Gibbons Ale Cone Top Can

Gibbons Ale Low Profile Cone Top

This 12-ounce low-profile cone top container dates to the late 1930s, manufactured by the Continental Can Company for The Lion, Inc. of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. As denoted by its mandatory Internal Revenue Tax Paid statement, it belongs to the pre-World War II canning era. The front face features a striking black oval set against a metallic gold ground, anchored at the top by an ornate crest framing a Gothic letter "G" flanked by hops and grain stalks. Angled diagonally across the center is the bold "GIBBONS" wordmark, underscored by "ALE" in drop-shadow block lettering and framed along the lower curve by the brewery signature reading "THE LION INC. BREWERS, WILKES-BARRE, PENNA."

Following the repeal of Prohibition, the brewery introduced the Gibbons brand in 1933 as its premier post-Repeal identity. Gibbons Ale and its flagship counterpart, Gibbons Beer, quickly established deep roots in the anthracite coal mining communities of northeastern Pennsylvania. Marketed extensively throughout the Wyoming Valley with tavern signs, tap handles, and holiday promotions, the label became a trusted working-class staple. Gibbons remained a central pillar of the brewery’s portfolio for decades before production gradually diminished in the late twentieth century as consumer preferences shifted and the brewery pivoted toward other historic regional labels and contract packaging.

Lion Brewing Company traces its origins to 1905, when it was organized as the Luzerne County Brewing Company in Wilkes-Barre. Reorganized under the Lion name in 1910, the plant survived the dry years of national Prohibition by manufacturing cereal beverages, commonly known as near-beer. After Repeal in 1933, the Smulowitz family acquired the enterprise and incorporated it as The Lion, Inc. Under Smulowitz family stewardship, the independent brewery weathered decades of mid-century industry consolidation. In the 1970s, when neighboring Wilkes-Barre rival Stegmaier Brewing closed, The Lion stepped in to purchase the Stegmaier brand rights, ensuring the continuous survival of local brewing heritage.

For collector enthusiasts, pre-war low-profile cone tops hold strong appeal due to their distinctive tapered silhouette and early place in metal container history. This can is especially prized by collectors of Pennsylvania breweriana and coal region industrial artifacts, capturing The Lion’s formative post-Prohibition years in a handsome gold-and-black presentation.