I get frequent questions about error cans. Such cans usually come in several varieties:

--an upside down label.

--missing a color (or colors) in the design.

--having a misprinted label such as having misaligned colors.

--having part of two different labels, such as a beer can that also has a soda label on it.

--blank labels with nothing on them except maybe a background color.

 

 

 

 

Three types of error cans: two upside down labels and a blank label.

 

     Unlike coins or stamps with errors, error beer cans are not worth much to most collectors. They are surprisingly common. Upside down labels simply result from mistakes at the can manufacturing plant and are common. Double-printed cans were sometimes used to mark the end of a production run and accidentally got through inspection/quality control to be packed. Cans with two ends, or the wrong end, were also usually from a mistake at the canning plant. Cans printed with labels from different companies resulted from errors at the can manufacturing plant.

     In the late 1970s, when can collecting was at its height, some can company employees even made error cans on purpose to sell to collectors.

     The exception to this would be old cans and, of course, cans that are rare in any condition. By “old” I mean pre 1960 or even pre-World War II. But even then, the can is not worth more to most collectors than the same can without the error.