Silver Stock Lager Beer Cone Top Can

Silver Stock Lager Beer Cone Top

This 12-ounce cone top container represents the post-Prohibition canning era from Pennsylvania's state capital. Manufactured with classic cone top construction and carrying an internal revenue tax statement, the can reflects the mid-20th-century packaging methods used by regional brewers. A notable detail printed on the face is the inclusion of the brewery's metropolitan branch at "NEW YORK SALES OFFICE / 111 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, N.Y." directly above the declaration "BREWED AND PACKAGED IN OUR MODERN BREWERY." The design also prominently incorporates the Graupner company trademark—a crowned crest framing the letter "G" amidst barley stalks.

Silver Stock Lager Beer served as one of the premier offerings from Robert H. Graupner Inc. following the repeal of Prohibition. Promoted with the banner "PROPERLY AGED," the brand was marketed as a finely crafted, traditional German-style lager beer. The packaging utilized bold gothic-style lettering with red and black accents against an off-white field to convey heritage and premium craftsmanship. Along with stablemates such as Jolly Scot Ale and Graupner's Porter, Silver Stock remained a local staple until the brewery ended operations in the early 1950s.

The brewery traced its origins back to 1875, when it was founded as Koenig & Brother (also known as the Centennial Brewery). German immigrant Robert H. Graupner purchased the operation in 1893, steadily expanding it into Harrisburg's largest brewing plant. The company survived the Prohibition years by manufacturing cereal beverages and soda, allowing it to rapidly re-enter the commercial beer market in 1933. Following Graupner's death, the business continued under family management through the challenges of Great Depression recovery and World War II material rationing. Increasing pressure from expanding national shipping breweries ultimately forced the Harrisburg plant to close its doors permanently in 1951.

Among breweriana collectors, mid-Atlantic cone tops from the tax-stamp era remain widely admired. The Silver Stock cone top is particularly appreciated for its striking typography, distinct New York distributor billing, and its enduring connection to the industrial brewing heritage of Harrisburg.