About PEZ®...

The name "PEZ®" comes from the first, middle, and last letters of the word "Pfefferminz", which is the German word for peppermint. The candy was invented in 1927 in Vienna by Eduard Haas III, and was originally marketed in Austria as a compressed peppermint candy. It was originally carried around in tins, but in 1947, the first PEZ dispenser resembling a cigarette lighter was invented. It wasn't until 1952 that character heads were added to the dispensers, and fruit flavors were created.

Patent Numbers
U.S. Patent 2.620.061   issued in 1952
U.S. Patent 3.410.455   issued in 1968
U.S. Patent 3.845.882   issued in 1974
U.S. Patent 3.942.683   issued in 1976
U.S. Patent 4.966.305   issued in 1990
U.S. Patent 5.984.285   issued in 1999

Non-U.S.A Patents
German - DBP 818.829
(DBP = Deutsches Bundes Patent)
Mexican - Patent Nr 141.242

Injection Mold Codes (IMC)
1 - Austria/Hungary
2 - Austria/HongKong
3 - Austria/Hungary
4 - Austria
5 - Yugoslavia/Slovenia
6 - Hong Kong/China
7 - Hong Kong/Austria
8 - Austria
9 - Vermont/Connecticut/USA
V - Yugoslavia