The Coca-Cola trademark was first registered in the United States in 1893.
Coca-Cola had been created and first sold in Atlanta in 1886, but trademark registration came later. The registration protected the name as the beverage business expanded and as the brand became increasingly valuable in advertising and commerce.
The wordmark’s famous Spencerian script had already become part of Coca-Cola’s visual identity in the late nineteenth century. Trademark protection and distinctive lettering worked together to separate the product from competing drinks and imitations.
The date is sometimes confused with the beverage’s creation date. 1886 marks the first sale of Coca-Cola, while 1893 refers to registration of the Coca-Cola name as a trademark in the United States.