Rare Beer Tray Serves Up $22,500 Sale at Auction
A 120-year-old Detroit Brewing Company Tray Fetched a Frothy $22,500 at Epic Auction’s spring event.
LESLIE, Mich. – A 120-year-old Detroit Brewing Company beer tray found in an attic and then stashed away in a basement for almost 30 years sold recently for $22,500 (including buyer’s premium) at Epic Auctions and Estate Sales.
The 12-inch tray made for the Detroit Brewing Company by the Meek and Beach Company of Coshocton, Ohio, was found in 1996 in the attic of the Mason, Mich., home of Clark Cogsdill, a direct descendant of one of the owners of the local Freer & Cogsdill Saloon. The saloon had a brief history, opening in 1901 and closing a year later. The person who bought the estate kept the tray in his basement from 1996 to 2024, when he decided to consign it to auction.
Like many of its contemporaries, the Detroit Brewing Company, which was active from 1886 to 1949, emphasized both its authentic German roots and its U.S. patriotism. Promoting its Bohemian and Erlanger beers, the tray is centered on an American eagle. In fine condition, aside from some minor surface scratches, crazing, and corrosion to the reverse, the tray sold well above its presale estimate of $400-$600.
Full results for the May 4 auction can be seen at LiveAuctioneers.
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