Beer Coaster — Pražan 12°, KOOSPOL Czechoslovakia (Multilingual)

Name/Title

Beer Coaster — "Pražan" 12°, KOOSPOL Czechoslovakia (Multilingual)

Entry/Object ID

2025.1.327

Description

Round pressed wood-pulp coaster on kraft board. A ring of "beer" in five languages runs around the top — "BIER · ПИВО · BIÈRE · SÖR · BEER" — flanked by green quatrefoils; below, a red-and-green civic shield (three towers), the brand "Pražan" in green blackletter, "12%," and "KOOSPOL CZECHOSLOVAKIA" around the lower edge. Four identical items.

Use

Leopoldo Arús Gálvez brought this coaster back to Havana during a work trip to Czechoslovakia.

Context

An export-market coaster. KOOSPOL was a Czechoslovak state foreign-trade enterprise; its multilingual (German, Russian, French, Hungarian, English) "Pražan" coaster was probably produced for distribution abroad.

Collection

The Cabrera Arús family collection, Leopoldo Arús Caraballo collection, Leopoldo Arús Gálvez collection

Acquisition

Accession

2025.1

Made/Created

Place

Country

Czechoslovakia

Region

Eastern Europe

Continent

Europe

Notes

Brand/issuer: "Pražan" beer for export via KOOSPOL, Czechoslovakia. Printer/designer not identified. Date: circa 1960s–1970s (tentative; no printed date).

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Inscription

Location

Front of coaster

Transcription

Bier - ПИВО - bière - sör - beer -- Koospol Czechoslovakia -- Prazan 12%

Material/Technique

Printed

Notes

Printed (multilingual/Czech): "BIER · ПИВО · BIÈRE · SÖR · BEER"; "Pražan"; "12%"; "KOOSPOL CZECHOSLOVAKIA." Civic-arms shield.

Dimensions

Diameter

10.5 cm

Materials

Material

Cardboard

Material Notes

Pressed wood-pulp board; red, green, and black inks.

Condition

Overall Condition

Good

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Leopoldo Arús Gálvez, Leopoldo Arús Caraballo

Notes

owners

Related Places

Place

Country

Czechoslovakia

Region

Eastern Europe

Continent

Europe

Notes

acquisition, production

Place

City

Havana

Country

Cuba

Region

Caribbean, Central America

Notes

use

Research Notes

Notes

KOOSPOL was the foreign-trade business of Czechoslovakia, among the state foreign-trade enterprises that handled the country's exports.

Created By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Create Date

May 23, 2022

Updated By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Update Date

June 18, 2026