What are these numbers on old milk canisters?

[KretZ]

The wife recently picked up an old style milk canister. It has the number 236 stamped on the top and side. Any people with dairy farm knowledge have an idea of what this is about?

 

[square1]

My dad used to run a milk route. I would get to ride along on occasion.
The number was recorded on a tally sheet with the farm the milk came from for payment. When the milk was in coolers at the farm you could often only see the lid, in the truck you could see the side easiest. The number in both places made it easier to record.

 

[smstonypoint]

Those cans predate those that I saw as a kid growing up on a dairy farm in 50s and early 60s. In those days, lower grades of milk were shipped from farms to dairy plants in cans. Those cans had number decals to indicate the owner. The dairy plant truck would pick up full cans in the morning and drop off empty cans from the previous day's pick up.

So, my guess is that the stamped numbers served the same purpose.

Steve

 

[KretZ]

Thank you Gentlemen!

 

[oosik]

When I was a kid - before dirt was invented - we had several dairies in our area. I've never seen a milk can quite that style or with a welded on ID number. Our milk cans had a lid that fit entirely inside the can top and had stick on ID decals. I had a job - one summer - working at our local processing plant. Part of what I did was clean/sanitize all the incoming cans before they were taken back out.

Woa be it on me if I got the cans mixed up or stacked the cans wrongly for delivery back out. I learned fast who got what and the correct order of their arrangement on the loading dock.

 

[KretZ]

I've never seen a milk can quite that style or with a welded on ID number. Our milk cans had a lid that fit entirely inside the can top and had stick on ID decals. .

Well I am not entirely positive this was ever a real milk can, did you ever run across copper plated ones? Part of the reason you may not have seen this style is that we picked this up at a flea market in Belgium. My wife can't get enough copper stuff, to the point now that our house could possibly be in danger of being struck by lightning due to all the old copper things hung on the walls. :laughing:

 

[oosik]

KretZ - Ah, Ha That may explain why they are different. Belgium. I didn't know if it was because of the "lighting" when you took those pics - they looked like they are either made of copper or copper plated. Copper is a well know anti-bacterial agent. Stands to reason that this would help keep the milk in better condition until it reaches the processing plant.

I'm sure they are real milk cans - just come from a different part of the world. Besides they may be easier to make where stainless steel is not so prevalent and something must be used that will not rust - copper or stainless.

I would flush/clean at least 150-165 cans per day and I always found half a dozen that had to be "repaired". Even the stainless would start to develop areas of discoloration and a type of corrosion. This needed repair was always at one or more of the welded seams. We would send them to a local welding shop and they would grind down and reweld these areas.

I never saw any cans that were copper or copper plated. If they were solid copper the price would be out of sight - even copper plating could be fairly pricy.