10 Rare Prohibition-Era Artifacts That Collectors Value
During Prohibition, enforcing the nation’s liquor ban was a game of cat and mouse. Smugglers, speakeasies, and bootleggers found creative ways to dodge the law, while federal agents scrambled to keep up. Today, relics from that era — whether tied to the law or those who broke it — have become prized collector’s items. From covert smuggling tools to government-issued warnings, these artifacts offer a glimpse into a time when a simple drink could land you in trouble. Here are some of the highest-selling Prohibition-era artifacts we could find.
1. Prohibition ‘Bootlegger’ Flasks & Leather Case
Sold for: $800
These cases were smuggling game-changers. No one batted an eye seeing a businessman carrying a briefcase. Little did they know, the bootlegger cases held flasks so those men could carry their own alcohol aboard trains and in public during Prohibition.
2. U. S. Official Bureau Of Prohibition Porcelain Sign
Sold for: $800
These signs were typically placed at roadblocks, border crossings, or key locations where authorities were monitoring for illegal alcohol bootlegging. We feel like they should have been a bolder color though — it was almost as if they hoped you wouldn’t notice the sign.
3. The Savoy Cocktail Book
Sold for: $800
Harry Craddock, an English bartender who became a legend of the cocktail world, honed his craft in top U.S. hotels. He left America during Prohibition, found a new stage at London’s Savoy Hotel, and put together the Savoy Cocktail Book, a collection of 750 cocktail recipes.
Check out more vintage cookbooks that you might want to add to your shelf.
4. Whiskey Prescription for Medical Liquor
Sold for: $650
During Prohibition, the only way to legally get your hands on alcohol was through a prescription. This 1930 script for whiskey is such an artifact of the era, it sold for $650 at auction.
5. 1933 Old Taylor Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey in Box
Sold for: $1,800
Well-preserved (especially unopened) Prohibition-era bottles of liquor are some of the highest-selling items of the time. This particular bottle, which was marketed for medicinal use, went for almost $2,000 at auction.
6. Prohibition-Era Badges and Memorabilia
Sold for: $1,600
These badges were worn by Prohibition inspectors and are the optimal relic of the era. They sold for $1,600 at auction alongside other memorabilia from the time, including newspaper clippings.
7. Anheuser-Busch Brewing Pre-Prohibition Serving Tray
Sold for: $3,200
Prohibition-era serving trays are some of the most common pieces of memorabilia from the time, but the rarer the design, the more they sell for. This rare, early Anheuser-Busch tray sold for more than $3,000 at auction.
8. Monterey-Style Red-Painted Prohibition Bar Cabinet
Sold for: $8,500
Complete with false drawers and disguised as an unsuspecting cabinet, this piece of furniture is a relic from Prohibition times with its red paint and painted designs.
9. Tuttle Prohibition Era Sterling Cocktail Set
Sold for: $2,750
Sterling silver serving sets from Prohibition times are coveted among collectors, and this set — hailing from an estate in Baltimore — sold for nearly $3,000 at auction.
10. Fitzgerald’s West India Ale Pre-Prohibition Bottle
Sold for: $3,400
Remember when we said unopened bottles of alcohol from Prohibition times were valuable? Case in point. This lone bottle of ale sold for $3,400.