1966. Single-sided tin (SST). Authenticated by The Authentication Company (TAC #501557). All items are guaranteed authentic by Miller & Miller Auctions. All purchases are eligible for free delivery to the Check the Oil Show on June 26, 2026. 30" x 5" x 1".

Size
30" x 5" x 1".

Condition
Grade: 8.75. Excellent colour and gloss. Pinpoint paint nicks to margins. Oxidation to edges. Oxidation to wire bracket.

Medium
The company advertises itself as St. Louis, Missouri’s oldest advertising sign company that is still in operation. It is as old as the signage business itself, having been founded by the Stout family in 1886, just as roads and highways were beginning to rapidly expand throughout the United States. It built its legacy manufacturing metal billboards. Before the invention of the first Model T and paved highways, the company began forging its reputation as the industry’s pre-eminent leader in outdoor signage. With Missouri having the fifth highest number of roads in the U.S., a sign company in St. Louis made perfect sense. As travel expanded, the company positioned itself as a powerful metal sign company, producing large, embossed and painted metal signs for highway (and other) advertising. They paid attention to detail and used the best materials. Their clients included big names such as Pepsi-Cola, Michelin Tires, various breweries and gas stations, and were perhaps best recognized, during WWII, when they were hired by the Federal government to produce the famous Uncle Sam recruitment signs for the U.S. Army and the most famous “I Want You for the U.S. Army” sign. They also made signs for gas stations, point of purchase, restaurants, convenience stores, petroleum companies and made many tin and self-framed tin signs for the soft drink market. They produced metal tackers, wood signs and fascia, metal billboards, roadside advertising. Stout remains an industry leader in metal signage and continues to produce signs and novelty advertising items. They remain headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri and are still owned by the Stout family.

Literature
PepsiCo traces its origins to 1893, when pharmacist Caleb Bradham created a caramel-colored soft drink in New Bern, North Carolina. Initially called “Brad’s Drink,” it was renamed Pepsi-Cola in 1898, derived from the word “dyspepsia” to suggest digestive benefits, and from kola nut flavoring. Bradham officially formed the Pepsi-Cola Company in 1902 and began franchising bottlers the following year. The company expanded rapidly in the early twentieth century but declared bankruptcy in 1923 due to sugar price volatility following World War I. The brand was purchased and reorganized multiple times before being acquired in 1931 by Charles G. Guth of Loft, Inc., a candy manufacturer. Under Guth’s leadership, Pepsi repositioned itself during the Great Depression by offering a 12-ounce bottle for five cents—double Coca-Cola’s standard size—an aggressive value strategy that fueled national growth. In 1965, Pepsi-Cola merged with Frito-Lay to form PepsiCo, marking a major diversification into snack foods. Pepsi became known for innovative marketing, including the “Pepsi Generation” campaign in the 1960s and high-profile celebrity endorsements in the late twentieth century. Today, Pepsi is sold globally and remains Coca-Cola’s principal competitor in the international cola market.