Illustration of a blue, white and red striped flag over black text on a white background
SWEET CAPORAL CIGARETTES
Buttons made by The Whitehead & Hoag Co. Newark, N. J. U.S.A. Pat April 14, 1896, July 21, 1896
The Costa Rica flag was adopted in 1906 and designed after the French Revolution ideals of freedom, equality, and brotherhood. The stripes of the flag also represent different aspects of Costa Rica. The blue stripes represent the sky, perseverance, and religious ideals. The white stripes represent happiness, wisdom, and peace. The red stripe represents both the warmth of the Costa Rican people and the blood shed for independence.
Sweet Caporal was a brand of cigarettes created by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company in 1878 and sold to the American Tobacco Company in 1911. Sweet Caporal was especially popular in Canada during the early part of the 20th Century. In 1908, 50% of cigarette sales in Canada were comprised of the Sweet Caporal brand.