Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion does anyone know what this is?

I have a steel caltex can with lid and handle, stands about 55 cm tall and looks like a cream can,it has caltx imprinted on it and was wondering if anyone there knows its age, what it was used for and its value,cheers

Bulk oil delivery
db

Thanks for your help ..any other info anyone

Just had this discussion awhile back here, but here goes again.



Here is a delivery truck full of the cans that you are talking about. These were being delivered to farms and ranches for use in equipment and machinery.


Here are two other examples. Shell on the left, Standard Oil Company on the right.

Thanks guys!!

Nice breakdown Poorman, the pics were great. You spelled it out like a textbook answer. Bravo!

Poorman, you get the "Extra Effort" award for today. I'm puttin' a gold star by your name in my community book.

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Jim "Oldgas" Potts
Your host and moderator

This type can was also used for delivery of kerosene. I've heard my Dad talk about making kerosene deliveries to grocery stores back in the '30's, where the tank was kept in the back room and he had to draw off and carry two cans per trip through the store until he had filled the tank. (A lot of older tankwagons had "dial"-type counters on the inside of one of the back doors or on the end of the tank, itself, to keep track of how much you had delivered.)

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Jim Hinds
Columbus, Indiana

Thats interesting, comparing to above pictures, mine is narrower and has a finer more flat dome top part which you twist off,has metal wedges either side to hold lid fast.Handle is finer too but otherwise same type of thing.So this might be from 30s?? Do you see lots of these over there and what do they sell for..cheers.Thanks for your help, you guys are good..obviously know your stuff!

The one on the right has a twist on lid as you described. The Shell is a push on cap more like a milk can.

These cans probably go back earlier than the 30's as bulk oil, gasoline and kerosene were distributed at the turn of the century using these kinds of containers.

I have not encountered a great deal of collector interest in these. So often they are confused with milk cans that I have seen the generic ones for twenty or thirty bucks at flea markets.

The ones that are embossed with an oil company name or logo would likely be worth more to a collector than the more generic ones. I have also seen a brass Union Oil container like these that was polished and it was quite impressive.

A friend gave me the two Standard Oil cans that I have and I got the Shell in a trade with some other things, so I can't even tell you what mine are worth.

I think that the age and confusion about what these are makes them a harder sell than say a painted 5 gallon can or container that replaced them. Also they aren't usually as graphically interesting even though they are older than the painted cans. (That last part is just my opinion so don't take it as gospel.)

I'm planning on doing a display showcasing the evolution of the distribution of bulk fuel and oil in the Poor Mans Museum someday which is why I'm hanging onto mine.


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C Cragg
www.poormansmuseum.com

I have a Union 76 container like this that I turned into a table lamp. Something different to go with all of my other petro junk. They don't seem to be too valuable, I saw one in a Petaluma, CA antique store labeled "milk can"..it was a Flying A Associated one for $50.

I have had a Caltex can like this. This type of can is very common in Sweden with most brands reprecented. I will send a picture of a Shell Aero can - Curt would you assist in posting this picture?
rgds,
Claes

Here is the can in question from Claes. This one is for aviation fuel.

WAY COOL Claes!!! Same to you Poor Man!!! I love this stuff....

Thanks for helping me with the picture, Curt.
On the opposite side of the can, there is the shell logo with the wings.
Most other cans are just plain galvanized steel with the brand in text, so I think this is rather cool.
rgds,
Claes