"Apache" in cans was filled by Arizona Brewing during the approximate 1936 time frame. It was distributed around Arizona and maybe in other states, as was the brand in bottles. Newspaper ads showing Apache cans have been found in Phoenix, and Ed Scoglietti found another newspaper ad from Yuma, AZ. Collectors like Ed Sipos and Marcia Butterbaugh have more information on the brewery; possible total number of Apache beer cans that were distributed, etc.
2. On-grade Apache cans that are known in collections: background on 7 examples that turned up in the 1970's, and how many more are around?
---Clay Tichelar BCCA #701 found a grade one example in his Bensonville "find", with a few nicks, and his #701 is on bottom. In July, 2006 Ted Larsen bought it with the Wally Gilbert collection. How did Wally get it? When Clay Tichelar sold his cones in Sept. 1975, he gave Bob Myers first choice. As Bob was glad to have the choice, he only took those needed for his collection, leaving the Apache as he already had an example traded by Rich Bentley. Roger Wolken of Moline, IL had second choice for Clay's cones and could have bought it (?) or somebody else did, but in any event, Clay's #701 Apache is understood to have ended up with Dave Stark BCCA #4254. Then around 1978, when also having the higher-grade Apache from the Mercier Collection, Dave passed the #701 Apache to Wally Gilbert who ended up keeping it for years.
---In around 1976, Jim Mercier of Wisconsin located one of the best cone collections of 55 beer and ale cones in "Lake Tahoe area", which included an Apache. Around 1978 (?), Dave Stark bought from Jim Mercier the beer cones from that "find", and the Apache is still held by Dave Stark.
---The other 5 examples were from one of the greatest single brand "finds" ever of a rare cone by the wife of Rich Bentley, BCCA #1642, of St. Louis area; updated information from Rich in 2006:
Rich said the five Apache cones were found by his wife in February, 1974 at an Oatman, Arizona antique shop when she was visiting her uncle who was working on the Lake Havasu project. At the antique shop, she bargained a while and got the 5 cans for $1 each, along with several Schlitz Vitamin D cones. (that price again, $1 each.) Around 1974, Rich traded 4 of the Apache cones to other BCCA members: Gil Brennell, Ron Moermond, Roger Wolken, Bob Myers, and years later sold the 5th Apache cone.
Updating these five examples:
-two Apache cones are in two more Chicago collections; one held by a less-active collector; and the other held by an active collector who bought it from Ken White long ago and this example may (?) be the one Ron Moermond had.
-a 3rd Apache is in an Arizona collection of "Western Memorabilia", which was bought from Dick Caughey who had bought it in November, 1991 (on the day Magic Johnson announced he was sick) with some other cones, such as Jolly Scot and SB, from Fred Goodhart of Lexington, VA.
-a 4th Apache is still in Calif., and is the one pictured.
-a 5th Apache may be held (?) by former BCCA member Bill Christiansen of New Jersey but unconfirmed.
3. Are there more on-grade examples?
Bill Lester, BCCA #27785, recalls seeing in the early 1970's "5-6" clean Apache cones in a bar in Southwestern New Mexico, but returned a year or two later and the cans had been sold. The time frame he saw them would fit for these examples to be the ones Rich Bentley later ended up with, but if not, then there are at least 5-6 more on-grade Apache cones around in collections besides the 7 identified above so far.
4. "Outside" examples of Apache cones: 80-85 or more, mostly without much color, have been found over the years.
---Since the late 1970's, scattered Apache examples have been found on surface dumps with the largest number at one location, 70 or more, found around 2005 some place by an Arizona collector.