the war and lost everything. I recently returned to Guam for a work trip, and the museum owner was kind enough to let me handle the bottle so I could read the date.  I had thought it must have been a very old bottle, perhaps one of the original ones used, guessing that unmarked bottles were used later, based on the two I had found marked 1940.  Turns out that I was wrong - it was a later bottle (still prewar). 58 (C) 38 It's a Chattanooga Class Company bottle (C in a circle), dated 1938.  The number to the left of the MFR logo is 58.  I've attached a couple photos.  As you can see, the bottle is in poor shape.  This is the only example that I know of.  The museum also has just the embossed base of a 2nd AGANA GUAM bottle, but the rest of the bottle is missing. -Dave


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## SODAPOPBOB (Aug 7, 2014)

Dave It's good to hear from you again. Thanks a million for the update, with emphasis on the word "date." I would have guessed the Agana Guam/Chester Butler bottle was produced earlier than 1938, and closer to when he established the franchise in the early 1920s. But now we know for certain thanks to your do diligence. I have to believe where there is one such bottle, there are likely to be more. But based on all of the great information you've provided us with in the past, finding one of those bottles is a horse of different color. Please don't forget, if you ever find two or more of the bottle, in any condition, that Bill Porter would like one, as well as myself. By the way, great pictures! Thanks again Bob


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## hemihampton (Aug 7, 2014)

YES, Thanks for the update. Very Interesting. LEON.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Aug 7, 2014)

P.S. Speaking of Bill Porter, according to his book, the D-Patent bottles were first issued in 1938, which tells us the one pictured is a first issue of that particular style. This image is scanned from Bill's book and shows the issue dates for Coca Cola hobbleskirts ...


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