Antonio Mcgowan
Dating vintage perfume can be a tricky task, and Coty perfume is no exception. Coty, a French perfume house, has a long history dating back to the early 20th century. Founded by François Coty, the brand gained popularity for its complex and innovative fragrances, such as the iconic Emeraude, which was launched in 1923. Coty's perfumes were known for their high-end advertising and luxurious packaging, often featuring embossed cardboard boxes. With collectors seeking these vintage treasures, here is a guide to help date a Coty perfume box.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Warning labels | Any warning label such as "Warning--Use only as directed. Intentional misuse by deliberately concentrating and inhaling the contents can be harmful or fatal" indicates the perfume is from after 1975. |
| "Hypoallergenic" label | The product is from after 1975. |
| "Dram" to denote contents | The perfume is from the 1930s or 1940s. |
| Sealed perfumes with some perfume missing | The alcohol and water content have evaporated due to heat, light, and poor storage as well as aging. |
| Colour | Older perfumes darken over time, with the oldest having a thick, syrupy texture. |
| Labels | Old labels turn brown naturally due to oxidation of the paper, but water and perfume can cause stains. |
| Box or label style | Art Nouveau style is generally from 1900-1920, Art Deco from the mid-1920s to the 1940s, psychedelic from the late 1960s to early 1970s. |
| Revenue stamps | The perfume was imported to America in the early 20th century. |
| "Made in Occupied Japan" | The perfume was made between September 1945 and April 1952. |
| Enameled lettering | The perfume is likely from after the 1930s, commonly from the 1940s onward. |
| Patent number on the bottle | The perfume is likely from the 1930s or 1940s. |
| Rough pontil mark | The perfume is from before 1850. |
| Embossed cardboard boxes | The perfume is likely from when François Coty controlled the company. |
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What You'll Learn
Warning labels and ingredients
Warning labels and ingredient listings are required by law for perfumes and cosmetics. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates fragrances depending on their use. Fragrances applied to the body to make the person more attractive, such as perfumes, aftershaves, and colognes, are regulated as cosmetics. On the other hand, fragrances used for therapeutic purposes, such as sleep aids and muscle relief, are regulated as drugs and must be approved by the FDA before distribution.
Cosmetic fragrances must include warning statements to prevent potential health hazards associated with the product. The labels must also include instructions for safe use. The information on the label must be prominent and conspicuous, with sufficient space to provide all the necessary details. Expanded content labels, such as booklet, foldout, or peel-back labels, can be used to ensure adequate space for ingredients, instructions, warnings, and consumer information.
While the FDA requires a list of ingredients under the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA), fragrance and flavor ingredients can be simply listed as "Fragrance" or "Flavor." This is because fragrance formulas are considered trade secrets, and companies are not legally required to disclose them. However, individuals who manufacture or market cosmetic products are responsible for ensuring their safety and proper labeling.
Ingredients in vintage Coty perfumes, such as Chypre, L'Origan, Emeraude, and Paris, may include oakmoss infusion, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, ionones, floral absolutes, aromatic notes, sweet notes, and more. Vintage Coty perfumes can be identified by their labels, such as the presence of "Calvin Klein Cosmetics" instead of "Coty" on the bottom of the bottle for vintage Obsession for Men.
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Box and label styles
The style of the box and label can help determine the age of a perfume. Art Nouveau styles generally date from 1900 to the 1920s, Art Deco from the mid-1920s to the 1940s, and psychedelic styles from the late 1960s to early 1970s. Revenue stamps on imported scents in America date back to the early 20th century. Labels with a number and the initials TDSP, which stand for Tratado sobre el Derecho Sustantivo de Patentes (Substantive Patent Law Treaty), date to the 1930s and 1940s.
The word "dram" to denote contents was used mostly during the 1930s and 1940s. "Dram bottles" were usually purse-sized and affordable during the Great Depression and World War II. Bottles with "Made in Occupied Japan" were made from September 1945 to April 1952. Enameled lettering, also known as serigraphy, on glass bottles became common after the 1930s. Patent numbers on the base of the bottle can also be used to look up patent dates, which were frequent in the 1930s and 1940s.
Vintage perfume boxes and labels may also have warning labels approved by the FDA starting in 1975. Any cosmetic, perfume, or lotion labelled "hypoallergenic" dates to after 1975. Old labels may also turn brown due to oxidation, and water and perfume can cause stains on labels over time.
Coty produced embossed cardboard boxes for its perfumes. Some vintage Coty bottles have plastic or bakelite tops, sometimes marbled with gold.
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Advertisements and magazines
Vintage advertisements for perfumes in old magazines usually have a date on them, and you can use these to compare your box to what is shown in the ad. For instance, if your box has an Art Nouveau style, it is generally from the 1900s to the 1920s, while Art Deco styles were popular in the mid-1920s and carried into the 1940s. Psychedelic styles, on the other hand, were popular in the late 1960s to early 1970s.
Other details to look out for are warning labels. Any cosmetic, perfume, or lotion labelled "hypoallergenic" dates to after 1975 when the FDA allowed companies to mark their products this way. The word "dram" to denote contents was used mostly during the 1930s and 1940s. Bottles embossed with or having labels marked "Made in Occupied Japan" were made from September 1945 until April 1952. Enameled lettering, also known as serigraphy (instead of labels), on glass bottles started to be used after the 1930s and was a regular feature in the 1940s onwards.
Additionally, the style of the box or label can help determine its age. For example, if the box has a distinctive design, such as an interwoven letter or a unique shape, it may be easier to find information about it. Close-up shots of labels, intricate details, and base markings can also help identify the age of the perfume box.
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Bottle characteristics
The bottle is a key factor in determining the age of a perfume. Here are some characteristics to look out for when dating vintage Coty perfume:
Firstly, check the base of the bottle for a patent number. Patent dates were frequent in the 1930s and 1940s, and searching for the number online may help to identify the age of the perfume. Bottles from this era may also feature enameled lettering, also known as serigraphy, which is fragile and can be lost with cleaning. Another feature of bottles from this period is the use of the word "dram" to denote contents, which was around 5ml or 1/8 oz. Dram bottles were usually purse-sized and affordable during the Great Depression and World War II.
If the bottle has a rough pontil mark, a circular broken glass edge on the bottom, it is likely to be from before 1850. This mark was created when the pontil rod was broken from the bottom of the bottle after blowing.
The style of the box or label can also indicate the age of the perfume. Art Nouveau styles generally date from 1900-1920, Art Deco from the mid-1920s to the 1940s, and psychedelic styles from the late 1960s to early 1970s. Revenue stamps on imported scents indicate the bottle is from the early 20th century. Warning labels approved by the FDA indicate the perfume is from 1975 onwards, and any products labelled "hypoallergenic" are also from after 1975.
Vintage Coty bottles are known for their moulded plastic or bakelite tops, sometimes marbled with gold. These may be post-World War II store tester sets. Coty also produced luxury products in expensive bottles, as well as affordable packaging and embossed cardboard boxes.
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Company history
Coty Inc. is an American multinational beauty company founded in Paris, France, in 1904 by François Coty (born François Spoturno). Coty began his career as a haberdashery salesman in Paris in 1900, before borrowing 10,000 francs from his grandmother to establish a makeshift laboratory in his small flat. Coty's first fragrance, La Rose Jacqueminot, was launched in 1904, and was followed by L'Origan in 1905. Coty's early successes allowed him to open his first store in 1908 in Paris' Place Vendôme, and he soon began collaborating with French glass designer René Lalique to create custom fragrance bottles, labels, and other packaging materials.
In the early 1910s, Coty established a "Perfume City" in the suburbs of Paris to handle administration and fragrance production. The site was an early supporter of female employees and offered benefits including childcare. Coty also began its global expansion during this time, first in London and New York, establishing its US headquarters at 714 Fifth Avenue in New York City. Coty began selling other beauty products, including face and body powders, in the 1910s, and launched one of its most successful fragrances, Chypre, in 1917.
During the 1920s, Coty expanded into Germany, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland, launching more than fifteen new fragrances. In 1922, Coty, Inc. was formed in New York, with laboratories and a large assembly plant established on Manhattan's West Side. Coty, Inc. became a publicly traded company in 1925 and acquired a majority interest in the five European Coty companies in 1929. By 1929, the American company was assembling and selling 23 perfumes, plus powders, soaps, lotions, bath salts, brilliantines, rouges, vanishing cream, shaving soap, and powder and rouge compacts.
Coty died in 1934, and his family maintained control of the company, serving as board members until the 1960s. Coty's Air Spun face powder was launched in 1935 and remains one of the "best beauty products of all time", according to Real Simple. In the 1940s, Coty became a major supporter of the growing American fashion industry, launching the Coty American Fashion Critics' Awards to recognize and promote emerging American fashion designers. Coty discontinued its participation in 1985.
Today, Coty owns around 40 brands and is one of the world's largest beauty companies and the largest fragrance company, with $5.3 billion in revenue for the fiscal year 2022. The company operates three divisions: Consumer Beauty, Luxury, and Professional Beauty, which service beauty salon and nail salon professionals. Coty has approximately 20,000 full-time employees in 46 countries, as of mid-2018.
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Frequently asked questions
Francois Coty, the founder of the Coty brand, was known for his global thinking and established a US branch of his company very early on. Coty perfume boxes from the early 20th century may feature revenue stamps, indicating that they were imported into America. The style of the box or label can also help determine its age. For example, Art Nouveau-style boxes generally date from 1900-1920, while Art Deco styles are mostly from the mid-1920s to the 1940s.
Warning labels indicating potential harm from misuse date the box to 1975 or later. The word "dram" to denote the contents was used mostly in the 1930s and 1940s. "Made in Occupied Japan" indicates the perfume was made between September 1945 and April 1952. Enameled lettering, or serigraphy, on glass bottles became common after the 1930s.
Vintage perfumes tend to darken over time, and the oldest perfumes have a very dark, thick, syrupy texture due to the evaporation of alcohol and water content.
Yes, you can look at the bottle itself. A rough pontil mark, or a circular broken glass edge at the bottom of the bottle, indicates it was made before 1850. Bottles with patent numbers on the base can be dated by looking up the patent number online.
Yes, vintage advertisements for perfumes in old magazines often include dates and can be used to compare your perfume bottle to what is shown in the ad. You can also consult perfume collectors' guides, such as Glass – Volume 2, by Jane Shadel Spillman (1983).
