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About This Item
Hard-to-find Guyana I-CEE advertising STARR "X" wall mount bottle opener made by Brown MFG Co., new in box with mounting screws. The face reads Drink I-CEE in large raised lettering with yellow/gold advertising detail. This is the historic Guyanese bottled soft-drink brand I-CEE, not the unrelated American ICEE frozen-drink brand or 7-Eleven Slurpee advertising.
History
I-CEE was introduced in British Guiana around 1952 by the D'Aguiar beverage business that later became part of Banks DIH. It was a genuine carbonated "sweet drink" sold in glass bottles, with early flavors including cream soda, orange, and tonic. I-CEE Lemon followed in 1961. The standard I-CEE was a large 10-ounce bottled soft drink, which explains exactly why a permanent commercial bottle opener carrying I-CEE advertising made sense in shops and refreshment outlets.
Older collector references have misidentified this opener as American ICEE advertising. That assumption falls apart under even basic historical scrutiny: Guyana's I-CEE was already on the market around 1952, roughly fifteen years before the American ICEE company, and was a crown-capped bottled soft drink in its own right. American ICEE has since participated in bottled-drink collaborations, but no evidence surfaced during research for an American ICEE wall mount bottle opener, and no evidence connects this piece to ICEE or Slurpee.
I-CEE was part of a fiercely competitive Guyanese soft-drink market sometimes described as the country's "sweet drink wars." D'Aguiar promoted I-CEE through neighborhood shops, signs, contests, public events, bottle-cap promotions, and other point-of-sale advertising. Surviving I-CEE signage from Georgetown gives a great sense of how prominently the brand once appeared in everyday retail settings.
Historic Guyana I-CEE advertising sign showing the distinctive DIH branding. Historical reference image; not included with the sale.
I-CEE even crossed into Guyana's beer culture. A 1961 advertisement promoted Bankle, a mixture of Banks Beer and I-CEE Lemon described as being liked by Mr. D'Aguiar. That idea eventually developed into the Banks DIH shandy line, giving I-CEE an unusual place in both the country's soft-drink and brewing history.
Period advertising for Bankle, a 1961 mixture of Banks Beer and I-CEE Lemon. Historical reference image; not included with the sale.
The brand also became part of Guyana's public celebrations. A surviving photograph shows a DIH I-CEE promotional float passing Bourda Green during the country's 1966 Independence Float Parade, a wonderful snapshot of how visible I-CEE had become in Guyanese popular culture.
DIH I-CEE promotional float passing Bourda Green during Guyana's 1966 Independence Float Parade. Historical reference image; not included with the sale.
D'Aguiar Bros. and Banks Breweries later came together as Banks DIH Limited, and I-CEE survived the transition. More than seventy years after its introduction, Banks DIH still produces I-CEE soft drinks in a range of flavors for the Guyanese market and export.
Brown MFG Co. was founded in Newport News, Virginia in 1925 by Raymond "Coca-Cola" Brown, a Coca-Cola bottler. More than a century later, Brown remains in business and STARR bottle openers are still part of its product line.
Collector Detail
Brown MFG Co.'s archived production information identifies this exact embossed Drink I-CEE STARR "X" design. Research for this piece records a production run of approximately 13,820 openers beginning in June 1998, with 2001 listed as the final production year. The surviving production information does not establish the design's original first-production date.
The front carries the STARR "X" and PATENT 2333088 markings with Brown/Newport News company identification. The back carries a mold number and GERMANY cast marking.
Condition
New in box with mounting screws. The opener presents very cleanly with strong raised I-CEE lettering and bright yellow/gold advertising detail. Please review all photos closely for the exact condition of the opener, box, and included hardware.
Included
Sale includes the I-CEE STARR "X" wall mount bottle opener, box, and mounting screws pictured.
Packing & Shipping
Packed with care. I'm happy to combine shipping whenever possible. If you purchase multiple items the same day and overcharges shipping, I will refund the combined shipping difference after packing.
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