Gibbons Bock Cone Top Can

Gibbons Bock Cone Top Guide

The Gibbons Bock Cone Top can, produced for The Lion, Inc. in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, stands as one of the most revered and coveted treasures in the realm of breweriana collecting. While the Lion Brewery produced a variety of popular regional lagers and ales under the Gibbons label, this seasonal bock release achieved legendary status among can enthusiasts due to its extraordinary scarcity and striking visual presentation.

Design and Imagery

The can features quintessential bock beer iconography, dominated by the traditional illustrated goat emblem that signifies the style's heritage. Paired with the distinctive Gibbons typography and metallic finishes, the graphic composition represents classic mid-century regional brewery art at its finest.

Collectibility and Market Significance

Among advanced collectors of cone top containers, the Gibbons Bock is widely considered a premier centerpiece. Because bock beers were brewed and canned exclusively in limited seasonal batches for early spring consumption, very few examples escaped consumption and disposal. Surviving specimens are extraordinarily elusive, with high-profile sales and auctions regularly recording landmark prices well into five figures.

Known Variations

Variations exist among surviving examples, primarily distinguished by differences in manufacturer side panels, mandatory tax and alcohol statements, and subtle shifts in the lithograph coloring and factory markings. These subtle production differences make each recorded find an important historical reference point for regional breweriana historians.