Press Release
New Hamburg, ON, Canada, September 21, 2025 — A 1940s Canadian single-sided porcelain sign for Black Cat Cigarettes sold for $34,220 and a circa 1920s Canadian two-sided lithographed tin for C.C. Snowdon Numidian Automobile Cylinder Oil finished at $20,060 in two days of auctions held September 13th and 14th by Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. There were four sessions held overall.
All prices quoted in this report are in Canadian dollars and include an 18 percent buyer’s premium.
The September 13th morning session, featuring the Terry Henderson Collection, had 377 lots of advertising signs, petroliana, coin-op and automobilia. The evening session, titled Push Comes to Shove, contained 160 lots of advertising signs and petroliana. The September 14th sale featured Parts 1 & 2 of the Don Titherington Advertising Collection, 435 lots total across two sessions.
The Black Cat Cigarettes sign, impressive at 50 ¼ inches by 46 ½ inches, was the top lot of Day 2 and the top lot overall. The sign was professionally restored, which no doubt plumped up its final selling price. Launched in the early 20th century, Black Cat was a distinguished cigarette brand produced by Carreras Ltd., meant to appeal to upscale smokers in Canada and Britain.
The lithographed oil tin for C.C. Snowdon Numidian Automobile Cylinder Oil featured an image believed to be a race car from the 1911 Indy 500. The tin, thought to contain 1 Imperial gallon, was made by The Thomas Davidson Mfg. Co., Montreal and was the top achiever on Day 1, easily surpassing its $15,000 high estimate. Side A was graded 8.25. Side B was graded 8.75.
To learn more about Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. and the firm’s upcoming auctions, visit www.MillerandMillerAuctions.com.
