Old Crown Premium Quality Ale Flat Top Can

Centlivre Old Crown Ale Flat Top

The Old Crown Premium Quality Ale Flat Top Can represents a classic piece of midwestern brewing heritage, produced by the Centlivre Brewing Corporation in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Centlivre, founded in 1862 by French immigrant Charles L. Centlivre, was a regional pioneer in adopting the American Can Company's "Keglined" canning technology in northern Indiana.

Design and Collector Significance

The can features the Old Crown emblem, anchored by a heraldic crown motif and the brewery's recognizable "Lazy-Aged" promotional slogan. Collectors recognize several variations of this can, featuring different background palettes—including versions with distinctive green, orange, and red trims—as well as slight typography changes across production cycles.

Labeling Evolution

Throughout its mid-20th-century run, the can reflected federal labeling transitions, with earlier pressings bearing mandatory "Internal Revenue Tax Paid" (IRTP) statements alongside can company manufacturing marks, while later post-1950 runs omitted the tax text. Centlivre consistently highlighted its Fort Wayne roots on the label, making this can an enduring artifact of Indiana's industrial brewing history.