H and H Coffee

Dedicated to the history of the Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee Co. founded 1899 in San Antonio, Texas.

A Collector's Guide to Key-Wind Coffee Tins by James H. Stahl, 1991

By James H. Stahl · 1991 · Self-published or Schiffer Publishing (verify on title page)

Bibliographic detail

  • Title: A Collector’s Guide to Key-Wind Coffee Tins with Price Guide
  • Author: James H. Stahl
  • Year: 1991
  • Publisher: Self-published or Schiffer Publishing (verify on title page)
  • ISBN: TBD — to be confirmed in-hand
  • Pagination: TBD — to be confirmed in-hand (compact reference; likely ~80–150 pp)
  • Format: Softcover collector reference

Physical description

Compact softcover reference book. Photographs paired with collector notes on key-wind tin variants. The 1991 price guide reflects market values at publication — treat dollar figures as historical context, not live pricing.

Provenance

Physically in-hand prior to formal library accessioning; registered to the library 2026-05-24. Accessioned as HH-BOOK-2026-0001.

Why it matters

Stahl’s Collector’s Guide to Key-Wind Coffee Tins is the most direct collector reference for the dominant H and H tin form — the key-wind tin. The H and H Master Chef line, H and H Original Blend tins, and numerous other H and H tins in the collection are key-winds; Stahl provides the standardized variant vocabulary and visual catalog that any field-attribution work depends on.

Specifically:

  1. Master Chef variant attribution — the multi-era Master Chef tin line in the collection requires variant attribution against Stahl’s typology.
  2. Hardware identification — the key-and-strip cutting mechanism, soldered seams, lid types — Stahl’s photographs document the standard hardware variations that help date undated specimens.
  3. Graphic-layout comparison — color schemes, typography, mascot conventions across the American key-wind universe. H and H tins read against the broader landscape.
  4. Period market context — 1991 prices document one moment in collector-market awareness; cross-reference for any provenance research on tins moving through the collector market in that era.

Pairs in the library with Coffee Antiques (Kvetko & Congdon-Martin, 2000), Antique Coffee Grinders (White, 2001), and Early American Coffee Mills (White, 1993) as the collector reference shelf. Together with the Toulouse glass pair, they form the collection’s complete object-attribution reference kit.

Notable contents

  • Photographed catalog of key-wind tin variants — single brands, multi-brand spreads, regional brands.
  • 1991 price guide section (historical only).
  • Hardware-and-mechanism explanations (key-wind tin construction).
  • Variant-spotting guidance: how to tell related tins apart.

Open questions

  • Are any H and H tins (Master Chef, Original Blend, Broncho, etc.) pictured in Stahl? Direct page-look needed.
  • How does Stahl categorize the Master Chef key-wind specifically?
  • Stahl’s typology for keywind variants — apply systematically to the H and H tin inventory.

Related: Coffee Antiques (Kvetko & Congdon-Martin, 2000) · Antique Coffee Grinders (White, 2001) · Early American Coffee Mills (White, 1993) · Bottle Makers and Their Marks (Toulouse, 1971) · Master Chef Coffee · Library