Posted 10 years ago
whitecody96
(19 items)
Standard outboard motor oil can I found at an antique store for 20$. The numbers on the Bottom of the can say 24-5-59. I'm not positive but I think that's the date it was made. So if it was made in 1959 it has held up very well over the years. Still has great color and the bottom is still shiny. No rust at all and it has the pour spout on top as well. Any clarification with the build date would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hey whitecody96,
You guessed correctly on the date. In the US, the Interstate Commerce Commission required an ICC code (e.g. ICC-5B or ICC-17X) as well as a trinomial code for Gauge-Volume Capacity-Year (e.g. 18-55-42) on all metal drums containing hazardous materials like petroleum products. Your drum base mark “24-5-59” identifies this 5 gallon drum as 24 gauge steel (very light weight), 5 gallon capacity and manufactured in 1959. The ICC also required a drum manufacturer name (e.g. Rheem, Myers), or initials (e.g. W&B, PMC Co.), or logo (USS, Boyco), so you may see that above the trinomial code too.
The spout may be original to the 1959 container as well. It was likely manufactured by another company (like Rieke Metals Co. of Indiana) who specialized in spouts for drums. The screw in top for the drums is an industry standard 2-1/4 inch diameter, so the spout could have been switched from drum to drum.