Scheidt's Valley Forge Beer Quart

Scheidt's Valley Forge Quart Can

This 32-ounce flat top quart represents the mid-20th century Internal Revenue Tax Paid era of oversized metal packaging. Cataloged in specialized opening instruction references as design entry 841, this container is distinguished by the bottom caption reading "ONE QUART (CONTENTS 32 FL. OZS.)" and an optional tax statement. The lithography embraces historical regional symbolism, incorporating Revolutionary War artillery carriages flanking the central crimson shield, as well as an intricate heraldic lion and unicorn crest with a banner proclaiming "QUALITY ALWAYS."

Adam Scheidt introduced the Valley Forge Beer brand in 1912, naming it in tribute to General George Washington’s historic winter encampment site located just miles from the brewery. Positioned as a premium regional lager, Valley Forge quickly grew into the brewery's flagship label. Its advertising leaned heavily on Pennsylvania pride, colonial heritage, and dependable craftsmanship. Following the repeal of Prohibition, the brand re-established itself as a staple across the mid-Atlantic and continued production for decades through later corporate ownership.

The Adam Scheidt Brewing Company began in 1870 when Charles Scheidt purchased a modest brewhouse along Stony Creek in Norristown, Pennsylvania, soon joined by his brother Adam. Under Adam’s leadership, the operation expanded into an expansive industrial complex with dedicated rail lines and on-site artesian wells. Scheidt weathered Prohibition by manufacturing dealcoholized cereal beverages, carbonated soft drinks, ice, and coal, resuming full-scale commercial brewing on repeal day in 1933. Facing mid-century brewing consolidation, the company was renamed the Valley Forge Brewing Company and eventually sold to Philadelphia brewer C. Schmidt & Sons, which operated the Norristown facility until 1975.

Large-format flat top quart cans from this period hold significant historical appeal among breweriana collectors. Produced in far smaller quantities than standard twelve-ounce containers and requiring substantial shelf space, surviving quart flat tops serve as exceptional examples of mid-century industrial can manufacturing and patriotic graphic art.