Reading Light Premium Beer 12 Oz Tab Top Can

Reading Bicentennial Series Can

Issued to celebrate the 1976 United States Bicentennial, this 12-ounce straight steel tab top can was released as part of the "Bicentennial Collectors' Series" by the Reading Brewing Company. The centerpiece of the label is an elaborate historical still life captioned "DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE," credited in small print to Echelon Publishing Co., Inc. The artwork displays a grouping of Revolutionary War artifacts, including a thirteen-star American flag, a flintlock musket and powder horn, a tricorn hat, a Continental Army uniform coat, a sculpted bust of George Washington, and the Declaration parchment paired with a quill pen.

The Reading brand originally debuted as Old Reading Beer, positioned to appeal to regional pride and the local Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. In the early 1950s, the brewery modernized the recipe and adopted the slogan "The Friendly Beer for Friendly People". By 1958, the label was rebranded as Reading Premium Beer alongside the catchy slogan "The Friendly Beer for Modern People". This revitalized identity sustained the brand's local popularity across eastern Pennsylvania until the mid-1970s. Following the brewery's closure, the label was acquired by Philadelphia-based C. Schmidt & Sons.

The Reading Brewing Company was founded in 1886 by Philip Bissinger at Ninth and Laurel Streets in Reading, Pennsylvania. The brewery grew rapidly throughout the late nineteenth century, reaching an annual capacity of approximately 50,000 barrels by 1891. During Prohibition, federal scrutiny and raids halted brewing operations, but the plant successfully reopened post-Repeal in 1934. While Reading remained a beloved local staple through the mid-century, growing pressure and consolidation from giant national brewing corporations eventually forced the historic facility to permanently cease brewing operations in April 1976.

Among breweriana collectors, mid-1970s Bicentennial issues hold broad appeal as iconic time capsules. Because this commemorative series coincided with the final operational months of the Reading Brewing Company, these cans represent both a patriotic milestone and the poignant final chapter of an independent Pennsylvania brewing institution.