March 2000 Questions
Digger Odell Publications ©2000
I am a construction worker in Newark NJ. I recently uncovered a mess of bottles while lying a culvert through an old section of road down town. I picked up one weird looking bottle that caught my eye because it looked like a bomb or torpedo. It has no writing but has indentations of what looks like a place for labels. One of my workers said it was used by the pilgrims to hold a flammable whale oil cocktail used for battle, I don't think so. Another said they saw one on the traveling antiques road show and it was used back in the civil war on ships. Do you know if this is the correct answer? Also he said they are very rare, which to me means expensive. $?
Neither of your clever co-workers is close. Your bottle is a round bottom soda (numerous others are shown through the "Questions I Get" pages. It possibly dates to the 1870-80 period. While the form is common the color is rare. Most all of these are aqua not green. Put a couple of words on the bottle and it would sell of some big bucks. Digger
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If this round bottom soda had an manufacturer's name and a city and state it would sell for several hundred dollars. As is, unembossed it is probably worth $35-50. |
Dear Digger Odell, I have two sodas I
can't find. "A.W. CUDWORTH & CO. SAN FRANCISCO" 7.25" Tall.
Light green." And,"PHILADA GLASS WORKS,BURGIN& SONS'' teal
green in color,7.5'' tall. Both are blob tops. Thank you for any help you can
give me. Tony Delfino
Tony, Your Cudworth bottle is
not rare, but iron pontil varieties sells for $200+ in good condition. Your Philadelphia
bottle is more common and comes in several shades of green. It might bring
$40-55. Both of these are listed in Digger
Odell's Volume 7 Sodas. Digger
Hi digger, I am not a collector but have enjoyed your site. you provide a lot of information for beginners. My question is of course about a bottle I've had for years and because of your site I'm now curious to see if it is of any value. it is clear, 7" tall and 3 " wide at the base. it is embossed on the front "eau de vie", back, "bottled in 1864", and ''500" on the bottom. the suspicious part is that it has a wire/ ivory? ,cream colored hard material, (plastic?)/ burnt orange rubber ? stopper. The stopper seems to be too modern for the date on the bottle. Is this possible? The rest of the bottle truly looks that old and matches the descriptions from your page for that period. The pontil mark looks like a crack or gash and there is a ripple effect type mark on the bottom right corner of the bottle. an applied top and only two seams. the stopper is attached through depressions on either side of the neck and the steel wire does not go through the bottle. the bottle was found in a wall of my family's nursing home. It survived the fire and was found by a fireman. thanks for your help.
I tried to check the translation of the "eau de vie" phrase. My crude translation of the words are "water of life". One translation service translated it as "brandy". The porcelain stopper (if in fact that is what it is) would date the bottle at the earliest in the 1890s. The bottle almost certainly does not have a pontil mark (see bottle basics for some samples). If the mold seam stops short of the blob top then it is probably late 19th century. The depressions you mention make me think it might be newer than that however. You can still find this type of wire and stopper arrangement on modern bottles. Digger.
I found this bottle last week in the desert about 50 miles outside of Phoenix. It was an old stage stop, and railroad station. The bottle was about a mile from the station. All the glass has been dug up where the station is. The bottle is embossed with the Thomas A. Edison signature on one side, and the contents on the other. There is a small chip on the bottom, but otherwise, I would say it is mint condition. Still has the dirt in it too. I don't think I would want to sell it, but I would like to know what it was worth. I thought that the Thomas A. Edison signature might make it a real desert treasure. If you would like me to send a scan of it, I would be glad to. Thanks for any help you can give. Regards, Barbara Ern Thomas A. Edison Battery Oil Bottle.
I wish I could tell you that you
had found a real desert treasure. These little bottles are very
common. You can find 14 of them for sale on Ebay today. The only
ones with bids were one with the original contents and one which offered a lot
of two of the Edison bottles had a bid of $1.25. The reason you found them
near the railroad station is that the oil was used with batteries which ran
switching and telegraph equipment. Digger
 |
Thousands of dollars worth of antique bottles lie
buried. Learn the Secrets of Privy Digging. $10 plus $3.20
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HAVE (2) BOTTLES FIRST IS A FOUR ROSES / PAUL JONES LOUISVILLE.KY AMBER IN COLOR HAS A RAISED LETTER OF ART WORK THAT LOOKS AT A 5 YEAR OLD DID. THE SECOND IS A DUFFY MALT WHISKEY BOTTLE AMBER IN COLOR AND FROM ROCHESTER N.Y. BOTH BOTTLES ARE OF THE CORK TYPE. CAN YOU HELP JOE ALONZO/MOBILE ALABAMA
Both bottles are very common. I have covered the history of the Duffy
company in earlier months of "Questions I Get". The Four Roses
bottle was a product of the Frankfort Distillery Louisville,
KY. Sometime around prohibition they must have opened a depot in
Baltimore. Many different bottles are known. The oldest has an
applied seal and say John Paul Jones Rye Whiskey Louisville. The words
"Four Roses" were first used in 1908 according to patent office
records. A cylinder whiskey circa 1908-1913 with embossing similar to
yours has the roses embossed and the wording "Four Roses, Paul Jones Co.
Louisville KY." A very similar 11" bottle made a few years later says
"New Protective Bottle Adopted July 1914." On the bottom of the bottle
it says "Capacity One Full Quart." In the 1930s
a flask type bottle with highly decorative design of roses and vines was
common. In the
1950-60s they were advertising the Four Roses Distillery Co. with a NYC
address. Seagrams (located in Frankfort, KY) now is producing the brand.
Over the years loads of advertising and advertising items (signs, matchbooks,
decanters, etc.) were produced. The brand was and is very popular.
The bottles being common are difficult to sell and do not bring much. Digger
I have a bottle here that I have tried
repeatedly to get information on and cannot seem to find any! It is a soda
bottle called Santa Cola its in white writing and has a reindeer over the name
of the soda and it printed on both sides of the bottle Under the name of the
soda in small lettering it says Flower City Beverage CO. Los Angeles. Calif. The
bottle appears to be double pained such a windows are it is very thick glass.
the bottom of the bottle has an LM letters in a circle next to the # 699 under
that says MIN CONT, under that says 6 FL. OZ. the last line on the bottom had
just the #6! That is all the wording it has on the bottle it is empty and has no
cap! Any information as of value and history would be appreciated! I was just
wondering if it could be affiliated with the Coke companies! I would love if you
could give me a date on the bottle! Thanks you so much! Spirit*
Your Santa Cola bottle is known to ACL (applied color label) collectors. From theri stand point it is not a terribly valuable bottle: 1) the print and design are in a single color, white 2) the picture of the reindeer is quite small and 3) the bottle is not that rare. Value would be $5-15. Digger
I don't have any specific question about a bottle. I have recently stumbled upon a dump from the late 1800 to early 1900 that appears never to have been touched.. thousand's of bottles only prob. is I don't collect bottles and am getting tired of washing and having them in my kitchen...What would you do if you were in my shoes... here's one example.... green milk bottle with embossed man milking a cow/absolutely pure milk/milk protector...applied top and neck,3 seems that don't meet, the top has a pour spout ....I can tell it is really old. I'm not to sure as what to do about this. .like I said I'm tired of them but if there's a buck in it somewhere I don't want to just let them go to the dump if ya know what I mean. I'm not to sure what I'm wanting from you but if you have a minute to reply with any advice I would be grateful. Thank you Ramona Forgey
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Ramona, Thanks for taking the time to provide this information. I am thinking that this bottle is not old. I certainly do not think it was made before 1940s and is probably much newer. My guess is more like 1970 or later. I found another one similar, but in a clear aqua color for sale but without takers even at a very modest bid of $3.50 shwon at the left. The owner indicated the bottle did not have an applied lip, but was a machine made item. (The seams for the mouth may not meet those of the body). I do not know the origin of the bottle but the value is probably under $10. Digger |
Hi digger! I have a brass hot water bottle though some say its a canteen because it looks kinda like a canteen. it says: "The Gillette" 1919 Trademark Metal Patented May 9, 1911 it says this smack in the middle of the round bottle portion. its probably about 7-8" in diameter with a screw-in top that kinda looks like a cross on top. any help you can give me is great. how much do you think it goes for.
I have no real good idea about this item. Maybe a reader will help. Digger
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CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MUCH THESE
BOTTLES ARE WORTH. JUDY PRICE.
Probably less than a dollar each. The Chesebrough Vaseline, a product of Robert A. Chesebrough, a New chemist is extremely common. The product was introduced in the 1860s but did not become a big seller until the last decade of the 19th century. It is still available. Your looks machine made and would date after WWI. Digger |
I have this huge Mason Jar and I was
wondering if it was of any value or a reproduction. 18 3/4" tall and
8" diameter, clear glass with metal screw on top says MASON with a star
under that and Patent Nov. 30th 1858 and has an eagle on the opposite side. Any
help would be appreciated. Thanks,
I am fairly certain that the jar you describe is brand new
and can be found in gift shops. I do not know what they charge for
them. Digger.
Reader response: I was reading through your March
2000 questions and came upon a question about a large Mason jar approx. 18 3/4
tall with the word Mason a star and Patent Nov. 30th 1858 with an eagle on the
other side. I too have that jar but I don't have the lid. It has a
wire handle and a sticker that says Mt. Olive Kosher Dills 4 gallons. This
is not a new jar. It was given to my mother-in-law approx. 20 years ago by
her father who owns a small "mom and pop" grocery store. Steve
Update: Steve, with your prompting I checked further and your information
is accurate. As to the age of the piece, the jar is circa 1975 according
to the Red Book of Fruit Jars. It is known in aqua and amber as well. It
is not an original Mason jar.
Can you tell me where I can obtain a
few of the jars they used to package jelly in during the mid-1940's? Thank you.
Bob Louden
Now Bob, what the heck do you want with a couple of old
jelly jars? My suggestion is to go to a bottle show and check around in
the boxes under the table. If that is not possible then write a letter to
the people in this bottle club. They collect jelly jars and probably have
extra they would sell you. Digger.
Jelly Jammers
R.R. 1
6086 W. Boggstown Road
Boggstown, Indiana 46110
7 March 2000 Mr. Odell, I am trying to find a reliable source of makers of black glass bottles for the 19th c. I am a research student in Augusta State University Archaeology lab. I have two black glass bottles embossed with "Clarke & White" in a semicircle with "New York" underneath. I am also looking for information on a seal bottle of pale green embossed with "Huile D'Olive Sur Fine ? Boury Jeune Bordeaux" If you could email me with any information you might be able to provide I would appreciate it immensely. Thank You Samantha Wiley Augusta State University
Samantha, Your "black glass" bottles are not the
type to be listed in the best source on black glass, Antique Wine Bottles by
Roger Dumbrell. His book is probably the best source for bottles prior to
1820. Your bottles are considerable newer than that very probably dating
between 1852-1865. The Clarke & White is a mineral water bottle. They
are quite common and come a wide varieties of types. The Thomas Lynch and
Dr. John Clarke began large scale bottling operations about 1823. When
Clarke discovered that land he'd purchased included the already well-known
Congress Spring. The Lynch & Clarke bottles (below right) were blown
at the Vernon Glass Works. They bottled only during the off- tourist season
from Nov. 1 until June. Saratoga Springs became a world famous resort as a
result. Your bottle (probably similar to the center bottle), is a quart
size. A similar one exists with a large letter "C" between the
name and the the state. Clarke & White embossed bottles were made at
the Mountain Glass Factory between 1852 and 1865. All were blown after the
death of Dr. Clarke. His heirs sold their interests in 1865. If your
has a smooth base rather than an iron or open pontil (could be a sand pontil not
a tubular pontil) then it is probably Civil War period.
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| Shown above are three of the numerous variants
of the Clarke & White and Clarke & Lynch Mineral Water bottles. The mineral water was being sold as early 1800 in casks, mostly for ships. Bottled water did not become a household item until large scale bottling began about 1823. (left to right first is a pint size bottle, second is a quart and third comes in both pint and quart size) |
Your second bottle is an imported bottle. It contained, as you have probably surmised, olive oil. We frequently dig these from pits dating between 1850-1870. The bottles, being European often look older than their American counterparts. I found a listing for a very similar bottle to your with an applied seal stamped "Huile D'Olive Surfine Clarifie'e Bordeaux." I would guess Bordeaux, France was one of the larger exporting sites for olive oil. The bottles could have been imported by any one of hundreds of U.S. companies. If you found the two bottles you mention above in the same context, I would feel pretty safe with the date range suggested, especially since the history of the Saratoga Springs is well documented.
Hello, can you give me any info on the
Salvador Dali bottle? Its in the shape of his well known figures. Does it have
any value to a bottle collector etc. The liquor bottles label says Brandy
Conde De Osborne Fundada 1772 Espana 1.75 cl His printed signature is on
the front and back label. It has a ceramic cork top. It was
purchased in Jerel Spain many , many years ago. The labels artwork and the
shape of the bottle is of Dali's work. So any info and value you can give
me on this bottle I'd really appreciate it. Thanks again, gary
I found quite a number of different types of perfumes
bottles that used Dali or his work. He sold or sanctioned his work to be
used for perfumes, many
of which are in the shapes of his sculptures or paintings. They were
selling for very reasonable prices under $20. I was not able to find
anything reference to a container like yours. I wish I could help more.
Digger
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Just curious about this master ink. It is embossed JAPONAISE INK. Ring any bells? Thanks, your #1 fan.
Never saw it before. Looks
like a French import of an Japanese import.
Hello, this is my very first find and I wasn't even looking for a bottle. Here is the best description I can give. I looked through examples of pictures and descriptions but none were quite like this. Embossed: Dr. Nunn's Black Oil Healing Compound Purple but not extremely dark 5 1/2 " BIM rolled lip , neck is narrow but bottle body bigger, not huge just larger Base looks like its flat of course bottle is round. No seams on bottom. I would say excellent condition, no visible chips. I haven't been able to soak some of the dirt out yet. Thinking of getting a brush, if I can find one narrow enough to go through opening, which is small. No patent number that I can find. According to choices I would say Near Mint condition. I see a scratch on the neck area, but not very bad. I appreciate any information you could give me.
Your bottle contained a smoothing, softening oil for horses, cattle & sheep. It was first put up under the name of Dr. Nunn's Black Oil Healing Balsam about 1873. The name was later changed to "Compound". the product was still being advertised in 1973. Digger
Hi Digger, I am hooked and now starting
my own small display. I know what three of these bottles are, but the small
cobalt blue bottle puzzles me. I is about 1.75 inches tall. Has a wide thin flat
lip (round). I found it scuba diving off New Jersey. Was sealed with a cork,
which has dried up and has fallen inside. The other three were found in Bermuda.
All aqua color. The "soda Bottles" have glass marbles in them and are
crimped at the neck to capture the marble so as it does not stop the flow when
pouring. One bottle has no markings and a single crimp. The other says "THE
NIAGARA BOTTLE / BARNETT & FOSTER MAKERS LONDON. Crimped in the neck on two
sides. Are these rare bottles? The Largest Bottle says GENUINE SARSAPARILLA on
the front, NEW YORK on one side and BRISTOL'S on the other side. Nothing on the
back. 2 on the bottom. Rare or Common? I have been searching to find similar
pictures but nothing so far. Your help about these is sincerely appreciated. See
picture. Thank You Glen
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Glen, Your little bottle, like the two Codd soda bottles is English. I do not know what it contained, but I have seen them for sale regularly and so I do not think they are rare, but they are attractive. I cannot speak much about the rarity of the embossed Codd soda but Codd's, especially English ones, are very common. The Bristol's Sarsaparilla looks to date about 1870-1880 period. The brand is an old one that goes back to 1838 when it was first put up by Cyrenius C. Bristol of Buffalo, NY. They are common also. Digger |
John, what about an aqua, oval, hinge-mold bottle embossed; "Suire. Eckstein &Co/Wholesale Druggists/ Cincinnati. Ohio" also "J B Marchisi MD/ Utica NY" aqua, oval, hinge-mold?
Suire Eckstein & Co. were a
good sized Cincinnati concern. Their best seller was a cobalt rectangular
medicine, "Wayne's Diuretic Elixir." Francis E. Suire and Fred
E. Eckstein and Andrew Merrian established their retail and wholesale business
in 1857. The company became F.E. Suire & Co. in 1869 and remained in
business well past the turn of the century. Your bottle is probably one of
the earliest from this company, given the date they were established, it is
possible no pontil specimens with their names exist. I'd say the value was
$15-20 depending on size and condition.
J.B. Marchisi began producing his Uterine Catholicon in 1852. He
apparently sold out the rights to this brand to John D. Park and Demas Barnes
around 1866. He sold a range of other products including a a cough and
consumption cure, and Indian Balm and others. None of his bottles are
known to have any other embossing other than what you describe above. His
son took over after his death and sold most of the other remedies to Howarth
& Ballard, druggists in Utica. I'd say the bottle would have a similar
value as the Suire bottle. Digger.
I don't have any experience in
collecting bottles. However, I found an old bottle at a construction site in
Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, NY. The bottle is 9.5" tall, aqua, BIM, with a
blob top. The markings start with a company logo (overlaid H, C & M). The
name Henry C. Mandel is next in an arch shape. Below that is the address which
is 234 & 236 East 39th Street, New York. Below that is the word
"Registered" and "This bottle not to be sold". The pontil
bottom has "K.H. 1901 or 1904" on it. My wife loves the way the bottle
looks and has it near the kitchen window. Can you help? Bob R.
Your bottle is a soda bottle bottle from the 1890- 1910 period. Hundreds of different soda companies in New York and other states produced such bottles. I was not able to find any reference to the company. Value is probably $10-15. Digger
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Dear digger my husband found a
clear bottle in an hourglass shape. the bottle is an abm type with a fox
face, suit jacket and buttons down the front, measurements embossed on
the side. the bottom has H Fox & Company des patent pend. if you
could give us some information, it would be appreciated.
The bottle appears to have been some type of food container but I was not able to learn anything about it. It appears to date between 1930-1960. No much help I am afraid. Digger Digger update: Check July 2001 for information on this bottle. |
We have a bottle with the name embossed on it - Lydia E. Pinkhams's Medicine 14 1/2 ozs Where could we find out if it is worth anything?
Your particular bottle with the 14 1/2 oz (if it has
"O" over a diamond on the base) was manufactured by the Owens Illinois
Glass Co. sometime after 1929. The Vegetable Compound as it was
called was marketed by Lydia Estes Pinkham. She married Isaac
Pinkham in 1843. In 1875, when Isaac went bankrupt speculating on
real estate, Lydia began selling her herbal remedy under the name "Mrs
Lydia E Pinkham's Vegetable Compound'. She died in 1883 and so did not
live long enough to see it achieve its phenomenal success, but for some 50 years
it was one of the most popular patent medicines in America. After her death the
company became Lydia E. Pinkham Son & Co. It was promoted especially for
"women's weakness', but the American Medical Association dismissed all its
claims as fraudulent. I did read somewhere that in fact some of the
ingredients contained substances which may have helped easy women's monthly
symptoms. Because of its long history and tremendous success, the bottles
are extremely common with thousands and thousands of bottles surviving
intact. There are perhaps a dozen or more variants of the medicine.
The company also produced several other products, none as successful as the
Vegetable Compound. The value of the bottle is $1-2. Digger
PINKHAM LINKS
Pinkham
Ad | Pinkham's
Grandchildren | Lydia
& Women's Health
More about
Lydia | Lydia's story From
Antique Bottle and Glass Collector | Lydia
link | Lydia's
Song
Hello I have a bottle that I would like
to know the age, history, and price. It is a rectangular bottle with a smooth
sloping neck with a smooth round opening. The bottle is about 8 inches tall, 3
inches wide, 1 1/2 inches deep. It is aqua in color. It says Scott's emulsion on
the front. Cod liver oil on one side, with lime and soda on the other. The
bottom of the bottle has a stamp of a fisherman with a fish hanging of a pole
behind his back. There is a number seven below this picture. The base is thick,
but not crudely made. The top looks like is had a cork. The bottle needs
cleaning but is in good shape overall. Please e-mail me back as soon as possible
Paul Sullivan
See below
Dear Digger, My husband dug up a bottle in Corolla NC and I would like any info you can give on it. It is 9 and 1\4 inches tall, a light green perhaps aqua color, it looks frosted. It has a tapered mouth and the seam stops before reaching the lip. It has a smooth base and a key mold mark with a raised 2 in the center. It is rectangular shaped with the words SCOTT"S EMULSION on the front, COD LIVER OIL on the right side, WITH LIME AND SODA on the left side -- all in raised letters.It has a flat back but the sides and front seem to have a raised border.It has no label or picture. It has no nicks or chips but does have some scratches. I would like to know the age , rarity , value and history if possible. Thank you very much for your time. Billy & Gayle Grubbs
Your bottle is very common. If you look back through others months of "Questions I Get," you will find out more information. Your bottle is the oldest variant with the fish embossed. The fish was trademarked in 1886 but did not appear on the bottles until about 1890. Value $3-5. Digger. Check "April 1999 Questions" for more information
PLEASE HELP! HAVE PALE GREEN BOTTLE
8&HALF IN. TALL. HAS FOLLOWING LETTERING: REGISTERED, (ACROSS TOP OF SIDE)
BELOW, "WE PAY FOR EVIDENCE CONVICTING THIEVES FOR REFILLING OUR BOTTLES
" THE A M B CO WACO TEXAS THANKS FOR ANY INFORMATION ! JPACK
I check my brewery sources and found no listing so I suspect the bottle is a soda. Sounds like one produced in the 1920-30 period. Great saying on the bottle it ought to be worth $10-12, maybe much more locally. Digger
Dear Mr. O'Dell,
I obtained your name from the Antique Bottles web site and want to ask you about
an Old Grand Dad Whiskey Bottle that was kept by my grandmother. The interesting
thing about this bottle is that the tax stamp says that is was distilled in 1918
(pre-prohibition) and bottled in 1928 (prohibition). The label says
"unexcelled for medicinal purposes". Did whiskey distillers get around
prohibition by selling what was in their inventory as medicine? I'm interested
to know if this bottle has any historical significance or was it common to get
whiskey at the drug store. The bottle has not been opened and the label has a
rather maniacal version of grand dad on it. Neil Dissinger
Prohibition took effect January 16, 1920. Beer, wine, and liquor were officially banned in the United States by the 18th Amendment. In 1919, Ladislas Lazaro, the first Hispanic from Louisiana to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, argued to amend and moderate the law on national prohibition before it went into effect, permitting the use of alcohol for medicinal purposes. He considered the proposed prohibition law too drastic, difficult to enforce, and resulting in disrespect for government. During prohibition, druggists could sell alcohol for medicinal purposes by filling out a liquor prescription. Your bottle is a excellent piece of Americana. At this time, few people are collecting these bottles, but I suspect in the next few years for them to become more sought after and yours being unopened is a prime specimen. I'd say it had a value of $30-40, maybe more. Check out the link below. Digger
I have a question for you . Here is my question and a
drawing . Thanks in advance. Ernie L. New
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Ernie, you have found a torpedo soda. Not as common as the round bottom sodas you'll find on this page and other "Questions I Get" pages. Without any color or embossing the bottle has a very limited value of about $10-12. it could be American or English. Digger
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Dear Digger, Got a bottle I
need to get a date and value on: Poinsettia (at the bottom-embossed)
Poin (on one side) settia (on the other side) Seam goes around bottom & up
both sides. Seam stops 1 1/2" from crown top. Bottle is 9" tall
including crown top-Amber in color--Real crooked neck-Straight sided Has lots of
bubbles and swirls in glass-Embossing is raised, very high
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,
Your Poinsettia soda bottle is known in clear as well as amber. The clear bottle at the left is embossed: POINSETTIA (around the shoulder) and 'Min. Conts. 6 FLD. OUNCES VERNER SPRINGS WATER CO. BOTTLE PATD OCT 30 1923 113 L. G. W.' (around the bottom). The clear bottle described was bottled in Greenville, SC which is embossed on the base.The owner of the clear bottle indicated he picked up the bottles in the 1950s and used to live on a Verner Springs Rd. I would expect the amber bottle to be older than the clear one based on your description. If it is a non-machine made crown top we can date it very closely from 1900-1910. I would guess from the name that this was a company popular in the South and maybe had a very limited distribution area. Value is tough but I'd guess given the limited embossing and no location embossed that the value was $10-15. |
Your Poinsettia soda bottle is known in clear as well as amber. The clear variant is embossed: POINSETTIA (around the shoulder and 'Min. Conts. 6 FLD. OUNCES VERNER SPRINGS WATER CO. BOTTLE PATD OCT 30 1923 113 L. G. W.' (around the bottom). The clear bottle described was bottled in Greenville, SC. I would expect the amber bottle to be older than the clear one based on your description. If it is a non-machine made crown top we can date it very closely from 1900-1910. I would guess from the name that this was a company popular in the South. Value is tough but I'd guess given the limited embossing and no location embossed that the value was $10-15.
Dear Digger,
I read your article at the Antique Bottle Collector's Haven and I wanted to ask
for some advice. I have recently found a nice dump loaded with bottles.
I am a very novice collector and have been frustrated with my cleaning.
Warm soapy water does the trick but sometimes I use vinegar and baking soda to
remove some of the dirt. Unfortunately, some bottles get cloudy
afterwards. I also can't seem to get the woodsy/dirty smell out of them.
Can I use Clorox? A particular soap? I just use Dawn right now.
I'm having trouble finding good brushes too, so I might be writing you for them
in a couple weeks. Thank you for your time, any suggestion would be much
appreciated. Sincerely Julie Perdue
There is no easy solution (pardon my pun) to the problem you present. Soaking the bottles will help some. I like pieces of cut copper wire (which I use for tumbling) but kitty litter or sand will do. Then you can shake it up with a detergent. The cloudiness will not go away and can only be removed by professional cleaning. I have brushes that work pretty well for most bottles. Digger.
Received your e-mail address from antiquebottles.com.
I have a water bottle inherited from my mother. I would like to find out
it's worth. Typical blue/green of old bottles. Bubbles in glass with
seam on both sides. No lid but looks like a cork may have gone in it.
Markings: Westport Mountain Spring Water Bottled by Thomas Lee at Wesport,
N.Y. There is a old index card with it where someone typed:
"Antique Bottle circa 1895. It is told that this water bottle was
used in the White House during Teddy Roosevelt's administration. The story
is very likely true as Alice Lee, President Roosevelt's first wife, was a cousin
of Thomas Lee and the families were friends in Albany, New York." If you
could tell me how much it is worth, I would appreciate it. Thank you very much.
Carol
McIntosh
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Great Site! Ok I am thinking maybe perfumes which I know is your weak spot. The tall skinny one approx 7" is clear with gold painted & etched rings going down the side. The second a little less than 3" has little leaves embossed all over it. Clear glass also, which maybe you cant tell cause they are pretty dirty. Any guess on origin or value would be greatly appreciated! Thanks Holly
I'd be the first to admit my many weaknesses about bottle knowledge. I'd agree they both are perfumes but of very different origins and ages. The top one is probably wheel cut lead crystal with gold gilt highlights. It is a little hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like cut glass. I'd estimate it to be about Civil War period or before and possibly European, probably $45-55 value.. The second bottle appears to be American much newer and machine made probably from the 1920-30 time period. I'd estimate its value at $3-5 or less. Digger
| DIGGER ODELL'S PONTIL MEDICINE ENCYCLOPEDIA LISTS
THOUSANDS OF PRE-CIVIL WAR MEDICINE BOTTLES. THIS THE MOST
COMPREHENSIVE BOOK OF ITS KIND. HUNDREDS OF PHOTOS AND ADS. GET YOUR COPY
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Hi Mr Odell, I have a bottle question I hope you can help me with. I found a
clear, embossed bottle which is about 1 pint size. It has on the front "
MERRELL'S RUBBING ALCOHOL COMPOUND" "RUB WITH THE BEST"
TRADE MARK Reg US Pat Off. The bottle was made by Ball ( embossed on the bottom
in script along with the # 75816, and 5 ) I've never seen another bottle like it
and have had no luck in finding anything about it. I would appreciate any help
you could give me in finding out something about it. I don't know if it matters,
but the bottle was found in a relatives old farm house in South Texas. Thank you
for any information you can give me. I have just started getting into bottle
collecting, and am excited about my find. Regards, James Strong Yoakum,
Texas
Your bottle is probably a product of the Wm. Merrell Chemical Co. of Cincinnati, OH. The Ball company began in 1887 but used a similar marking up through the 1970s. It also seems likely Merrell would have used the Ball glass company as it was close to them. Without a description of the mouth and mold seams it is difficult to judge the age and value. If the #75816 trademark number then it would have been done in 1910, but that is not certain. Digger.
Hi! I just unearthed an old bottle from my backyard while I was digging post hole for my new fence. I found this clear, 5 1/2" ,"DR. PRICE'S DELICIOUS FLAVOR EXTRACTS" embossed bottle near the alley in the back of my yard. From the research I have just learned from your web link, I can guess that it is ABM, clear, in very good condition (a few small scratches). If you turn the bottle over it looks like a dog bone contained in a rectangle of the base. There is a round, rough gouge that encircles the very bottom, and in the center is a raised diamond and the number 8 off to the bottom right. I would love to learn more about it! From all of the website I pulled up, I think this could really be an exciting hobby. My Grandfather used to collect and I have a few VERY valuable items from his collection! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question!
Your bottle is very common and is a product of V. Clarence Price and Charles R. Steele were in business together from 1874 until 1883. When Steele left to go into real estate in 1887, the company was called the Price Flavoring Extract Co. They were located on Water St. in Chicago. One specimen with a label identified it as containing orange extract. They sold a variety of flavors. The value of the bottle is $1. But....since you found it with a post hole digger and near the alley, it is quite possible you have post holed into a privy. You might want to investigate further. Digger
My Uncle found a bottle shaped like a fish and gave it to me. There is nothing on it (like numbers or writing) Looks like it may have been a cork bottle ,but its missing the cork. So i was just wondering if somebody could help identify this for me. I can't imagine what it might have been used for. It stands at least 12 inches high. Very unique looking. So if anyone can help please do. Kristy
Kristy I just put up a new article on fish bottles for you to compare your bottle to. Fish bottles were used as containers for bitters, medicine and wine. Fish Tales
Hello, I am trying to see if I have a valuable bottle. The exact wording on the bottle is "NECTAR OF THE GOLDEN LIFE OF HEALTH AND
VITALITY". The opposite side of the bottle says "STRAUBMULLER'S ELIXIR" below that the bottle than has a beautiful tree logo and then the words
"TREE OF LIFE SINCE 1880" all the printing on the bottle is raised. The bottle seems to have a
sloping collar,& is approximately 8 inches tall. The color seems to be
a light cobalt to medium cobalt or Peacock Blue in color. It has a smooth base (I think) and I would call the condition excellent. On the
base it says "Wheaton, N.J. Could you please let me know where I could find information on this
bottle? Thank you.
Your bottle is one of the many Wheaton reproduction or fantasy bottles would be a better description since no real bottle from the 19th century was ever embossed with the above wording. You can learn a bit more about Wheaton bottles from the article on my website: reproductions Digger
P.S. if an old bottle did have everything you describe it would be very valuable.
Hi there, a few years ago I found a bottle . its cobalt blue , approx. 10" tall. it has a wire around the top for a cork I assume) it also has almost all of the label (paper , outside) intact. it is called "liquid bread" by David Nicholson. made in St. Louis, USA. I am not sure what it was. it says" malt" also "extract" I was wondering if you could give me some info on this bottle thanks
You have a very nice bottle there. The brand was promoted by David Nicholson. This product was a "Pure Extract of Malt". He was a physician in St Louis. In 1905 he was listed at 13 & 15 North 6th St. He was selling the product from at least 1891-1905. By 1916, the company had been sold to the Theo. Noel Company of Chicago IL. The label with its excellent graphics, an eagle and various seals and fancy design makes this an excellent piece. I have seen only a few of them with labels. I'd estimate the value at $75.
I have a very strange bottle that I have never seen anywhere before. It is a dark green bottle about 8 inches high that is four sided and says DeKuypers square face on the one side of it it is in excellent condition and narrows from top to bottom so that the bottom is narrower than the top . It is stamped on the bottom R384 and under that it is stamped 62 6. it has no paper labels, everything is raised letters on the bottle. Two sides are also stamped with raised letters, DE KuYPERS and one side is stamped in raised letters, Federal law forbids sale or re-use of this bottle. please help. I found it in an old dump in Maine.
The dump must have dated between about 1932-1964. Because of the "Federal law forbids..." The bottle probably contained Schnapps. I'd say it has little value. Digger
My name is Heath Riggs, and I live in New Bern, North Carolina. I found a piece of a bottle just south of New Bern in the Neuse River. It must have been there for quite a while, because the edges are well polished. It's molded, rectangular with chamfered corners, and only has the bottom, one short side and one long side intact. Raised lettering on the long side is arranged as such:U)S GUNST & CO (L)E PROPRIETORS.RICHMOND, VA. The letters in parenthesis are on a broken edge. I assume that they are a U and an L. The glass is clear, and the bottom has a rectangular, inset portion shaped much like a rectangular emerald. I'm sorry I don't know any more about this bottle. I am not a collector, but I do like discovering things such as this. Any help you can give me would be very much appreciated. Thank you Heath Riggs
Your bottle sounds like a prescription drugstore bottle produced between 1880-1920. I was not able to find anything out about the company. Digger
I found a bottle that says college inn
..... just wondering the age and if
there's any value to it. thank you mark shopf
I thought I had heard of a bottle with such embossing but
upon checking I wasn't able to find any. Perhaps it would help if I had a
more complete description. There are some college bottles from the early 19th
century, mostly English black glass. Digger
Hi, My husband and I found an old bottle while we were exploring an old mine in the deserts of Arizona. Found your name when I typed antique bottles on the web. We are intrigued with this bottle........we are not collectors but do like to find things that are interesting and different. I would appreciate any information you could give us. I read through the list of questions that I should answer for you.......hope my basic information will help. The bottle is about 71/2 inches tall and is an aqua color. It has raised lettering on the front and two sides. I believe the seam goes up to the lip and I believe it had a cork closure. (there is a cork in the bottle) Written on the front of the bottle is: "Dr. Pierce's favorite prescription". On one of the sides is written: "R.V.Pierce M.D." and on the other side is "Buffalo, N.Y." I think the information I would like would be anything concerning what was his "favorite prescription" , what it was used for and of course the age of the bottle. Of course any info you could share with me I would really appreciate. Thanks for your time and help in this matter. Cherie King .... P.S. what is really strange is that while reading through all of the information on the antique bottle pages I saw a note........someone asking about R.V. Pierce M.D.!!!
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Dr. Ray Vaughn
Pierce began practicing medicine in Buffalo in 1862 after he graduated medical
school. He was a master businessman opening his World's Dispensary about
1870. He very quickly built a huge empire based on his two best selling
products, his Favorite Prescription and the Golden Medical
Discovery. The Favorite prescription was advertised as a cure for those
chronic weaknesses and complaints of females in 1888. The formula for his
Favorite Prescription as published by the Pharmaceutical Era's Formulary
contained: savin, cinchona, agaric, cinnamon, water, acacia, sugar, tincture
digitalis, tincture of opium, oil star anise and alcohol. He had a large
staff of 15 physicians and practiced surgery at the Dispensary. He also
authored several books which touted his Dispensary and medicines. One
called Dr. Pierce's Common Sense Medical Advisor which went through
twenty some printings. Two other products he sold that were bottled were
the Anuric Tablets For Kidney's and Backache and the harder to find Dr. Pierce's
Extract of Smart Weed. He was also proprietor of Dr. Sage's Catarrh Remedy and a
number of other products.. By the turn of the Century he was selling
millions of bottles of his medicines annually.
Digger
Hi, I have a small 6" round
bottle. It has a simple rolled lip. It has a cork and on top of the cork is a
metal stopper. On the bottle are the words. kwan loong. On the metal top are
also the words, kwan loong and co.*On the bottom of the bottle it has G100 in
the middle and on one side, Z22. Any ideas? I live in Alberta Canada, and found
this on the prairie. Thanks. Colleen
Colleen, When the Chinese came to this country to work on the Railroads (1860s) they brought a demand for goods from their homeland. I can't hazard a guess what it might have contained. Digger
From a Reader:
Ok, Kwan Loong is a brand of Chinese medicine and is use just like you would use Ben Gay. It is a clear oil with menthol, camphor, Lavender spike, Methyl Silicates (wintergreen) and eucalyptus oil. The product has changed some of its ingredients over the years, It is very potent stuff. I still have a bottle from when I was in Thailand back in the ‘70s. I just came back from Taiwan where I purchased two more bottles. The lead top in the cork has been changed to a plastic screw on. The ingredients have changed a bit also but need to see my old bottle to be sure. Anyway, Here is the answer. Better late then never. Your reader has a nice bottle but not that rare I think. Jay Tyzzer
Thanks Jay - Digger
I have a bottle that is 8inches tall and on the bottom it has this; 46 then 67-22, a number 5 then and anchor and the number 50 , under that are the words Royal Ruby and under that it says Anchorglass. I am just curious about the age and what kind of bottle it is. I don't know anything about bottles! Would appreciate any information you can give me. Thanks Gale
Your bottle is a product of the Anchor Hocking Corporation of Lancaster Ohio. The name comes from the merger of two glass companies Hocking Glass Company (1905-1937) and Anchor Cap Corporation which consisted of four plants across the Eastern US and Canada. In 1937, the name became Anchor Hocking Corporation. Anchor Hocking is famous in the bottle world for it produced one million red beer bottles between 1950 and 1963, and Ruby Red Tableware after 1936. They made a ruby red catsup, and whiskies. Their bottles marked as your Royal Ruby Anchor include prune juice, aspirin, owl banks, baby food jars and a wine all marked Royal Ruby Anchor. Without seeing your bottle or having a better description. it is not possible to tell what it might have contained. Digger
Hi Digger I love your site and have a question about a Bottle I dug from a
late 1800s dump in my area. It is 5 inches tall, 3 sided, two sides Have crossbones and the word poison embossed on it, tooled lip. On the bottom in a
triangle is U.D.CO W.043 WGW. The bottle is triangle also. I've checked several poison books and could not find one like this. Its in great condition
just wondering if you have any ideas about the value. Thanks Doreen
I think a similar bottle is listed in Rudy Kuhn's book (KT-2). The bottle is triangular, two panels embossed POISON and has cross stitching with stars at each intersection (your description crossbones?) The third panel is plain for a label. The base of the listed one has U.D. Co. 044 W.C.W. The U.D. is for United Drug Company. The above bottle is known in cobalt and clear in four sizes from 3 1/4 to 8 1/4 inches. The larger sizes being rare. If you bottle is different, then it is probably unlisted and in one of the larger sizes should be a very good bottle. Digger
I have found a soda bottle (Chero-Cola 6 1/2 Oz.) with Montezuma, GA embossed around the front bottom portion of the bottle. I have researched the company from my county's courthouse with no luck. I had an article from a magazine once that had the other names of the company listed. One company was Royal Crown. Can you help me with the other company names?
Chero-Cola was bottled over many years (at least 1914-1940) and in many locations. I was quickly able to find a 6 oz. examples from Columbus Ga., Washington D.C. and Pittsburgh, PA, Vicksburgh, MS a straight sided one from Nashville, TN, several different 6 1/2 oz bottles from Pensacola, FL, a 7 oz bottle from Wapakoneta, OH and a painted label example. I am not sure what you are asking about the other names. It does appear that the original company might have been a Georgia based operation. There was a Chero-Cola Bottling Company in Athens, GA. See the links below. It is suggested several places that Coca Cola and Chero-cola are related, but I do not know. Digger
Chero-Cola ad (1914) Chero-Cola Ad (1915)
Dear Sir, My question regards two bottles uncovered during excavation for a new
sewer line in Fairview, Bergen County, New Jersey. I presume these bottles were thrown in the trench by the crew during construction of the
original sewers back in the early 1900's. The bottles have the following raised letter information:
E Pride of the Farm Tomato Catsup
The brand name and tomato catsup are on a arch across the bottles. The bottles are clear and 9 1/4" tall.
The bottom of the bottles have slight but raised circular rings (like a tree) and have a raised F in the center with small raised dots around
it. The seams go all the way to the top of the bottles (both sides), with the tops looking as they had a screw on top. This is based on the angle
of the raised class grooves. One of the bottles has a screw on with a crowned top. Any information regarding the age of these bottles or the history of the
company would be appreciated as a historical note. Thank you, Berge
Your bottles are likely from the 1925-40 period. I
was not able to locate any information about the company. I found a bottle
listed called Pride of the Table salad dressing. It is possible they are
related, but I was not able to confirm this idea. Digger
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Help! I
am an antiques appraiser in Louisville, Kentucky. A client sent me
this photograph of his colorless bottle (attached) that is 6" tall,
and says "Chest Nuts" in two lines on one side, with a monkey
holding up a nut, and on the other side is the back of a woman's torso
with a corset. Can you tell me if this bottle is a known
fake? There are no maker's marks, and the metal screw-on top has a
cork lining. When were cork linings first used? What was bottled
in a chestnut flask? Appreciate
any light you can shed. Donna
Einhorn
I doubt very much that the bottle is a reproduction. I would guess that the mouth of the bottle is ground in a fashion similar to fruit jar lips of the same time period. The metal cap looks right and the style of the threading on the lip looks right for a bottle made about 1890-1910. I would also guess that the glass has a hint of grayish or purplish color, indicating the glass contains manganese. Check by looking through the thickest part of the bottle at the bottom. Tilt the bottle one way or another to see if you see any hint of color. One way to verify this is to put the bottle under a black light next to a modern clear bottle and see if they fluoresce the same color. My guess is they will not. The bawdy subject matter of this piece makes it a nice item in my opinion. Given the excellent condition and original cap, I would estimate the value to be $150-200. I guess that is why the times were called the gay 90's (1890s that is). Digger |
I have a perfume bottle that I cannot identify. It's 6 1/2 " high, not
glass (stoneware??), and depicts a blond man and woman dancing. He is dressed in green
pants, black jacket and brown shirt or scarf, and a blue cap with a black bill. If you could even point me in the right direction to identify this I
would be so happy! It belonged to my father's aunt, who died in the late 40's, early 50's, so it could be from the 20's or before.
She is wearing a pale pink dress that is above the ankles. She has dark hose and brown pumps.
At the base is printed (embossed?) "APACHE DANCE". The stopper is on
the back and is the same "stoneware" with a cork. The bottom is
unglazed white and there may be a faint mark, but I can't make it out. Thanks so much!
Cheryl Weidmann
I wish I could help. Maybe a reader will have an idea. Digger
Do seltzer bottles come in any colors other than clear, blue and green? I have never seen a red one or an amber/yellow one, but I would love to find one. Thanks, Aaron Spencer
Aaron, That is a
good question and the answer is yes, but...they are probably not American.
I have had French Seltzers in turquoise and pink, deep cobalt blue, and azure
blue (made with copper salts). A sometime, I seem to remember seeing an
amber seltzer, but amber was for beer and others beverages which might
deteriorate from exposure to sunlight. Digger
HELLO, I HAVE 3 BOTTLES THAT MAY COME FROM THE LATE 1800s. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE WORTH MAYBE YOU CAN HELP ME, if you cant please send me an email
address of who can help me, thank you so much
1) a little Bayer medicine bottle
2) medium size bottle with a little stickman figure on the bottom of the
bottle(white)
3) and long bottle round on the bottom (wont stand up on its own)
Your bottles sound pretty common. I guess the values of all three to be under $20. The thrid bottle sounds like a round bottom soda (see other questions for more information about these bottles) Digger
Hi, I found a bottle but, I am not sure what kind it is soda,beer etc. I hope you can help. The bottle is 8 1/2"tall, BIM, Crown top and aqua in color it is I believe a bowling pin style. The writing on the bottle is as follows CARL H. Schultz C-P Embossed Beehive ?? M-S Pat. May 1868 NEW YORK. THANKS!!!!!!!
I have seen a few soda that one might describe as a bowling pin type bottle. Look at the drawing above sent by Ernie and imagine a flat bottom instead of a pointed one. If that is what your bottle looks like then is almost certainly a soda. The date 1868 and the mouth style "Crown Top" do not go together. The Crown top took a crimped metal cap like modern soda bottles used to have. It wasn't invented until the 1890s and did not come into wide-spread use until about 1900. I found not listing for a Schultz in my brewery listings but have no similar source for sodas. The item sounds interesting and should be worth $20-25. With a blob top (which would make it older) it would bring $30-50, maybe more. Digger
Hi: I am trying to locate and purchase a selzter bottle used in Southern
Florida (West Palm Beach area I believe) called Carbo Bottlers. Do you know of where I might find one or do you know of a seltzer bottle expert
who knows Florida bottles? Any assistance would be very much appreciated. Thanks.
Florida has several active bottle clubs. There are
not a lot of collectors specializing in seltzers but there are some. You
can try to contact one of the members of one of the clubs I'd suggest
going on to the Ferderation of Bottle Clubs website: http://www.fohbc.com/
You can use their directories to find clubs and collectors. Also Reggie's
website has lots of clubs and collectors listed at http://www.antiquebottles.com/
Digger
Yes my name is Nathan and I found a bottle last year up in
Modoc county in
California and I wanted to know about it. on the front it has an A and A with a little design on it. it also is an old
cork style. there are also some numbers on the bottom it looks like this D 956 it looks like a diamond and a circle together then 41
M-25B 99 B DES.PAT.128624 if you have any info on this bottle please let me know i would really
appreciate it. it was half buried when i found it, it looks like an amber color. it also looks molded together in three pieces i dont know anything
about this stuff just what i have learned from reading some things online thank you,
Nathan Center
Nathan, the shape of a container often gives us clues to its use. Medicine bottles usually are rectangular or square, sodas and whiskeys are round and so on. I can not tell you much except you'll find a table of patent numbers on my website which suggest your bottle was made in the 1940s. My table only goes to 1940, but in that year the design patents had reached 118000. The 41 on the base of your bottle may be the date it was made. Not much help I am afraid. Digger
Hi! I really hope you can help me out in determining the age of
2 bottles that I own. They were dug up in a small ghost town in Montana
near Helena about 25 years ago. The first one is 5 1/2 inches tall, light aqua
green, from your the chart it looks like a B.I.M. ( the seam does not reach
the top ). The best I can compare the collar to is slopping collar. It has a
smooth base and it says G.W. Cole Co. on the side ( it might be C.W. I can't
tell ) and on the other side it says three in one. The second bottle is 7
inches tall, very very light purple, it also is B.I.M it has a flared collar
and a smooth base. The only thing on this bottle is an 8 right near the neck.
They both have air bubbles and are in very good shape. I would appreciate any
help in this matter I have been researching for days and this is the first
lead yet! Thank you very much
Ruby.
Both bottles probably date between 1890-1910. Three in One is an Oil bottle. The Three in One Oil Company was located on Williams St. in New York City. It was advertised as a household oil and for sewing machines. The bottle comes in a at least three sizes 5 1/4", 4", 3"(all of which are common) and an eight sided 2 3/8 size which is scarce. As for you second bottle, you will probably never know what it contained without any embossing to go on. Digger
Greetings!
I am very new to the concept of bottle collecting, but was just asked to find any information regarding a bottle that was found over the weekend.
Embossed Wording: BRISTOL (maybe
AL) Letters on sides running vertical Color: CLEAR
Height:
approx 8" Shape:
Rectangular with indentations, ie back to rectangular. Seams:
None visible Note:
Imperfections in the glass- bubbles
Possibly English? 18th century? Thank You for any information! Doug Anderson, Architex Int'l
Not likely English. Not likely 18th century. More likely American. More likely 19th century. As for the Bristol, There was a Bristol, VA a Bristol TN, Bristol, MA, Bristol, PA, Bristol RI just to name a few. The bottle sounds like a drugstore or cosmetic bottle, but without a look at the style and lip, it is difficult to judge. Digger
I have a bottle that I can't find
any information about it is a C.C. SODA bottle patent Nov. 6 1923
Kansas City Mo. I found it under my Mothers house which was also built in
1923.The address of her house is also 2308 denver KC MO. Would you be willing to
give me info on this bottle Thank you Very much David Leroy Brown
Dear Sir,
I don't know anything about anything, but I have been told recently that the
three little bottles I have treasured for years are actually miniature bitters
bottles. They are each approximately 3 or 4 inches tall. One is red and in
the shape of a fish with the word "bitters"written along the gill.
Another is amber and looks sort of like a drum on the bottom with a slender
neck. The last is blue and is shaped just like a bottle with a slender neck. It
has a lot of words on it, ....elixer of life....????? They have no paper labels
but all three have the corks. Should I just keep loving them because
they're tiny and cute, or do you suppose they could actually be considered
collectibles? I wish I could send you a picture because they're really very
nice, but I don't have the equipment. This is my brother in law's computer. If
you would like to reach me through him, my name is Gay Maddox. Will check back
next time I'm here to see if you can tell me anything. Thank you for
taking the time to read this.
These are 1970s reproductions of American bottles. I
believe most were made in Tiawan, although some may have been made by
Wheaton. (See the article on reproductions on this site.) They are
cute but also common. Digger.
Hi there...I hope you can point me in the right direction with a bottle I found...it is an unopened 4/5 quart bottle of
"Old Fitzgerald" Kentucky
Bourbon Sour Mash...made in 1964 sold in 1970...all original labels are on the
bottle...I'm dying to taste it but I fear it loses all value if I open it....any
suggestions on what to do ?? thanks for your time...Tom
Stay sober and put it away in cool dry place for another twenty years. Digger
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Hi, I have a bottle which I don't think is too old but I have no idea what it is and its value. Its 6" tall, in the figure of a blonde girl with her arms folded across her belly. It is a screw top and has a plastic lid but I'm not sure if its original. The bottom, in raised letters says BEAU PEEP PRODUCTS. What on earth is this??? Thanks, Gary Your bottle contained Beau Peep Double White Shoe Cleaner. This was a product of The Beau Peep Products Company of Chicago, Illinois. It originally had a metal lid. I would guess the date to be in the 1940-50 era. Digger
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Hey I have a question and maybe
you will have the answer I have ask ever one I now about this bottle and had no
luck? OK here I go I found a "WHISTLE" 6-FL. OZ. bottle its light
green in color and on the bottom around the outside says CHATTANOOGA and too the
middle of the bottle says TENN. And it's thicker on one side more than the
other? i would like to know the age and value of my find? thank you Mark Klein
Your bottle is one of many different bottled products of
the Whistle Company of American. They were located on 172 Perry St. in NYC in
the late 1920-30s (maybe later as well). Around the 1940-50s, Vess
Beverages of Columbus and St Louis became somehow involved. The company
slogan was "Thirsty? Just Whistle". They used "browies"
or "elves" frequently in their advertising. The soda was a fruit
flavored drink (orange). There were many licensed bottlers and
distributors around the country. I found examples from Peru IL,
Connervsville, PA, Decantur, IL, Martin's Ferry and Columbus, OH, St
Louis. Over the years they produced 6 oz, 7oz 10 oz and 24oz. sizes in
clear, aqua, and deep green. They also produced a miniature 2 1/2"
sample in the 1930s. The early bottles were embossed only. later
ones from the 1940-50 period have painted labels. The earliest bottle I
could find from this company was an unusual wasp waist bottle with a 1926 patent
date and the word "Whistle" around the waist of the bottle. The
company made many promotional items such a thermometers,
ash trays, hats, swizzle sticks and books of matches . The most
collectible artifacts of this company are the tin advertising signs. The
bottles are probably the least valuable collectible left by the company. Digger
I have just received several bottles I
have no idea if they are worth anything. 1 is a green soda bottle with Pat.
April 5, 1927, with Rome GA on bottom, name on bottle is Pale Bamboo Ale. Bottle
#2 is clear square like bottle with Undertakers Supply Co., Chicago, ILL. on the
side. Bottle #3 is small flat like bottle with The Name St Joseph's Assures
Purity on one side. Bottle #4 is clear with green tint medicine bottle with Dr.
W. B Caldwell's Monticello, Illinois on one side. Bottom has a number 21 and encircled
P. Bottle #5, Also have small bottle with Caldwell's
Syrup Pepsin, Mfg. by Pepsin Syrup Company, Monticello, Illinois. Bottle #6 very
small bottle with Hind's Honey and Almond Cream on one side, A.S. Hind's
Co., Bloomfield N.J. U.S.A. On each side is Improves the Complexion and
Protects the Skin. Bottles #7 & 8 are small bottles one clear one with green
tint, both have The Abner Royce Co. Pure Fruit Flavors, Cleveland, O. I also
have a glass inkwell with Waterman's Ink on it. Bottom has THIS CONTAINER
B MADE IN USA 4. If you could be of any help, giving any information to
what these are or where I could find this information, I would greatly
appreciate it. . Thanks.
With the exception of the first two
bottles, the others are very common and have values from $1-3. All
of them date from 1900-1935 and were produced by good sized companies that were
in business for many years.. I believe I have given information on
Caldwell bottles in previous months. I have not heard of the Bamboo Ale
bottle. But is is one of those from the era for which at the moment there
are not many buyers. It is however from the South and that alone might
make it saleable to someone. The best bottle is the Undertakers Supply
Company because these bottles are often collected by poison bottle
collectors. If it is a cork top bottle it probably is worth $20-30, less
with a screwtop. Digger
I have a bottle shaped like an elephant, on one side it has Richard
Nixon's face 68 and the words for president- republican on the other side it has
Agnew 68 with his face with the words vice president campaign. it is yellow in
color and on the bottom it says Wheaton NJ first edition- could you give me any information
on this and possible it's value if any ? thank you dewey
Your bottle is one of many Wheaton commemorative bottles. They are made to be collectibles. The bottle is not rare or hard to find, I guess its value to be under $10. Digger
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I found a Wildroot company INC. bottle that says buffalo New York on it. I asked my dad what is was and he said it used to hold hair tonics and lotions of that sort.. I was just wondering how much its worth because I dig and meddle detect on my farm and this is a pretty neat thing to find i read about the types of glass blowing and they said the glass would have a line down the sides and this one does. well I was just wondering about the bottle.. thanks Arthur Arthur, your dad is correct about the contents of the bottle. It is a product of the Wildroot Company begun in Buffalo New York in 1911. The label originally pictured an Indian maiden with long black hair. The company was purchased by Colgate-Palmolive in 1959. the bottle comes in 3 sizes, 4", 51/2" and 8 1/2". All of them have the vines down the side like the drawing at the left. The formula was about 40% alcohol and it originally contained arsenic. Physicans of the time report ill effects from the use of it. Value is about $3-5 without a label Digger. |
I found a 5 inc. blue cork top bottle
with a perfect label and contents with in . on the label it is Oil
Clove Bud D& 0 ups x11 677 for
manufacturing and professional use only Dodge &
Olcott Co. the bottom of the glass is D & O . C an you tell what
year this is from and does it have any value? Thanks Blkal1
I found no reference to this company. The bottle sounds like it might have contained clove oil. With a cork top it probably dates between 1890-1930. If it is cobalt blue with the label then it probably is worth $20-25. Digger
Hi, my name is Joel and I recently found some old bottles. I would appreciate
your help in identifying them. They are dark emerald green, 10 1/4" tall x
2 7/8" in diameter the bottom is concave like a champagne bottle but then
drops back down in the center. There are no seams but there is a 3/8" wide
band 1/4" down from the top that appears to have been put on separately.
There are no markings on any of the whole bottles but I did find a broken one
that has some of a label on it, of course there is a piece broken out of the
middle. What I can make of the rest is; G. P.------------& Co
Joel, the bottle sure sounds like an old champagne bottle (1890s). The lack of mold seams suggests the bottle was made in paste mold (a paste was applied to the inside of the mold. then the bottle was rotated while hot to erase the seams and give a shine to the glass.) Hard to tell about the broken one. Digger
I have a bottle that was found on South Padre Island in the early 1960's.Would you be able to help me identify it? An approximate age. Maybe give me a little history on it, If you can. The bottle is green. It is 18 inches high and 42 inches around the middle. The neck of the bottle is 5 inches high and the circumference of the neck at the top is 7 inches around. It has a cork. About 1/4 of an inch down from the opening it has writing. AYELENSE 16LXX It has seams going up each side, but I cant tell if they go up the neck. The bottom of the base has an X. If I had any idea what the writing meant it might help. French? English?
If you check the December 1999 questions, you'll find a reader who wrote about a similar bottle with similar embossing. As I commented to that reader (who provided a photo). I was not able to tell the age from the picture, but with the appearance of this second one, I am going to say it is probably not old. the word "ayelense" is probably Spanish. My guess is a Spanish wine bottle. Digger
Hi,
I have an amber color bottle approx. 8.5" ht. with what
appears to be a rolled lip or crown top. Its also appears to be an ABM. The bottle starts off
round at the bottom but at the top (about 25% of the total ht.) is in the shape of an elephants head, it legs is also embossed down the sides. On top
is the words OLD SOL. on the bottom is DESIGN PATENTED the letter B in a circle and to the right of that the number 7. Any info would be appreciated.
Regards,
P. J. Waclawski
Your figural bottle sold on Ebay for about $21. The owner indicated it was a bleach bottle from the 1920-30 period. Digger
I am trying to find out some information on a bottle i picked up. it
is green (medium to dark) the seam on the side of the neck only goes up about
2/3's of the way but it has this on the bottom N 2--2 the name
embossed on the front of it is Palmer. it is 5 inches tall. any info would
be greatly appreciated. thank you connie
Your bottle was
made by George A. Kelly of Pittsburgh. The color "Kelly green"
was named after him. Your bottle is a product of Solon Palmer, a chemist
and perfumer who began in Cincinnati, OH about 1847. He was
producing Palmer's Vegetable Cosmetic Lotion. His business grew so
that about 1870, he moved his operation to New York City. He son, Eddy,
took over the business near the turn of the century and it continued to be a
family run business until the 1960s or 70s. Your bottle is one of
the most common from this company from around the 1890s time period. They
are very attractive and always popular with the ladies. The Value of the
bottle is around $10-15. Digger
WOULD YOU HELP ME ?I AM TRYING TO FIND OUT SOMETHING ABOUT BOTTLES I HAVE.I DID FIND OUT ,I THINK MADE BY --OBEAR-NESTER GLASS
CO. IT IS WINE BOTTLE,, WITH
SUNKEN BOTTOM, RAISED LETTERS WINE. THEY. ARE AMBER COLOR,,13 INCHES TALL WITH NUMBER 6.ROUND AT
BOTTOM, THEN TAPERS UP TO 3/4 INCH AT TOP. HAS 4/5 QUART LINE
GOES ALL THE WAY TO TOP. ONE OF BOTTLES HAS STAMP .IL .STATE TAX STICKER. HAS DATE 193 THEN BLANK I FOUND AT CONSTRUCTION SIGHT PROB. 5 FEET DOWN. I LIVE
IN IL. WHEN WAS MADE AND IF WORTH ANYTHING. IF YOU CAN'T HELP WOULD YOU GIVE ME ADDRESS OF SOMEONE WHO
CAN. ROY RUSHTON
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Norma, you have a wine or other alcoholic beverage bottle made between 1932-1964. It is an unusual form, but being foreign reduces its appeal for American collectors.
Do you know if people threw bottles in privies in the west, I've dug 3 and have found no trash. I'm wondering if they just threw them out in the sagebrush because the ground is literally covered with broken bottles. Any input would be greatly appreciated
I know for a fact they did. I have several digger friends in Western states who regularly find privies. My privy digging guides goes into a number of ideas to make your quest more fruitful. Digger
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digger I have a jar that my daddy picked up at
an auction the other day. He got it because of its unusual shape. It has an
octagon base on it . Then it comes up like it might be round but it has a
design cut to it like a diamond shape . On the bottom of the jar it says BEST
FOODS REC DESIGN PATENT 80918. On one side of the diamonds it has a
triangle design with the letters IPO inside of it and the number 11 outside of
it. then on another diamond it has the number 1651. I would appreciate any
information you could give me on this jar. I can not send a picture I don't
have a camera. If you can't understand my description could you tell me where I
might go to see pictures of this company's jars and maybe I could find it.
thank you very much for your help.
I am afraid I cannot tell you much other than the jar was patented in 1930 and it was probably a mayonnaise jar.. Digger. |
Hello Mr. O'Dell, I have a question about a bottle I have dug up. It is brown amber and it has the name of Karl Hutter on the bottom and F. Hinckels on the front along with sparkling lager beer Albany New York. I was wondering if you have any info about this bottle and what the price maybe. Please get back to me about this find. I am really interested in knowing more about this company and the other bottles they may have made. Thank you for you help.
Your bottle is a product of the Hinckel Brewing Company. Fred Hinckel is first associated with brewing in Albany in 1852, under the name of Schinnerer & Hinckel. From 1868-1884, he is listed alone at Swan St, Myrtle & Park Ave. The name changed again in 1884 to Hinckel Brewing Co., Cataract Brewery and again in 1903 to Hinckel Brewery Co., Cataract Brewery. The last listing was 1920, closed apparently because of prohibition and never reopened. I found no reference to the name "hutter" involved in a beer business. except in 1933 in Wisconsin. Value is tough without knowing the age (based on the lip style blob top would probably be 1880, taper top would be an earlier and more valuable bottle. Digger.
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Sir, I hope you can help me. I am not a collector but I found a bottle while
digging my pond and I showed it to the old timers around here and none of them
had ever seen this bottle. It is 10" tall the mold seam stops at the lip
and the mouth of the bottle is the type that would need a bottle opener. The
bottle has the word Hoster at the center of the bottle. Below that is an
"H" with wings coming out of it. Below that is the word Columbus. I
assume that is Columbus OH, because I live in OH. The color is a light green
that can be seen through. The bottle is round, on the base the numbers 589 over
a 6 are present. The bottle is in good shape but there are some air bubbles
visible in the glass. I was wondering the age, the history of the company that
made this, is it a rare bottle? Is it worth anything? Thank you for your time
and I hope you can help me out.
Your bottle is very common but has a long history in Columbus. Louis Hoster first appears in the city directories in 1836. He is listed in the 1870s as Hoster and Sons and still later with the Columbus Associated Breweries Co. and Hoster Brewery. The company was in business (and may still be) through 1989. Over the years the company produced many bottles. Given your description, the color and the style of the lip, I can date your bottle very closely to 1904-1915 period. I have a fair number of similar but slightly earlier bottles. They are amber and blob tops embossed HOSTER / COL. O. which I would gladly sell for $4 each plus postage (should anyone be interested) as pictured. |
I tried cleaning 3 egg style bottles with water and CLR and it seemed not to
really help. Any suggestions. It looks like some white flaky shiny coating spots
on bottle(s)... is this lime buildup?
This type of stain cannot be removed by washing. It must be removed by polishing the glass. A professional bottle cleaner could do it for $10-20 a piece. If you want a temporary suggestion put a little vegetable oil in the bottles and it will reduce the visibility of the stain. Over time dust and dirt will stick to the oil and you'll need to clean it out and repeat the procedure. Digger.
The Hires Root Beer Extract Bottle, embossed, square, cork stopper, would
it be worth anything?? Thank You Joeen
Your bottle has a value of $2-4. Check out the
article on my website about the Hires story.
Digger
Hi Digger, The worker's replacing my septic tank unearthed a bottle with the words "Sawyer's Crystal Blueing" embossed on it. The bottle holds about 7oz and appears to have once had a cork. There is a line down one side and the glass has bubbles and lines in it. It has a light green/blue color. Any ideas as to it's age and value? I think this may be the beginning of bottle collecting for me. I enjoyed your website. Peggy M. Amherst MA.
Your bottle is fairly common. The embossing in three lines on the front is attractive. The bottle dates from 1880-1905 era. It was a laundry product. the value is about $3-5. Keep digging. Digger
Hi Digger!
I just moved into a new apartment, and went walking in
the woods across the street. When I looked down, I stopped in my tracks!
There were old bottles all over the place! It looks as though the site is
just fill that was dumped there from a nearby drainage pipe installation.
Anyway, sticking out of the ground was an amber target ball! It is in
excellent condition. It's about 2 inches in diameter, and it has the
following embossed near the shoulder (if a sphere can have a shoulder!) :
"PAT.SEP.14.1880 AND MARCH 14th 1893". Any info on this bottle
would be greatly appreciated. Also, I was wondering about the fruitfulness
of further and deeper digging at this site, because I dug in about a foot and a
half and didn't find anything except a few broken pieces. It seems that
most of the glass is at the surface because of being overturned by the drainage
project I mentioned. Would one have to dig really deep in order to obtain
the treasure? How much dirt can accumulate in a hundred or so odd years?
Also, how does one go about researching their local area for perhaps old dumps
or locations where houses might have stood in the 1800's?
Sounds like it
might be a very good item. I could not find any listing for one with that
date (that could be good as it might be rare). My only suggestion to
confirm that it is indeed a target ball and not a Christmas tree ornament or oil
lamp (jewelers lamps are round and found with various patent dates) would be to
check in the Patent Office Gazette on the dates embossed. Any large city
library will have copies of the Gazette and the librarians could probably help
you find it. It sounds like the construction project dug through either a
dump, a privy, or a cistern. Probing would help you decide. Digger
Can you tell me somethings (age,rarity and history) about my bottle found diving in Adriatic Sea in Italy ?
It's a "aqua green" glass, BIMAL, oval shape, 18,5 cm height, embossed HB base,
"blob top" lip, embossed: HERON & BREARLY Ld DOUGLAS
I do not specifically know the bottle, but would guess it to be an English bottle, possibly a soda. Given the probable age of 1880-1900, the color, and the relatively non-descriptive embossing, I guess it to have a modest value of $10-12. To be quite valuable, it would need color and more identifying marks indicating the contents. Digger
I'm searching also some sites about about antique bottles from Europe. Antique
bottles collectors haven is very very interesting, but I don't know if the
information in it are valid also for Europe bottles. Thank you in advance for
your help and ciao ciao Francesco Boaria
There are some differences between European and American manufacturing methods. Not all of the rules for determining age are universal. The English, for example, were manufacturing smooth based medicines long before their American counterparts. There was a greater use of color in the late 19th century (especially with English bottles). Take an American company, like Warner's Safe Kidney Liver Cure Company, doing business in Europe (specifically England and Germany) had to produce their bottles in a wide range of colors to compete. While here in the states they were almost universally amber, in England and Germany the same product came in shades of green, yellow, even a gasoline puce color. Lip treatments on European bottle were different than American bottle as were body styles. Pricing European bottles by American standards might be questionable, but one principle will remain, color and age are strong factors in value. Check out my article on determining values and I think you'll find that many of the same principles apply. Ultimately however, price is set by the market. Digger.
Hi Digger, I have a Luttes's S. P. Cough Drops log cabin and I was wondering if
you could give me some advice on the value and if they made any reproductions of
them. I have one in light pink, cobalt blue and amber. It looks like a log
cabin with feet. It has a roof that come off, with the words "Lutted's
S. P. Cough Drops" on the roof. They are in excellent condition and
well defined in features. I will look forward to hearing from you. Jerry Tennant
These are definitely reproductions The roof is embossed Lutten's / S.P. Cough / Drops. The body makes the rest of the cabin. The are also made in clear glass. Most are selling for about $15 new. Digger
When does a bottle become a jar by definition? Does it relate to the length
of the neck vs the size of the body? Lucy Peterson
Lucy, I have always considered this innate knowledge
on the part of bottle and jar collectors. I know for example, I collect bottles
not jars. However, I will attempt an answer to your question.
Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines a bottle as a rigid or semi-rigid
container, usually made of glass or plastic, with a comparatively narrow
mouth. The word jar comes from jarre, jarra, or jarrah,
an earthen water vessel. Clearly this indicates to me the primary difference
is the width of the mouth. Imagine filling a water jar with a narrow mouth
. It would be much to time consuming. With that said, how about I confuse
the matter with the glass industry's term a "wide-mouthed
bottle". Digger
my name is Dwight and I recently dug a outhouse pit which yielded an aqua bottle which is 8 1/4 " tall. it is rectangular in shape and has indented panels on three sides. one side says FARMERS the other says XXX and the front panel says HORSE MEDICINE S.F. CAL . I have not been able to find out anything about it and was hoping maybe you might know .If you have any info. oh yah it is bimal and has a sheared lip. thank you so much .Dwight
I know your bottle, but I have not seen one with a sheared (rough) lip, I have seen them with applied taper tops and square collars. The bottle comes in at least two sizes 6 3/4 and 8 1/4 and is known in aqua, light green and light cobalt or cornflower blue. Robert Levi Graham in partnership with J.D. Fish of San Francisco opened a store in San Francisco and later moved to Lodi, CA. It was from there that they produced this and other medicines. Fish was primarily an on-the-road salesman. They were in business from the 1880s-1900 period. Digger
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Hello,I came across your email address at the bottle collecting
website http://www.antiquebottles.com/
) I am trying to track down information about an amber bottle in my
possession and am hoping you can help me. I have attached two
photos of the bottle. It stands just over 9" tall and is
approx. 5" across at the base. You'll see in the photo that
the insignia is a letter 'E' inside of a letter 'C' and there is a crown
above the letters. Are you familiar with this bottle or this trademark?
Do you know about how much this bottle is worth? What style of
bottle would this be categorized as? I believe the style is called a calabash although
I am not sure. Any help would be very much appreciated. I
appreciate your time! Thanks, Steve Vahey A bottle collecting novice My opinion. It is not a calabash. It is not American. It is not old. It looks a little like a calabash. It is made in an old style. It has an applied seal and applied mouth. It could be European (Scandianavian). I'd guess something like liqueur. Digger |
I have a bottle embossed on one side with-PREPARED BY-DR PETER FAHRNEY&SONS
CO-CHICAGO, ILL.U.S.A and on the opposite side with-DR PETER'S-KURIKO and on the bottom it says-PAT APPLIED FOR with a ! in the center. I believe the top
is the single collar type. It is made of clear glass in a square shape
about 8 3/4 inches high. I would really appreciate any information you could give
me on the age, etc., of this bottle.
Your bottle dates the late 19th century. His sons were
managing the business by 1891. I have discussed other products from this
company in other months of "Questions I Get". Check out the
article Fahrney . Most all of the embossed bottles
from this company are around or after the turn of the century. Other
products include: his Gomozo, Lozogo del Pietro, Novoro, and Zokoro (all
international variants of his original product his Blood Vitalizer that he
claimed as the "Old Swiss German Remedy" popular for over 100
years. Believe it or not the products were still being sold in 1984 by the
J. H. McLean Company of Garden City, NY. He had relatives in
Hagertown, MD also producing a long line of Fahrney medicines. Digger
Hi there, I have a 1970s Elvis Presley whiskey bottle, wanted to know if you might what it may be worth. Or if you can tell me where to look on the internet. Thank you.
Your is probably one of a set of decanter that
was made commemorating Elvis. You can check on Ebay for listings.
One dealer was offering "A rare SET of 6 ELVIS Whiskey Decanters from the
McKormick Distilling Company" These were in the original boxes.
He was asking $500 and with only hours to go no bids. Several others being
offered singly were bringing about $40-45 a piece. Digger
Dear sir, My son recently dug up a
bottle in our back yard while digging a 3 ft. deep hole while trying to sink our trampoline into the ground.
I know nothing about bottles but believe this one to be old. It is around 6 ins. in height, and is amber colored. In raised embossed letters to says
WESTFORD GLASS Co. across the top and below that it says WESTFORD CONN. On the back there is a raised embossed picture of what appears to be a wheat
stack standing up and a crossed pitch fork and rake below. There are no seams and when held up to a light several odd shaped air bubbles can be seen. The
bottom is flat and rough and appears to be bubbled on the inside. The neck of the bottle is around 1 in. high and has no lip on it. While cleaning it out a
dried yellow caked mass came out. There are no water stains inside or outside of the bottle. If you can give me any info about this bottle and/or any
history about the Westford Glass Co., and if this has any value I would like to hear from you. Thank you in advance for your time and information.
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The Westford Glass Works in Westford Connecticut was in business from 1857-1873. they blew a variety of bottles and flasks, such as quart ink bottles, demijohns up to five gallon capacity, Schnapps bottles, porter bottles, along with preserve jars. Your bottle comes in olive amber, reddish amber, pale green and deep olive green. The Sheaf of grain with a rake and pitchfork crossed beneath the sheaf decorate one side and the name of the glass company appear on the reverse. At the right are two smooth based varieties. Yours, with the sheared plain sounds like it has an open pontil from your description. It would be a GXIII-35 probably. Value of this flask would be over one hundred dollars. Digger |
Hello, found my first old bottle the other day, I think I got the bottle bug.
Bear with me, this is new for me. It is aqua green, 7" tall, blob top with metal fastener around
neck, rusted badly ,missing cap. Seams run length wise (two) but stop at top.
The inscription in the glass is as follows: H.Schmidtmann / No 413 / E.24th St /
New York opposite this on the other side are two big letters: S M unfortunately it is broken but still
unusual for me. Any idea on the date or info on this company? Thanks, Bob R. Ct.
Almost certainly to be a blob soda bottle from 1880-1900
time period. I was not able to locate a reference to the company.
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I dug up a bottle yesterday it's The Great South American Nervine Tonic and
Stomach and Liver Cure, the color is haze and it's shaped like a Warner's Safe,
I have been unable to locate any listing on this bottle any help would be
appreciated. If you need more information on the bottle or if you need a
picture of it please let me know.
Your bottle is listed in Agee's Book Collecting All Cures. He lists it as super great. Since that book was written more examples have been found. One of the problems with this bottle that yours does not appear to have is that they are usually embossed very lightly and often are hard to read. You will also be surprised to learn that this is an Indiana bottle, Crawfordsville, Indiana to be precise. The patent and label was issued in 1886 to Elliot Detchon, a physician, pharmacist and the manufacturer of this fine cure bottle. Digger |
I am looking for info. on a bottle that is maybe a soda bottle. sorry I don't have a scanner because it would help you. The bottle is brown glass 9oz. pat'd Apr 2 1929 pat. 30009 and has a 1" six point star on bottom. the label is "UNCLE JO" "IN BROWN BOTTLE" it three deep horz.bands/ribs ,14 vert.ribs at bottom and near top. can you ID AND VALUE. THANKS, TOM IN TEXAS
Your bottle is a soda. The bottle is supposed to be a barrel (for root beer). There is a white and yellow label Uncle Jo Root Beer which is what yours sounds like. Yours might be earlier. You do not mention if the label is painted or embossed. My information is limited but suggests the company was in Pennsylvania in the 1920-30 period. Later bottles with the name UNCLE JO are known in clear 7 and 9 oz sizes. In the 1940-50s the company was located in Texas. Value I'm guessing at $10-15. Digger
Hello,
I hope you still maintain this e-mail address. I
am working with a large historic archaeology site in N. California and have been
able to identify many of the bottles being excavated. However, I am not
clear on the time period when bottles with interior threads were being
manufactured. I do not have the actual closure, but the bottle has been
mold blown and the lip finished with three interior threads. It is a
whiskey bottle "WILMERDING-LOEWE CO. KELLOGS/SAN FRANCISCO." with the
logo WL CO in script on the back. Any info. you can offer about the use of
interior screw caps would be greatly appreciated.
Wilmerding-Loewe Co. produced a number of whiskey bottles. Largely bourbon bottles in the cylinder whiskey style. The presence of an inside screw-thread is most unusual, but is listed for a bottle embossed "Kellogg's / Nelson County / Extra / Kentucky Bourbon / Whiskey / W.L. Co. (monogram) / Agents - W. L. Co., 11 3/4" tall, smooth based with a tooled lip. While the inside screw thread was patented in the 1860s, I do not believe that this bottle is that old. More typically you find this inside thread on whiskeys of the late 1880-1890 period. I am basing this both on experience the style of the bottle and the presence of a tooled rather than applied lip. Digger
I just need information. I have snuff bottles brown in color with
2 dots on the bottom of the bottle. I have snuff bottles brown in
color with 3 dots on the bottom of the bottle. I have a set of snuff
glasses. Could you give a address or could you give me a ball park
price of the above items. ? Thank you Virginia Thomas
Your snuff bottles sound to be of the
1880+ period. Both the amber color and the presence of the dot on base
suggest this. Collectors of these generally like the crudely made earlier
bottles from the Pre-Civil era. Yours are worth $8-10 a piece in mint
condition. I have no clue about the snuff glasses. Digger.
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