Crown caps for beer bottles were invented and patented in 1892 by William Painter. The crown cap originally had 24 serrations and was 6.75 mm high. Over a hundred years have gone by since the invention and now, thanks to the introduction in the 1960s of new materials (PVC-plastisols), it has become possible to reduce the number of serrations to 21 and the cap’s height to 6mm. Ever-greater quality demands as well as environmental and health concerns led to the development in the 1980s of PVC-free granulates which are now used almost exclusively in the manufacture of crown caps. Apart from their functional advantages, such as better handling and greater application speed, sealability and tamper-resistance, crown caps are an ideal way to advertise a brand’s distinctive identity.

Standard crown caps

Standard crown caps come in 3 different types of metal: tin- free, tin-plated and stainless steel. In terms of quality and price there is no difference between tin-free and tin-plated but they do have a slightly different appearance (tin is shinier). Stainless steel is used in cases where problems with corrosion make the use of original tin-free or tin-plated options impossible (e.g. in tropical climates or where products are stored in ice water).

Soda companies particularly use crown caps for promotion. A message is printed on the inside of the cap and people with the right message may win a prize. Since the bottle must be purchased to determine the message and win, people usually purchase more of the drink to increase their chances of winning. Some companies print interesting facts, riddles or games on the inside of caps.

We love crown caps so much, we created a board on Pinterest called ‘Bottle Crown Art’ – Follow our Board on Pinterest

To learn more about our crown closures, please visit: https://www.viscoseclosures.com/crown-closures/