Tap Handle #744: Budweiser - Bronze Hunting Dog

Tap size:  7"
Rarity:  about 10 seen
Mounting:  3/8" ferrule on 5/16" anchor bolt

In the past I profiled a series of taps from Budweiser that share a common theme: a bronze colored sculpting on a wide base, with a label wrapped around it. These consist of the baseball player (tap profile #69), the bronco rider (tap profile #72), the football player (tap profile #85), the bull rider (tap profile #78), and the Clydesdale (tap profile #331), which are all part of what is referred to as the Heritage Collection. These are among the oldest taps I have, as you can tell by some of the low profile numbers. However, there is a sixth tap that is far more elusive, and took me a long time to acquire: this hunting dog. Like the Clydesdale tap, this one's a little on the small side, but the detail is impressive. As I mentioned above, the hunting dog is difficult to find. It is unknown how many were made, and for what specific purpose, but it appears that the first few that appeared back in 2006 (the year of manufacture) sold for a reasonable price. By 2015 the scarcity, combined with the desire of buyers looking to complete their Heritage Collection, had pushed it over the $100 mark, where it is still valued today - if you can find one.

For more about Budweiser, see this post.

Click through to see more photos of this sought-after tap...