What is it? It’s a Malt Nutrine Tray made by Anheuser Bush!

It all makes sense now!  The picture that was shown with last week’s post was for a Malt Nutrine tray made by the Anheuser Bush company in 1905.

Anheuser Bush created Malt Nutrine in 1905, and was marketed to help with an assortment of health issues.  It was marketed to help with insomnia, was given to new mothers, and was a nerve-quieting tonic.

This tray could have been used in a bar, or even at a soda fountain to deliver the drinks that someone had ordered.  The thing to remember about something like this is that since it was in a place like a bar, it would get a lot of wear to both the top and bottom.  When a tray gets a ton of wear, the paint starts to flake away to the point where there is nothing left but the metal tray.

So if you happen to find a tray with a ton of the paint left (and not a lot of damage either), it helps retain the value of the piece.

The Malt Nutrine tray can be seen in my Etsy store here.

Utilitarian pieces like this tray often do become advertising pieces.  What kinds of utilitarian pieces like this do you have in your collection?