Antique 1930s Legal Tender Brand Valencias Crate Label — Sunkist, Fillmore Citrus Association, California

An original Legal Tender Brand crate label, packed by the Fillmore Citrus Association of Fillmore, California. The sheet names its fruit outright: VALENCIAS, printed across the top. Valencia oranges were the summer-shipping variety that carried California's late season.

The design is a banded bundle of banknotes on a black panel against a deep blue ground, the band printed $250 - the brand name illustrated literally. At the lower right sits a tissue-wrapped orange whose wrapper reads Sunkist, the California Fruit Growers Exchange mark, and the sign that this pack shipped under Sunkist grade. PACKED BY FILLMORE CITRUS ASSOCIATION, FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA runs beneath, and the printer's imprint in microtype at the lower left reads CROCKER-UNION L.A.

Fillmore sits in the Santa Clara River Valley of Ventura County, one of the great Valencia districts of the state, and the Fillmore Citrus Association was among its principal packing houses. Legal Tender is one of the better-known brands to come out of it, and the trade record credits the design to Godfrey Nystrom, one of the recognized label artists of the era.

On the date: no year is printed on the sheet. The 1930s attribution rests on the trade record, which catalogues Legal Tender as a 1930s label and as a Sunkist-grade brand used from the mid thirties on - consistent with the Sunkist wrapper printed on this sheet.

11" x 10" ~ little to no wear.

Once a common sight, these Crate Labels are now a treasured relic of a bygone era, becoming increasingly scarce. The impeccable lithography process used in their creation, involving a stone or metal plate to design, is a testament to the skilled craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail that went into their making. This process remains unparalleled, adding to the allure of these labels. The soaring demand for these labels, with museums and art institutes dedicating galleries to them, underscores their growing importance in art and collectibles. This makes them a must-have for any serious collector. The rarity of these labels adds a sense of urgency and importance to your purchase.

Picture this remarkable vintage advertising, a unique piece of history, adorning the walls of your home. Instead of being confined to a museum, it can bring a touch of nostalgia and unparalleled elegance to any room in your home, elevating the aesthetic and sophistication of your living space.

🏷️ What Is Printed on This Label

Read off the sheet itself, verbatim — this is the label's own printed text, not a description of it:

• VALENCIAS
• LEGAL TENDER
• $250  [on the band around the depicted banknote bundle]
• PACKED BY
• FILLMORE CITRUS ASSOCIATION
• FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA
• Sunkist  [on the depicted tissue wrapper]
• CROCKER-UNION  L.A.

Sunkist is on this label — lower right, a tissue-wrapped orange whose wrapper is printed 'Sunkist', the California Fruit Growers Exchange mark. The printer is on it too: CROCKER-UNION L.A., in legible microtype at the lower left.

The commodity is specific — VALENCIAS, printed at the top of the label, not generic citrus — and the depicted banded bundle of banknotes carries $250 on its band. There is no net weight, no grade and no printed date on the sheet.