Historical information

At one time, almost all breweries in Australia had their own brand of returnable bottle or were members of bottle co-operatives that managed returnable bottles. Instead of being crushed to make new bottles, as happens in most cases today, these returnable bottles were returned to the brewery or bottle co-operative, washed, inspected for cracks and chips and returned to service.

Significance

This item is an example of the type of beer bottle commonly used in the late 19th-early 20th century.

Physical description

MBCV brown glass beer bottle. Has the word COUNTRY embossed below shoulder. The letters MBCV in a spade below that.

Inscriptions & markings

Front - MBCV in a spade.
(Manufacturers Bottle Co. of Victoria)

At bottom - Property of the Manufacturers Bottle Co-op of Victoria Pty Ltd