Posted 6 years ago
RCoffey
(1 item)
Can anyone please provide any information as to why “GULF” is misspelled “GUFL” on this 55 gallon galvanized barrel? I recently found 3 of these barrels and they’re all like that.
Thank you for your time.
Are these just a typo or what?
Thanks
Hey RCoffey,
Thanks for sharing the great photos of you steel barrel. Your barrel has an Anchor logo that was the trademark of the Meurer Steel Barrel Co., Inc. formerly of New York. Meurer advertised their “Anchor Steel Barrels” in trade magazines. The patent date June 30, 1908 is for US patent no. 891,895 for the “Steel Barrel” that was owned by the Meurer Steel Barrel Co. In the 1910s-1920s, they were one of the largest (quantity-wise) manufacturer of steel barrels in the US (A 1920 magazine ad for Meurer boasts that they could produce 2000 barrels a day). Meurer produced barrels to order for various refining companies. It looks like Meurer made a mistake in spelling Gulf when they made the barrel. I guess Gulf did not mind too much, because Meurer could have replaced the barrel head with a correctly spelled embossed head, or maybe somebody at Gulf misspelled the company name when they placed the order. Another thought - Looks like your barrel was made in June 1919 (6-19) and drum manufacturers may have still been dealing with sheet steel supply shortages following World War I, so replacing the head might have been a costly venture at that time. Who knows, but interesting either way.