1950-1955. Single-sided porcelain (SSP). Return edge. Authenticated by The Authentication Company (TAC #501573). 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. 15" x 6" x 0.5".

Size
15" x 6" x 0.5".

Condition
Grade: 9. Excellent colour and gloss. Edge chips above and beneath the upper and lower grommets, respectively. Retains original thermometer. Housing on the reverse shows pitting on the edges.

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
7 Up was introduced in 1929 in St. Louis, Missouri, by entrepreneur Charles Leiper Grigg. Originally named “Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda,” the beverage contained lithium citrate, a mood-stabilizing compound commonly used in medicinal tonics at the time. The name was soon shortened to 7 Up, though the precise origin of the name remains debated. Lithium was removed from the formula in 1948 following changing federal regulations. The brand survived the Great Depression and gradually expanded nationwide through franchised bottling. During the mid-twentieth century, 7 Up distinguished itself through clever marketing campaigns, most notably the “Uncola” campaign launched in 1967, which positioned the drink as a crisp, non-cola alternative during the height of cola market competition. Corporate ownership shifted several times. The Seven-Up Company was acquired by Philip Morris in 1978, later merging with Dr Pepper in 1986 to form Dr Pepper/Seven Up Companies. In 2008, following the breakup of Cadbury Schweppes’ beverage division, the brand became part of Dr Pepper Snapple Group, which merged in 2018 to form Keurig Dr Pepper in the United States. International rights in many markets are held by PepsiCo. Today, 7 Up remains one of the world’s longest-running lemon-lime soda brands and a major global competitor in its category.