Stegmaier's Gold Medal Beer Cone Top Can

Stegmaier's Flagship Cone Top

Manufactured for the Stegmaier Brewing Company of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the Stegmaier's Gold Medal Beer cone top represents one of the brewery's most recognizable packaging releases. Stegmaier, founded in the mid-19th century by Charles Stegmaier, grew to become one of the largest regional independent breweries along the East Coast. The "Gold Medal" brand name directly commemorated the brewery's international acclaim after capturing gold medals at prestigious expositions in European cities such as Rome, Paris, Brussels, Antwerp, and Vienna in the early 1900s.

The can design prominently displays the Gold Medal motif, incorporating representations of the award medallions, classic typography, and the brewery's trademark color scheme. Continental Can Company supplied these high-profile Cap-Sealed containers to accommodate Stegmaier's extensive rail and truck distribution network.

For breweriana collectors, the Gold Medal cone top is notable for several recognized variations. Over the course of production, subtle changes were made to the background shades, mandatory text arrangements, and emblem placements. Additionally, an olive drab variation was produced for distribution to United States military personnel during World War II, substituting standard commercial lithography for military-grade protective coating.

Stegmaier maintained brewing operations in Wilkes-Barre for well over a century before closing its facility in the 1970s and transferring brand production to the nearby Lion Brewery. As a result, the Gold Medal cone top serves as an essential physical record of Pennsylvania's historic regional brewing landscape.