1940s-early 1950s. Lithographed tin. The Continental Can Company of Canada ("CCCC"), maker of this sign, 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, CCC59 means the CCC plant in St. Laurent (Montreal), Quebec and not a manufacturing year of 1959. From the Pat and Late Geoff Hopps Collection. Authenticated by The Authentication Company (TAC #501599). 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. Oxidation to the surface, most notably on top, underside, and seam. Scuffs and scratches with minor paint loss. 1" impression at lower edge. Two drain holes on underside.

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.)

Provenance
From the Pat and Late Geoff Hopps Collection.