Anaconda American Brass Co

(c) Antique Metalware Society

Small extracts can be used with acknowledgements to 'Oldcopper.org' website.

Helpful comments are very welcome.

American Brass company of Waterbury, Connecticut. Formed in 1899 with the consolidation of Ansonia Brass & Copper Company, Waterbury Brass Company, and Coe Brass Manufacturing Company.

anacondaAcquired in 1922 by Anaconda Mining Company (of Montana), though it kept its name until it changed to Anaconda American Brass in 1960. The Anaconda Company merged with Atlantic Richfield in 1977, and then became ARCO Metals. 

There are some interesting promotional souvenirs about showing the arrow tip symbol of the company.  This is on a 'Best' brand padlock.  

anaconda arrowThis is a refinery-cast paperweight made for presentation to influential customers.  The two-part casting is of excellent quality since copper is not easy to pour with success.  The purple oxide coating is present on the original casting and is best never removed by polishing. 

In 1899, Marcus Daly merged with Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company to create the Amalagamated Copper Mining Co. In 1910, the company changed its name to the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, after it bought up many smaller companies. The original mines at Butte, Montana are now a pit over a mile long, nearly a mile wide and 1800 feet deep. Mining ceased here in 1982 but the company owned many others world wide.

Anaconda Brass (Canada) started as J.F. Brown’s Copper & Brass Rolling Mills, in 1919, located on Birmingham Street, New Toronto, Ontario. Anaconda acquired the mills soon after in 1922. In its last few years of operations, it was Arrowhead Metals. The plant closed in 1989.