1950. Double-sided porcelain (DSP). Authenticated by The Authentication Company (TAC #501552). 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. 3.25" x 32" x 1.25".

Size
3.25" x 32" x 1.25".

Condition
Grade: 9. Excellent colour and gloss. Minor chips on the corner and edge of the left-side flange, with touch-up. Retains all grommets.

Medium
P&M was the newly named company formerly known as Vilas Enamel Products Ltd. (“VEP”), which was a subsidiary of the original W.F. Vilas Co. Ltd., of Cowansville, Quebec (one of the oldest sign companies in Canada). P&M was the result of nothing more than a name change (from VEP). The name change took effect in 1946. The company continued to produce superior quality porcelain enamel items using the “vitreous enamelling” process, a process that involved fusing glass to a metal surface at high temperatures to create a smooth, durable and glossy coating. Like VEP, P&M continued to manufacture porcelain enamel items, including advertising signs, ashtrays, reflective traffic signs and door push bars. As well, they were once the largest supplier of custom outdoor advertising signs for many well-known national companies. The company remained in business from 1946–1973 when it was sold to the Powers Fiat Co. who continued to produce porcelain enamel advertising signs into the early 1980s.

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.