Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Socony Mobil, date an item help.

So I recently purchased this 2 gallon can. Now I had done some research telling me the following in regards to name changes of the company.

1911...Socony
1931...Socony-Vacuum Corp.
1934...Socony-Vacuum Oil Co.
1955...Socony-Mobil Oil Co. (this is the can in question)

Now I had also found some information that said that in 1930 Pegasus was changed from Left to Right. Having me to believe that anything with a left facing Pegasus pre-dates 1930.

So here is my problem. With this can being titled Socony-Mobil Oil Co., I would be left thinking it was no older than 1955. But Pegasus is facing left!! What gives??

Where is my research in error????

Break into your piggy bank and start buying some of the Collector's Guides...

From the Mobil Collector's & Price Guide: 1998...Wayne Henderson and Scott Benjamin:

The SOCONY-Mobil Oil Corporate name was used from 1955-1966....

In the Guide it states that Mobil changed the direction of their Pegasus in 1964..(I thought it was in '66, but will defer to Wayne and Scott.... LOL)

Pegasus was not adopted for use on cans until 1931, the same year S-V merged, so there is no way a Pegasus can predate 1930. That 2 gallon can is not older than 1955. The flat sheild logo was adopted in 1957, and used until the MOBIL red and blue logo was adopted in 1966, and the company became Mobil Oil Corporation. It was around that time that Pegasus changed to right facing, and was barely represented on the cans and stations of the time in the little round circle.
The only cans I can think of that show a right facing Pegasus pre 1966 is the Mobilfluid cans.
Darin

Great guys!!! Thanks!! Can't remember where on line I read that Pegasus went right face in '31 but it was obviously incorrect!!

Oh, and I agree with Bob. You should buy the two Mobil guidebooks. Outdated price/value-wise, but still good for the information and photos they contain.
Darin

That can looks familiar !!

you state: in '31 mobil adopted the pegasus on cans- my question: the pegasus replaced the gargoyle- what year was the gargoyle phased out altogether?

Not an expert like Darin. But, I think the quart cans that have both the Gargoyle logo at the top, and the Pegasus and shield at the
bottom; date from the mid to late 30's.

Dave is correct in that the dual logo cans were used through the late 1930's during the transition period. My 1940 Mobil products catalog shows the Pegasus with blue lines cans, no more Gargoyle at that point.
Darin

Since we're on the subject, I wanted to share with you all a pretty scarce can, but one that I am unsure of the origin. This could be a transition can with the large Pegasus and the smaller Gargoyle shield, opposite of the more well known Gargoyle with small Pegasus shield can. I bought this from Dave Thompson a couple years ago. It was the only one I had seen, and one of only a very few that Dave had handled over the years. I have a couple of known US cans of the same design, a Mobilube quart and a gallon Mobiloil Outboard can, but I am still unsure personally if this is a US quart. At any rate, it's still a rare one regardless. Sorry for the poor quality pic, it's 12:30 a.m. here and this is in a dim area of my apartment!
Darin

the newer qt. (2nd from left) also has a different "type style"..

That's an interesting can with the Gargoyle and that font style. Now, I'll always be looking for that can.

Yes, it's not the "serif" font I believe it's called that Mobil used in the 30's and 40's. It's an oddity for sure. The blue ring cans use the serif font. It isn't until the later 40's that I have a quart that uses the same font as the dual logo one I was showing in the pic. That can is definately an older one though as it is a very heavy steel can and has the "AF" grade on the top, which puts it in the older category when that system was still in use.

different Mobil cans with different fonts..

it sounds like the gargoyle (mobil)
& the black T (Texaco)
disappeared about the same time..