General Antiques and Collectibles Spring Auction
Lot 592:
Description
C-18015
Collection of three lithographed tobacco tins: Columbia Cut Plug Smoking Tobacco (produced exclusively for Sears, Roebuck & Co.), Frisco, and Catcher Rough Cut Pipe Tobacco. The Columbia tin is decorated in bold red, white, and blue striping with the Columbia figure at center, proudly noting its Sears, Roebuck & Co. distribution in Chicago, Dallas, and Seattle. The Frisco tin shows a scrolling green and gold motif with stylized typography reminiscent of turn-of-the-century advertising flair. The Catcher tin, in vivid orange and blue, depicts a smoking pipe illustration, emphasizing its intended use for rough cut blends. Collectively, these pieces illustrate the branding strategies that made tobacco tins both practical storage and eye-catching countertop advertisements in early 20th-century America.
Each tin exhibits surface wear, oxidation, and scattered scratches, with age-darkening and small dents present. Lithography remains legible with strong surviving color across all three examples.
Columbia Tin: 6" H x 5" Dia.
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