State Express 555
| Product type | Cigarettes |
|---|---|
| Owner | British American Tobacco |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Introduced | 1896 |
| Previous owners | Ardath Tobacco Company |
State Express 555, simply known as 555, is a brand of cigarette originally manufactured in the United Kingdom by the Ardath Tobacco Company. The overseas rights to the brand, excluding the United Kingdom, were acquired by British American Tobacco (B.A.T.) in 1925. It was sold widely throughout the world. Today, the brand is still very popular in Asia, especially in the Greater China area (including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan), the Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
The idea for the State Express brand came from the U.S.in 1893. Sir Albert Levy, a London tobacco merchant, was visiting the United States. While in New York State, Levy was a passenger on the Empire State Express train, which broke land speed records as locomotive No.999, the “Queen of Speed” sped its way from New York City to Buffalo, at a peak of 112 .5 miles per hour (180 km/h). It was the first train to break the 100 m.p.h. (160 km/h) mark.
Levy liked the name so much that he registered the words State Express on his return to Britain. The word trademark was first registered in Ireland on 10 March 1896. The numerals (a series of triple numbers from 111 to 999) forming the other part of the trademark were registered under UK Registration No. 290529 on 18 February 1907. All of these numbers were used as different brands, each with a different blend or mix of tobacco: 444 was made with Macedonian leaf, and 777 was made with Turkish tobacco, for example. The numeric ranges for State Express cigarettes were not the only available variants in the market at that time. Other mark names included My Darling and Astorias, available in export catalogues. In addition to the cigarette business, cigars and tobaccos were available in the State Express range. But by far the most successful of these was the Virginia tobacco blend of State Express 555, introduced in 1896. It went on to become Ardath's flagship brand.
Levy, Sir Albert (1864 – 1937), born in England in 1864.
He became a successful tobacco trader, cigarette manufacturer and exporter. After a successful business career as founder, chairman, and managing director of the Ardath Tobacco Co., he retired in 1931 to devote himself to philanthropy and he was knighted in 1929.
The brand was originally owned by Ardath Tobacco Company. The company was created in the late 19th century in London, England, and was originally called Albert Levy & Thomas.
The Ardath Tobacco Company Limited was originally located at 62 Leadenhall Street in London and called La Casa de Habana (The House of Havana) until 1895, when it changed its name to the present day version. It is said that Sir Albert Levy derived the name Ardath from a book of the same name written by Marie Corelli. The title of the book is derived from numerous references in the Books of Esdras (in the Apocrypha) to the "Field of Ardath". For example, in the fourth book, chapter IX, verse XXVI reads:
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