Late 1930s-1958. Lithographed tin. The "Red Head" brand was a product line of Great West Distributors based in Calgary, Alberta. The brand was introduced in the late 1930s and remained in the market until 1958, when Great West was acquired by the British American Oil Company (B/A). The Continental Can Company of Canada ("CCCC"), maker of this tin, typically used a symbol of three or four "C"s followed by a number. Unlike many manufacturers, who used the number to denote the year of manufacture, the CCC primarily used these numbers to track the factory of origin. In this case, CCCC53 officially refers to the CCC plant in Los Angeles. This is an unusual number which has two explanations: first, it is possible the can was shipped to Canada by a U.S. CCC distributor, or second, it may have been produced during a brief period where Plant 53 referred to a specific CCC machinery shop in Montreal before CCC officially designated it as Plant 59 (the correct designation for the Montreal plant). Either way, the number does not refer to a manufacturing date. Authenticated by The Authentication Company (TAC #501543). 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. 6.5" x 4" x 4".

Size
6.5" x 4" x 4".

Condition
Grade: 8.5. Very good colour and gloss. Scuffs, scratches, and impressions. Minor nicks to surface. Three pin holes along lower edge under the "Lethbridge" script. Puncture hole on lid. Retains original top and bottom.

Medium
CCCC was one of Canada’s early sign manufacturing companies, with business roots tracing back to 1867, a time when two ancestral companies that would eventually form the CCCC were in the early stages of development. The first company was Firstbrook Bros. Ltd., founded in 1867 in Toronto, Ontario, a pioneer in the shipping business, primarily producing wooden shipping boxes. The second company was the A.R. Whittall Can Co. Ltd., founded in 1888 in Montreal, Quebec, a pioneer in early Canadian lithographed tins and tinware. In 1935 the two were purchased by the newly formed CCCC, a move that would make the CCCC a major player in the Canadian packaging industry. By the 1940s the CCCC manufactured tin cans for food products, oil, paint, varnish, lard, beer and drugs. In 1983 the company was sold to CCL Industries Inc., a global packaging pioneer and the world’s largest label maker. (Note: Distinct from the Continental Can Company of America.)