BREWERIANA ROOM 1
"Breweriana" is commonly defined as "collectible historical Brewery advertising". Examples include beer cans, bottles, openers, tin signs, coasters, beer trays, wooden cases and neon signs. The term "breweriana" first appeared in the National lexicon with the 1972 formulation of the National Association of Breweriana Advertising, also known as NABA. Beer Cans
Beer Bottles
Beer Openers
A Closer Look at Charge Beer Can Labels We are not sure of the exact issue dates for the two different Charge beer can labels, however we can offer some theories. Corrections and/or additional comments are most welcome...
Version 1 A side by side comparison reveals the main difference between the two labels to be the graphics, with one version being far superior to the other. For the sake of argument we're calling the graphically superior label "Version 1" and the other "Version 2" [what did you expect, "Version 37"?]. The other notable difference is the sword the soldier on the horse is holding; the Version 1 sword is straight while the Version 2 sword is curved. The final difference is one that is always overlooked: the letters in the word "Charge" do not have white outlines on Version 2.
Clearly, there are far more Version 1 cans floating around out there than Version 2, with the overwhelming majority being "air-filled" promotional cans [a simple search on eBay will reveal this]. The top lids used were American Can Company's original 1966 design. Perhaps the Heekin Can Company of Cincinnati, who manufactured cans for Little Switzerland, bought these in bulk quantities from American.
Version 2 The first Charge can I ever found may have been Version 2. I found it in the woods, meaning someone obviously drank [or poured out in disgust] its contents. I distinctly remember not being knocked out by the graphics. I no longer have this can unless it's stashed away up in my Dad's attic. It was not in the best condition but having it now would be interesting. Of the 30+ Charge cans in our collection, 4 of them are Version 2, and only one of these is "air-filled." Two of them have the Little Switzerland tax stamp on the bottom.
Several Huntington collectors report having examples of both Charge and West Virginia Pilsner cans with a Fesenmeier tax stamp on them, which suggests that Little Switzerland was simply using leftover Fesenmeier lids until they were gone. Knowing which version of Charge cans these lids were placed on would help determine which one actually came first. Those familiar with the history of Little Switzerland find it easy to imagine that the Version 1 cans were too costly to produce due to their superior graphics and were either phased out at some point or not used at all; and the early lid design would seem to bare this out.
Synopsis
Our guess is that Version 1 cans were initially given out as promotional items when the brand was introduced in 1968, and that the numbers filled with beer and sent to market were few. Many bottomless Charge cans ended up in circulation amongst collectors but these could have been taken from the brewery while it was still in operation.
In any case, thousands of beer cans were rescued from Little Switzerland before the wonderful folks at Kroger saw fit to demolish the brewery and make way for the store they would abandon within a couple of years.
A side by side comparison reveals the main difference between the two labels to be the graphics, with one version being far superior to the other. For the sake of argument we're calling the graphically superior label "Version 1" and the other "Version 2" [what did you expect, "Version 37"?]. The other notable difference is the sword the soldier on the horse is holding; the Version 1 sword is straight while the Version 2 sword is curved. The final difference is one that is always overlooked: the letters in the word "Charge" do not have white outlines on Version 2. 
The first Charge can I ever found may have been Version 2. I found it in the woods, meaning someone obviously drank [or poured out in disgust] its contents. I distinctly remember not being knocked out by the graphics. I no longer have this can unless it's stashed away up in my Dad's attic. It was not in the best condition but having it now would be interesting. Of the 30+ Charge cans in our collection, 4 of them are Version 2, and only one of these is "air-filled." Two of them have the Little Switzerland tax stamp on the bottom. 
