Shapes of ceramic beer bottle caps worldwide

Shapes of (ceramic) bottle caps:

During the last century there were used manny different types of beer bottle caps. This site gives a short overview of these bottle stoppers.

Manny countries had their preferred types of bottle caps at a given time. So the shape of an unknown bottle cap can already tell a lot about the country of origin and also about the approximate age of that specific cap. Besides this different types of bottle caps were also an important factor in the economic development of the brewing industry. Hence there were filed many patents on bottle caps and these patents are interesting historic documents. They are telling us a lot about the history of these bottle stoppers, who invented them and which company manufactured them.

For some of the depicted bottle caps I got the corresponding patents and links to PDF-files of these patents are provided.

Shapes of (ceramic) bottle caps: During the last century there were used manny different types of beer bottle caps. This site gives a short overview of these bottle stoppers. Manny countries had their preferred types of bottle caps at a given time. So the shape of an unknown bottle cap can already tell a lot about the country of origin and also about the approximate age of that specific cap. Besides this different types of bottle caps were also an important factor in the economic development of the brewing industry. Hence there were filed many patents on bottle caps and these patents are interesting historic documents. They are telling us a lot about the history of these bottle stoppers, who invented them and which company manufactured them. For some of the depicted bottle caps I got the corresponding patents and links to PDF-files of these patents are provided.
In use today DE, NL, AU, CH Common Porcelaine & plastic Patent: EP 123456	In use today Europe Very common Porcelaine Patent: ???	Until about 1970 Mainly DE, DK Very common Porcelaine Patent: DRP58602 DRP59915	Until about 1920 Mainly DE, PL Rarely for breweries Porcelaine Patent: DRP79821	Until ??? DE, PL Rarely for breweries Porcelaine Patent: ???
		Until about 1920 Mainly DE, PL, Rare Porcelaine Patent: DRP58602 DRP59915	Until about 1920 Mainly DE, PL, Rarely for breweries Porcelaine Patent: ???	Until about 1900 DE, Grauel-type Rare Metal & porcelaine Patent: DRP1685 US217425
Until about 1920 USA, Hutter stopper Very common Porcelaine Patent: US491113	Until about 1920 USA, Dreyfuss Common Porcelaine Patent: ???	Until about 1920 USA, Ball-type Rare Porcelaine Patent: ???	Until about 1910 Lightning closure Metal & Rubber Patent: US158406	Until about 1920 USA, DE, PL Composite Porcelaine & Cork Patent: ???
Until ??? USA, root beer Rare Metal & rubber Patent: ???	Unttil ??? USA. root beer Rare Metal & lether Patent: ???
Until about 1930 GB, IE, AU, NZ, (CA) Common Ebonite Patent: GB ??? US230605	Until about 1930 GB, IE, AU, NZ Common Ebonite Patent: ???	Until about 1930 GB, IE, AU, NZ Rare Ebonite Patent: ???	Until about ??? GB Rare Wood Patent: ???	Until about ??? GB Rare Earthenware Patent: ???
Until about 1930 GB, IE, AU, NZ Common Ebonite Patent: GB213852	Riley-type GB Rare Ebonite Patent: GB8198	Until about 1930 GB, IE, AU, NZ Rare Ebonite Patent: GB12942	Riley-type GB Rare Wood Patent: GB8198	Until about ??? GB (Scotland) Rare Earthenware Patent: ???
Until about ??? RU, (DE) Rare Porcelaine Patent: ??? DRGM73835	Until about ??? DE, FR Rare Porcelaine Patent: ???	Still in use today DE, AT: Syphon Common Porcelaine Patent: ???	Until about 1970 SE, DK: lät ol/light beer Common Porcelaine Patent: DE896016
Crown cap: Painter US468258 DRP68350	Twist-off bottle cap patented 1988 US4782969	Until about 1910 World-wide Rare to find Cork Patent: ???	Still today in use Mainly BE Common Cork Patent: ???
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