Vintage beer can collections are generally comprised of three distinct types of packaging: flat top, cone top and pull tops. The earliest can designs were flat tops and consumers were on their own when it came to opening them.  Generally a triangle shaped can opener was used to puncture the tops of the cans and make an opening in this style of can. Soon conetop cans were introduced and the six pack was born in 1938. The packaging was thick and six packs of beer were deemed too heavy for housewives to pick up on weekly grocery shopping trips.   By 1960, the last conetop beer cans were produced and manufacturers tried using an aluminum top on steel cans to make them easier to open.  In 1962, the first pull-tab beer hit the market, in 1965 ring-top cans were introduced and in 1974 a short-lived push-button beer can was used on some brands.  Most canned beers now use the pull-tab packaging. Follow link for the complete History of the Beer Can:

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Tags: pull tab, types packaging, vintage beer