An 1880s Pemberton’s “French Wine Coca” bottle with most of its label intact sold for $13,750 at a Heritage auction in May. It was consigned by a collector who bought it for $4 at an Albuquerque, N.M., flea market earlier this year. French Wine Coca was the first drink created by Dr. John Pemberton, the inventor of Coca-Cola. The wine drink, containing both alcohol and cocaine, was advertised as a “nerve tonic.” Pemberton later adjusted the formula, removing both the alcohol and cocaine, to create carbonated Coca-Cola. A Pemberton French Wine Coca bottle is rare and coveted by Coca-Cola collectors.
