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Coffee and Tea Billheads

I am a huge fan of both coffee and tea. There were so many companies out there, that this would be a great collecting area to get in to. I do collect tea billheads, but that is because they fit into my collecting category of US and UK Billheads re-1840. I will purchase billheads beyond my 1840 range if they are particularly nice - usually only if they are UK billheads. I have my eye on one right now from 1853 that is graphically awesome. I will post it if I win the thing. Coffee billheads are mainly a US issue. Coffee companies advertised a ton - think of all the McLaughlin, Arbuckle and other coffee cards out there. If you like the trade cards, maybe you should also consider adding a billhead from the companies to your collection. The more I sell billheads, the more I learn about what people want to buy. I always thought the graphic was the huge seller, but more and more people email me questions about the products that were purchased on the billheads.

Back to coffee and tea, coffee billheads usually include graphics of the actually coffee product packaging and tea includes boxes of teas and the infamous “Chinaman” graphic.


This first billhead is for the infamous McLaughlin Coffee - this company put out lots and lots of trade cards. W.F. McLaughlin & Company was founded in Chicago, Illinois, on LaSalle Street in 1852 and became well-known for its coffee.

The second billhead should be of interest to Peanut Butter Glass collectors or Boscul Glass Collectors. It is for the William Scull & Co. Coffee Roasters. William S. Scull & Company was founded in 1831 by Joab Scull. In 1858 William S. Scull became the head of the company, which traded for many years as William S. Scull & Company. William S. Scull would lead the firm until 1916, when he was succeeded by William C. Scull. R. Barclay Scull was president of Boscul Coffee in Camden until about 1960 when it was sold. Sometime after 1947 the company changed its name to to the Boscul Coffee Company, it's most famous brand. In the 1930s the Scull company began packaging peanut butter in floral printed glasses. These glasses have become collectors items.

Next up Arbuckle Brothers. This is a very plain billhead, but important to coffee as Arbuckle printed a collected series of trade cards. Operated by brothers John and Charles Arbuckle, the Arbuckle Brothers Coffee Company was the world’s largest importer and seller of coffee during the latter part of the 19th century and early into the 20th century. While the company’s greatest accomplishment was perhaps the development of technology allowing sealed paper packages of coffee to be mass produced, what the organization is most recognized for today are its promotional trade cards.

Next up, JA Folger & Co billhead. Again, not particularly graphic, but it is nicely engraved and the type is decorative. Folgers Coffee is still around today. James Folger was dubbed the Coffee King. The original name of the business was the Pioneer Steam and Coffee Mills. Folger initially worked for the company and then purchased it in 1872, renaming it JA Folger & Co.

Last is a billhead for Chase & Sanborn. Some of you may be familiar with them for the black americana trade cards.



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