Seroco, acronym (1902)

[Dave Wilton]

I found the following citation for the trade name "Seroco", an acronym for
Sears, Roebuck, & Company in a 1902 Washington Post classified ad. To my
knowledge, it's the earliest instance of an acronymic origin for a word.
Beats "ANZAC" by some 13 years.

Classified ad, The Washington Post, 26 Dec 1902, p. 5:

"SEWING MACHINES
$24.50 BUYS THE HIGHEST GRADE 4-
drawer drop head, oak cabinet Genuine Singer
Sewing Machine; $20.00 for the New Home or Do-
mestic; $21.00 for the White; Standard, $22.00;
Wheeler & Wilson, $24.00; Minnesota, $15.20;
Burdick, $12.85; Seroco, $8.95. For free sewing
machine catalogue and most liberal free trial offer
cut out and mail this notice to Sears, Roebuck &
Co., Chicago                   dec26,S,Wed,Fri,13t"

The ad runs several times over the next few months. Some or all of the
semicolons may be colons--the print on the Proquest pdf file wasn't
absolutely clear.

"Seroco" was a brand name for a variety of products sold by Sears in the
early years of the 20th century. Earlier instances of "Seroco" are likely,
perhaps even back into the 1890s. Anyone have access to Sears's catalogs
from the period?