Erie Cash Recorder Gas Pump, McCormick Progress Poster And Rare Canadian Advertising Lead September 6 Sale

Rare petroliana, soda advertising, general store memorabilia and tobacciana headline two online-only sessions featuring fresh-to-market material.

NEW HAMBURG, ONTARIO, CANADA, August 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A professionally restored Erie Cash Recorder gas pump in Polly Gas; an ultra-rare pre-1902 McCormick Harvesting Machinery advertising poster; and a scarce Canadian Ford Genuine Parts porcelain sign headline Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd.’s September 6 Petroliana, Soda & General Store Advertising sale.

The two-session event brings together 393 lots of advertising signs, petroliana, soda advertising, general store advertising and advertising tins. The first session begins Sunday, September 6 at 9:00 a.m. EDT with 256 lots and a live webcast, allowing bidders to watch the lots close in real time. The second session begins at 6:00 p.m. EDT with 137 lots closing sequentially in an online-only format with no live webcast. Internet bidding is available through Miller & Miller Auctions and LiveAuctioneers, with phone bids also accepted for the morning session.

Expected to lead the morning session is Lot 170, an Erie Cash Recorder gas pump in Polly Gas, made in the U.S.A. circa 1934–1935. The Model 53 pump has been converted to a double-sided example and retains its original castings, while the distinctive globe was specifically designed for the cash recorder pump, making even reproduction examples uncommon. Professionally restored in Polly Gas, it presents superb colour and gloss and measures an imposing 94.75 inches high. The pump and clock mechanisms are not included, but the reproduction globe and lenses remain. The rare petroliana piece carries an estimate of CA$9,000–$12,000.

Lot 80, a pre-1902 McCormick Harvesting Machinery advertising poster, offers a remarkable piece of early American agricultural advertising. The paper chromolithograph presents mechanization as the engine of national advancement, with a central vignette depicting “The Ship of Progress” surrounded by detailed scenes of horse-drawn agricultural machinery working across the countryside. It was intended to serve as a progress poster for sales locations with an area at the bottom for locations to write their store name. Marked “Ketterlinus Phila, N.Y. & Chicago,” the large-format poster retains excellent colour despite minor toning, stains, creases and edge wear. With a sight size of 40 by 30 inches, the historic advertising image is estimated at CA$6,500–$9,000.

Lot 102, a Canadian Ford Genuine Parts double-sided porcelain sign dating from 1920–1930, is a scarce example of early Canadian Ford dealer and parts advertising. Canadian porcelain signs of this era are significantly rarer than their American counterparts, adding particular importance for collectors of Canadian petroliana. Graded 8.5/8.25, the 18-by-27.75-inch sign retains very good colour and gloss and is authenticated by The Authentication Company (TAC #501820). It carries an estimate of CA$3,500–$5,000.

Lot 218, a 1920 Torpedo Short Cut Tobacco pocket tin, is among the most desirable pieces of Canadian tobacciana in the sale. Made by Rock City Tobacco Co. Limited of Quebec, the flip-lid tin is the rare destroyer-ship variation of the Torpedo design; collectors consider Torpedo pocket tins among the rarest Canadian pocket tobacco tins. Its bold nautical graphics retain very good colour, along with a partial tax stamp, and the piece is estimated at CA$3,500–$5,000.

Another important Canadian tobacciana rarity is Lot 219, a Taxi Crimp Cut Tobacco pocket tin dating from approximately 1910–1920. Produced by the Imperial Tobacco Company of Canada, the lithographed flip-lid tin features a sophisticated taxicab scene with two high-society men contemplating their ride while a chauffeur sits at the wheel. The striking imagery appears on both sides, and many tobacciana collectors regard the design as one of the most beautiful Canadian tobacco tins produced. It carries an estimate of CA$3,000–$4,000.

Petroliana collectors will also take note of Lot 60, a Canadian Texaco six-foot service station sign dating from 1946–1959. The 72-inch double-sided porcelain sign is marked “P&M Orillia,” helping establish its production period, and retains very good colour and gloss. Graded 9.0/8.75 and authenticated by The Authentication Company (TAC #402508), it is estimated at CA$3,000–$3,500.

Lot 86, a Coca-Cola Women in Uniform military sign set from 1942–1945, provides a vivid glimpse into wartime advertising and changing representations of women in American society. The five-piece cardboard point-of-sale campaign depicts women serving in the Army Nurse Corps, Women’s Army Corps, U.S. Marine Corps Women’s Reserve, Navy Nurse Corps and WAVES, each shown in her official service uniform while holding a Coca-Cola bottle. Professionally framed and matted, the set measures 23.25 by 48.5 inches overall and is estimated at CA$3,000–$3,500.

The evening session continues the strong soda advertising offering with Lot 288, a Coca-Cola Silhouette Girl door pull sign dating from 1943–1946. The scarce two-piece tin door pull features Coca-Cola’s “Silhouette Girl,” an image introduced by the company in 1939, and retains very good colour and gloss. Graded 8.5 for the bar and 8.0 for the handle, the 12-by-35-inch piece is authenticated by The Authentication Company (TAC #Bar 501715, Handle 501714) and estimated at CA$1,400–$1,600.

Lot 259, a Canadian Canada Dry “Take Home a Carton” door sign dating from 1940–1948, offers another seldom-seen piece of Canadian soda advertising. The rolled-edge, die-cut tin features a colourful Canadian map incorporated into the bottle image; the design was phased out by Canada Dry in 1948. Graded 8.75 and authenticated by The Authentication Company (TAC #501726), the 13.5-by-3.5-inch sign is estimated at CA$900–$1,200.

“This is an exciting opportunity for collectors of high grade advertising to bid on rare, fresh-to-market pieces,” said Miller. “The breadth of the sale, from the Erie Cash Recorder pump and early Ford advertising to seldom-seen soda and tobacco pieces, gives collectors across North America plenty to watch in both sessions.”

For more information and to view the complete catalogues, visit www.millerandmillerauctions.com. Bidders can participate online through Miller & Miller Auctions and LiveAuctioneers; phone bidding is available for the morning session.

9:00am catalogue - https://live.millerandmillerauctions.com/auctions/4-MDVU5D/petroliana-soda-general-store-advertising
6:00pm catalogue - https://live.millerandmillerauctions.com/auctions/4-MG14NH/petroliana-soda-general-store-advertising

Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. is Canada’s trusted seller of high-value collections and continues to accept quality consignments in petroliana, advertising, watches, art, antiques and important collectibles.

Ethan Miller
Miller & Miller Auctions
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