Coca-Cola is one of those gigantic iconic brands that is recognized world wide. I remember growing up in the 1980's in the midst of the Cola wars. Both Coke and Pepsi were battling for market dominance and the commercials were on for one or the other all the time. Most everyone had their favorite that they always preferred. In 1985 Coke even introduced "New Coke" which was just about as popular as sleeping in a bed infested with bed bugs. Shortly after they brought back Coca-Cola Classic and the new coke vanished. It was probably a marketing ploy even though the company denied it.
Why are we talking about Coca-Cola you may ask? Because I came across a nice collectible silver round authorized by the company. Have a look:
About the round:
The best thing about this round is obviously the fact that it's 99.9% silver and it weighs one Troy ounce! The Coca-Cola logo is pretty cool too! I picked this up at spot in my favorite jewelry shop in Long Beach, California some time back. Silver rounds like these are a great way to invest in silver without paying the large premiums for coins produced by governments. They can be found in all sorts of designs made by many, many companies.
History of Coca-Cola
John Pemberton was a Colonel in the Confederate army during the Civil War in the United States. He was wounded in battle and subsequently became addicted to morphine. He also happened to have a medical degree and began to search for a way to free himself of the drug. In 1885 he developed a wine based nerve tonic with the kola nut from Africa and coca leaves from South America. So essentially it was alcohol, cocaine and caffeine. He marketed in as a cure all from morphine addiction to impotence. So I guess you trade the morphine addiction for cocaine addiction?
The alcohol was removed in 1886 due to new prohibition laws in Georgia.
In 1888 Pemberton suddenly died leaving his son Charley with the formula. However, he was a morphine addict and an alcoholic. An associate in the operation, Asa Candler, forcibly bought the rights to the company for an investment of around $2,300 US seeing Charley as a liability. Exactly how it happened varies depending on the story your here, but Candler was firmly in control. In 1904 the cocaine was removed and spent coca leaves were used in the formula instead of leaves still containing cocaine. By 1919 it had become such a success that Chandler sold it to the tune of $25 million US. Now of course it's a multi-billion dollar multinational corporation.
Candler really cashed out on that deal! Now I want some Coke! The cola not the drug!
That's about it for today. I hope you enjoyed my Coca-Cola silver! If you have any questions, comments, or even suggestions please feel free to leave them below. Thanks for all your support and for stopping by!
And since I am posting in the #freecompliments community I just wanted to remind everyone to take some time today to be kind. A little kindness can make a huge difference in someone's life. Please check out the community and consider joining us!
And my disclaimer:
Gold and silver collecting and stacking can be a fun hobby but isn't for everyone. You can lose money. I'm not a financial advisor and this isn't financial advice, please always do your own research before spending your hard earned money.
All pictures are mine unless otherwise noted.
References:
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/exonumia391259.html
https://monumentmetals.com/coca-cola-1-oz-pur-999-fine-silver-round.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca-Cola
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cola_wars
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