May 2000 Questions

Digger Odell Publications ©2000

I recently purchased a PROTECTOR fruit jar at an auction it is  9 and a half inches tall 6 sided with a ground lip in excellent condition  the Kovels Bottle Book lists it at $165.00 is this an accurate price?

The $165 sounds quite high to me.  The rarest is the pint size which sells for $200-300.  There are four variants of this jar, but none of the quart and larger sell for over $75 typically and possibly less without the lid.  The jar is not rare.

I got this bottle (with 7 others) at a garage sale and am curious about it's value. The bottle is 7 & 1/2" tall, 2 & 1/3" in diameter. It has HAUSBURG on one side and C. H Hausburg, Blueisland, ILL. on the other side. At the bottom below Ill. is A C W L. On the very bottom is CHH. Enclosed is several pictures of the bottle along with a note that was inside of it. If the bottle is of any value? How do I go about selling it? What is it's age? Anything you can tell me about it.. Thank you for any assistance you may be able to provide. Ken Bozeman Seems like someone did some of the research for you.  The Note indicates the bottle is a product of Charles H. Hausburg in business from 1871-1932.  What I can ad to you knowledge is 1) The bottle style is called a Hutchinson Soda, so called for the patented stopper named after the inventor (by the way a Chicago soda manufacturer.)  2) Hutchinson soda bottles date from 1892-1914.  3) Value-wise: the bottle is obviously a dug bottle (note the heavy staining).  Chicago has hundreds of different hutches. (Blue Island is a city a short distance from Chicago).  Most Hutches similar to yours sell for $8-10. Ebay would be one place to sell the bottle.

Digger, I dug two cobalt blue bottles out of an old dump dating around 1910. they are 3 In. tall, rectangular with rounded edge`s and bottom. They are made to lie on their sides. The mold seam does not go to the top of the lip. The embossment reads "B. P. Co." above A circle which has two "P"s in it. The first P is turned backwards to the second one. The bottles are in good cond. Could you tell me if they are poison bottles? Also their value. Thanks. Charles

Your little bottle dates around the turn of the century.  they are fairly common, but collectible and sell easily because of their color.  The letters B.P. Co. Stand for Brunswick Pharmacal Company better known as Johnson & Johnson, 100 Williams St  New Brunswick, NJ and 47 Franklin St., NYC (1905).  They contained Johnson's Digestive Tablets, for dyspepsia, and indigestion.  Your bottle was made well into the machine made era with screwtop variants being common.  The value of these is about $8-10. Digger

Dear Sir: Today I purchased a "Apple Pie Ridge" pure apple cider vinegar bottle. It is suppose to be a PA. product Here is a description of the bottle: A clear bottle, 5 3/4 inches, with embossed lettering Apple Pie Ridge pure apple cider vinegar, ABM, pour lip w/ handle, small chip on underside of lip, recessed bottom, and 16 ribs on bowl of bottle. Gentleman that sold it to us said it is a rare bottle, but I'm not sure if I should believe him or if he is laughing all the way to the bank. Thank you for any help you can give us on this purchase. Sally

Sally,  I don't think the bottle is too rare as I was able to find two listed for sale.  Both had bids around $9.00.  The bottle is attractive and almost certainly a competitor of the White House vinegar products sold in jugs that are very similar.  I would estimate the date to be in 1930s.  Digger.

pixDear Mr. Odell, I recently dug this bottle in a turn of the century pit. I know nothing about, but it sounds good. Dr. Yarnell's Gold Cure for Alcoholism. Has no origin on the bottle, but I heard it might be from Michigan. Do you have any information and a value estimation to contribute. Thanks

Your bottle is listed in one of Agee's Cure books and he suggests it might be from Michigan.  I was not able to verify that fact.  There is another variant of the bottle known, but not listed that has the words "Special Tonic" in place of "for Alcoholism".  The shape and embossing are very similar to the Keely's Gold Cure For Drunkeness which routinely sell for $100+.  Your bottle is probably rarer than the Keely's.  It is possibly that the Yarnell's bottle changed it's embossing because of a lawsuit.  The Keely bottle's unique shape was patented in the 1880s.  I suspect your bottle to date about the same time.  Value is tough.  It depends upon how many of the major cure collectors have the bottle.  I'd guess $50-75, but that might be a low estimate.  Digger

Dear sir, We have an old bottle we were wanting to get some info on. It is a Crisco jar. We have never seen one before and everyone we have asked has never seen one. It is a round, clear jar. It says Crisco on it four times towards the top of the jar on the sides. Each Crisco word is encircled with an oval shape. It has a texture feel on the top and the bottom of the jar. It looks to have a screw on lid. The jar has two seams down each side that run from top to bottom. In between the textured parts of the jar, it is smooth. On the bottom of the jar is some lettering and numbers. I read them as SO43 or 5043. There is also a number 28 and a couple of letters. The letter B and the letter A. The letter A has some kind of marking around it that looks like a field goal shape. These numbers and letters run parallel on top of each other with a little space in between. If you have any information for me please let me know. We are curious on how old this jar is and when it was used. Thank you, Claudia Trout

Crisco has been around since 1911.  During WWII, they began to manufacture their product in glass containers after 30 years of being sold in tin.  You can see, What I believe is your jar in this link.  Most likely your jar dates to the 1940-50 period.  Digger

I have a pre-1900's bottle with wire "stopper" that has raised lettering "Leonard Voos, Natchez, Miss." The man I bought it from called it a "Hutchison bottle" and said it was an old coke bottle. Can you tell me anything about it or send me in the right direction?

I have serious doubts about your bottle being a coke bottle.  Hutchinson soda's date to the 1890s and there were a few with Coca Cola embossed on them but none that I know of from Mississippi.  In fact, I could not find any coke bottling company from Natchez prior to 1920.  Check out my comment about the Blue Island Hutchinson soda above.  Digger.

Hi my name is Cathie I live in Florida. My husband is a commercial diver and found an interesting bottle under about 5 feet of sand here. I have found out it is black glass. It's very dark almost black but if you backlight it you can see its actually green darker on the bottom and lighter as it goes to the top. It appears to be similar to the second bottle in this picture I borrowed from another site. Except the top is one solid band. There are swirl lines going up, and two small bubbles the size of sesame seeds. There are no seams. Could you tell me anything about it. I am not a collector or anything, just curious. TIA Cathie Dorman

Hi my name is Cathie I live in Florida. My husband is a commercial diver and found an interesting bottle under about 5 feet of sand here. I have found out it is black glass. It's very dark almost black but if you backlight it you can see its actually green darker on the bottom and lighter as it goes to the top. It appears to be similar to the second bottle in this picture I borrowed from another site. Except the top is one solid band. There are swirl lines going up, and two small bubbles the size of sesame seeds. There are no seams. Could you tell me anything about it. I am not a collector or anything, just curious. TIA Cathie Dorman Cathie, Your bottle is very common.  They were ale bottles.  Many were imported from England others made in this country.  The dark color was meant to protect the contents.  Value is $5-10.  Digger.

Have a old beer bottle ceramic cap its registered it says this bottle not to be sold name on bottle John  Gebhardt Boston Mass can you tell me if it has any value?

I was not able to find any reference to your bottle as a beer bottle.  You do not mention the color of the bottle.  It is possibly a soda if it is aqua instead of amber. I'd guess a value of $8-15 for a blob top bottle, less for a crown top.  Digger

 

Dear Digger I have just picked this bottle up in a local market and would appreciate your comments on it. It is marked "W&Co, NY", Dark amber in colour, pontilled base. It has some wear to base consistent with use and this wear is also visible on some of the points of the pineapple's sides. Look forward to your comments Regards Richard Richard, Your bottle is typically called a Pineapple bitters, There are three varieties of this bottle with yours being the most common.  Common in this case does not imply little value.  the bottle in perfect condition in amber sells these days for $400-500. The same bottle comes in aqua, topaz, blue green, yellow loive and olive green all of which sell for much more than the amber ones.   Very little is known about the history of these bottles.  One pineapple bottle, smooth based is known with a label for Brown's Iron Bitters.  Digger

 

Hello Digger, I have a pontiled B L FAHNSTOCKS. All the ones that I have seen are B A FAHNSTOCKS. Is this a variant or a mistake? Any information on this bottle and value would be appreciated. I also was inquiring about another bottle. It is aqua, just over 4" tall, cylinder shape, open pontil, thin flare lip, embossed vertically T W DYOTT. It is near mint with only slight haze and loaded with bubbles. If you could give me any help on the age and value, I would appreciate it. Thanks for a wonderful site and resource for my hobby, Barry Graham.

The inventor of Fahnstock's Vermifuge was Benjamin A. Fahnstock a druggist in Pittsburgh, PA.  In the 1840s.  B.L. Fahnstock was, I believe, a son of Benjamin.  He is listed as late of the firm of B.A. Fahnstock & Company about 1857. No mistake on your bottle and it is much less common than the BA variant.  You do not give me much of a description so I am not sure how to value your bottle.  

Thomas W. Dyott, might properly be termed the father of patent medicines in America.  He was born in England and settled in Philadelphia as early as 1807.  By 1825 he was heavily advertising his long list of medicines all over the country.  He purchased the Kensington Glass Works which possibly produced your bottle which could have contained Dr. Dyott's Infallible Toothache Drops, sold in vials for $.50.  The business was carried on by his son, Thomas J. Dyott.  

You can learn more about both of these in my book Pontil Medicine Encyclopedia.
Digger

 

Hello and thank you for your time, unfortunately through the death of an older woman friend I need to get some information on a series of bottles there are 12 - they represent the 12 days of Christmas - they are all different colors - they are dated from 1970 to 1981. they are all marked " FNB " - which I think may be the letters of a Bank name that gave out the bottles but I’m not sure. could you give me information on this series of bottles and if they have a book value? Thanks so much and Warm Regards, Gail

I found no listing for these bottles.  I did find you were selling them on Ebay and had two bids at a value of about $2.00 each.  I would think a complete collection would be unusual to find.  Let us know what they go for.  Digger

Hi,
 I have two lamps, one an antique and one a reproduction.  I want to clean the oil out of them and use them to display small items, buttons, etc.  I am having a hard time getting the smell of the oil out of the bottles and the wick holder part.  I have used soapy water Dawn Dish)
and vinegar.  I still have the smell, got any suggestions? Thanks for your help.

I would suggest that you might try the Dawn with some other agent like kitty litter, BBs, sand or some other abrasive even steel wool on a coat hanger to scrub off the residue.  You could try a stronger solvent, possibly acetone. Digger

These bottles have been found...Caldwell's Syrup Pepsin MFD By Pepsin Syrup Company, Monticello, Illinois, Dr. Miles Heart treatment, Raleigh, Extract of Smart Weed (my favorite name) RV Pierce MD Buffalo NY Thank You    Keith N. Gillis  

Sounds like a turn of the century find.  I believe you will find more about Caldwell and Miles in other months of "Questions I Get". All are common, except the Extract of Smart Weed which is scarce.  It is the rarest Dr. Pierce Bottle.  The story behind the Smart Weed is the customer would buy a dozen bottles and drink the contents.  Noting no improvement, the customer was urged to buy another dozen.  When the same result was obtained, the customer bought no more.  Hence proving he had gotten smarter.  Actually an analysis done by the American Medical association showed the Smart Weed Extract to be habit forming. It contained opium. Digger

Hi Digger; A friend found an old Ben Her mustard jar, with screw on lid, here in southern rural Nevada, and was wondering about it's value! Thanks, :-)  Janet

Janet, I was not able to locate any information on your mustard jar, but I would not expect it to have a great value.  Perhaps $1-3.  Digger

Dear Digger Look forward to your comments regarding the Pineapple bottle I posted on your Question and Answer page earlier. But this is another bottle recently found and has caused a real headache in researching. So far no one can tell me anything about it. It's a dark green colour, as you can see from the picture, and has a huge pontil scar to the bottom. Lots of whittle marks but overall condition is excellent. I would appreciate any information you can give me regarding this item. Best regards Richard

Dear Digger Look forward to your comments regarding the Pineapple bottle I posted on your Question and Answer page earlier. But this is another bottle recently found and has caused a real headache in researching. So far no one can tell me anything about it. It's a dark green colour, as you can see from the picture, and has a huge pontil scar to the bottom. Lots of whittle marks but overall condition is excellent. I would appreciate any information you can give me regarding this item. Best regards Richard Interesting form Richard, it is probably what you might term a globular wine.  Here's my thinking on this piece.  First it was probably made in the 1840-50 period based on the fact that the bottle first, pontiled and second embossed.  Earlier bottles would have had an applied seal.  I cannot tell from the picture but it is almost certain to have been made in a two piece mold.  I am going to guess it might be Continental, possibly Scottish, but that is a guess.  Digger

Hey Digger, I have a bottle which is brown, very round and has the name Korbeline embossed on the side. It is about 10 inches tall. I'm sure it isn't worth anything, but I have been trying to find out for years.... just what was Korbeline?? Would appreciate any help. Thank you, Vicky

Vicky,  I checked every source I could and came up empty except for  an auction selling the same bottle as you describe.  Given the type of bottle, the color and the name, I expect it is some kind of chemical compound likely dating from 1900-1920, but that is only a guess.  Digger.

Hello Mr. Odell As a beginner collector I find your web-site and books to be very informative, as well as interesting.  They greatly aide me in my bottle collecting knowledge. I have a question for you in the hopes that you may be of help to me.  Many of the bottles in my collection are embossed with letters and numbers on the bottom. There are some that have a combination of numbers and letters, while others just have one letter or number embossed.  Are these trademarks?, if so, can these markings be used to find out the maker and the age of the bottles? Any information you can give me will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your help. Sincerely, Matthew M. MacBride

In a majority of the cases you will find the numbers are mold numbers or to identify specific blowing machines.   Sometimes the numbers refer to the size or capacity of the bottle.  Other kinds of  marks were often for identifying  the glass company itself.  The marks would not be usually be trademarks.  The presence of such marks often indicate a newer bottle such marks did not appear in great number prior to the 1890s.  Digger

 

Hi Digger, I am writing to ask if you can possibly help me to find a web site that offers info on identifying bottles, such as what they may have contained. I am an amateur collector, I collect only for my own pleasure, not concerned with the value just the history. One specific bottle I just found is shaped like a teddy bear , clear glass , maybe four inches high, not old but terribly cute! Has Snowcrest beverages inc. Salem, Mass. on the bottom of bottle.   I have many other bottles that I would like to find more info on so if you can help that would be wonderful!         Thank you Heather  Lee Your bottle is a bank.  It had a screw on lid with a coin slot. The 7 inch tall syrup bottle was sold  for people to make their own beverage. The item is probably from the 40's and 50's. On the bottom it says Snowcrest Beverages Inc,Pat Pend by MFRD. Salem Mass. Digger

 

Dear Mr.. Odell-- I found your name at antiquebottles.com and wonder if you would help me with the identification of a bottle I've recently acquired. it is a 10 oz. bottle with the following on it: mineral waters e.l. Newsome's ltd. trade mark Blackpool in the middle of it all is a bird with wings spread, with something that looks like a medal of some sort hanging from its beak. the bottle has 2 chambers; the top chamber has a ball of either stone or metal (i think) which acts as a stopper when the bottle is tilted a certain way. when the bottle is tilted another way, the ball is trapped in the upper chamber and liquid can flow freely. on the bottom is a symbol i can't reproduce on the computer, plus it says: 10 oz 11A2 33

are you able to help me (I do know that there is a Blackpool in England)?  I'm also interested in information re:  "privy digging."  do you know anything about this?  I think I've found an old privy site on my brother's property.  there is a circular wall made of stones that we originally thought was an old well, but I've come to think it's too big (in diameter) to have been a well.  I can't tell you how deep the wall goes.  if I took a picture, would you be able to tell if it might be a privy?  if this is not your area of expertise, do you know someone who might be able to help me? I hope these questions are not an imposition, and I'd like to thank you in advance for any help you can give me. sincerely, Tammy Fischbach

Tammy, Blackpool, England was a very popular resort community on the coast.  It featured a nice beach and amusements.  Your bottle is a Codd marble soda bottle probably made about 1880-1900 for the tourist trade.  You can see pictures of various types of Codd bottles in other months of "Questions I Get" on this website.  The addition of the picture of the bird probably improves it value.  Many Codd bottles were imported into the US over the last thirty years.  I'd guess the value in the States around $20-25.
As for the well or privy, it is unlikely that a privy shaft would have been left open for reasons you can image. I feel fairly certain you are seeing a well.  A copy of my Secrets of Privy Digging might give you more idea about where to look and what to look for.  Digger.

I have a couple of glass bottles They have raised lettering the first one reads "ALBERT KING, GLARIDGE, PA. The second one reads THE FAMOUS BOTTLE WORKS JEANNETTE,PA. REGISTERED. They are 6.75 Inches high and are BIM with a Blob top. No dates on them. Can you tell me what they are? Also the have metal pull stoppers on them with a rubber washer type plug located inside the bottle. Thanks alot for any help. John

John, your bottles are soda bottles and sound, from your description like Hutchinson sodas.  (See the picture at the top of this page.)  They date to the turn of the century.  The Jeannette Glass Company is well know for pattern and depression glass.  Digger

I BOUGHT A LOG CABIN SYRUP BOTTLE AT A YARD SALE. ONE SIDE HAS THE STATUE OF LIBERTY AND THE PHRASE "GIVE ME YOUR TIRED, YOUR POOR, YOUR HUDDLED MASSES." THE BOTTOM HAS THE WORDS LOG CABIN SYRUP AND THE CABIN PICTURE. IT ALSO HAS AN ARROW AND THE LETTERS "S" AND "3G". THE TOP IS A SCREW ON THAT IS SUPPOSE TO LOOK LIKE A CORK. I CAN NOT FIND A DATE ON IT ANYWHERE. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFO. THAT WILL LET ME KNOW ITS VALUE IT WILL BE APPRECIATED. THANKS.

These bottles were made for the Bicentennial in 1976.  they were special bottles, part of the "Collector's Flask" series.  Quite a number of different motifs can be found including Benjamin Franklin, and Indian, patriots, American Eagle, Liberty Bell and a log cabin.  They appear to have been made both in amber and clear glass all had screwtops with a cap painted to look like a cork.  They have little value selling for $1-2.  Most do not have their original label.  Digger

Hi Digger: Do you have any information on the following snuff bottle:Wide mouth ( 1"), 5" tall, rectangular with beveled corners Deep cobalt with smooth base Embossed "OTTO LANDSBERG & CO'S /"BEROEMDE SNUIF"/CELEBRATED SNUFF.On the reverse near the base "CAPETOWN" The bottle was purchased in Arizona, I can't find any info. on it. Hope you can help, thanks, Bryan Grapentine in Phoenix, Arizona

Bryan, I have never seen a cobalt snuff.  They are almost always olive green or amber.  I would guess your bottle to be South African, possibly of Dutch manufacturer.  It sounds like a dandy bottle.  I'd guess it might bring several hundred dollars or more.  Digger.

Sir or Madam: would you be so kind as to suggest what one can use to clean glass bottles that have been in creek beds for decades. The black/dark brown to reddish brown residue is resistant to normal household chemicals. Thank you. Rod Penn, Zanesville, Ohio.

Rod, Try some rust remover compounds and elbow grease, if that does not do it, nothing short of a professional cleaning job will.  Digger

Hello Sorry to bother you, I know that you must get a ton of email, but I just recently came across your site and I'm hoping that you might be able to help me out. Several weeks ago I was in the Falmouth area of Virginia, digging in one of the Union camps from the winter of ' 62 - ' 63. I dug up a bottle that was in incredible condition. My son is in the archaeology program at the Univ. of Delaware and I recently gave it to him so that the director of the lab (who specializes in 18th and19th century) could have a look at it. Between his information and what I can see visibly, here is a description: The bottle is 6 1/2 inches tall and 2 1/8 inches across at the base It is aqua w/ moderate air bubbles, the glass is thin It has a very rough, somewhat sharp glass pontil at the base The main part of the bottle was formed in a two piece mold and the side seams stop below the neck of the bottle The bottle has raised lettering which reads: JOSEPH DAVIS'S HORSE LINIMENT The neck is smooth w/ no seams and the lip was done w/ a 3 piece lipping tool The overall condition of the bottle is excellent, although it is a little cloudy on part of the inside due to unstable glass

Although they had some very up to date and comprehensive books on file in the lab, they could not find anything pertaining to this particular bottle. I know that it is definitely period. But in regards to the product name, have you heard of it? Thanks Randy

Randy,  I have your bottle listed in my Pontil Medicine Encyclopedia.  The specimen I have listed is cylindrical and about 7" tall with a tapered collar.  I found only a single reference to this bottle in an ad in the Daily Alabama Journal, Montgomery, AL, Jan 25, 1853.  The bottle is extremely rare and I was not able to locate its origin.  Digger

Hi, I bought a bottle at a yard sale , It is 7.5 " and is clear ..but has started to turn purple. It has only the word Premier on it, and looks like a snake wrapped around the P. The base has a small square with an "o" in it and the #34 beside the square... I would just like to know a little something about this bottle...since it's the beginning of my collection. Thank You Karen

Karen, the bottle dates prior to 1900 but beyond that I cannot tell you much.  Sounds like a food bottle possibly an extract.  Maybe a reader can help.  Digger.

Dear Sir - I have collected cure bottles of and on for about twenty years. When I was in Salzsburg, Austria last summer I came upon a Warner’s safe kidney and bladder cure embossed with the word "Pressburg" which I was told was the old name of Vienna. Does anyone know a lot about Warners? Thanks Erick Forholt, Mt.Dora, Florida

Erick,  The Pressburg branch of the Warner operation was in business a very short time from about 1889 to 1892.  All the bottles with Pressburgh are rated as rare.  There are three variants and they come in various colors, amber, green and aqua.  None have the words Kidney and Bladder but they do say "Safe Cure" and have a similar appearance  to the typical Warner's bottle with the embossed safe.  They sell for $1000+ in amber.  I sure hope you bought the bottle. I checked the name Pressburg my source said that was the German name for the Czechoslovakian city of Bratislava on the Danube River.   Digger.

HELLO THERE! I HAVE A BOTTLE OF DR.PEPPER THAT HAS NEVER BEEN OPEN, THAT HAS A FLOATING WHITE ANGEL INSIDE, IT'S A PLASTIC ANGEL. IT IS VERY OLD BUT I CAN NOT DISTINGUISH THE DATE. IT HAS RED AND WHITE WRITING ON IT AND IS ABOUT 10 INCHES OR LESS HIGH. I WAS WONDERING HOW MUCH IT WOULD BE WORTH, OR HOW I COULD FIND OUT. I ALSO HAVE AN APPOLO 13 LIQUOR STATUE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN OPEN AND STILL HAS THE SEAL ON IT , BUT THE SEAL IS SLOWLY DISSOLVING AWAY, HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK? I HAVE LOTS OF RC COLA AND PEPSI BOTTLES THAT STILL HAVE THE SODA IN THEM AND THE ORIGINAL PAINTING ON THEM. PLEASE WRITE ME BACK THANK YOU. CRYSTAL HALL

Crystal, your Dr. Pepper bottle could not be that old with a plastic angel inside. I have no idea of value on such an item.  the Apollo bottle is probably worth $10-15.  You would do best to put the bottle on Ebay if you wanted to sell them.  Digger.

Hi Digger, Just dug a CLARKE'S WORLD FAMED BLOOD MIXTURE with measuring lines, back of bottle flat. It's a 3 paneled bottle in ice blue, it's 7 1/2 inches tall and BIMAL. One panel says CLARKE'S, front panel says WORLD FAMED BLOOD MIXTURE, other panel says LINCOLN. It is in mint condition. Is this bottle American or an English bottle?? Also what would the bottle be worth. Thanks, Jerry Tennant

Your bottle is English and not rare.  It comes in that attractive ice blue or cornflower blue color.  I have seen one in a size larger than yours which is the most common size.  They are very pretty.  Digger.

I found a bottle that is shaped like a banana with both ends going up and a flat bottom. Both ends are open and has a lip on each end like a Pepsi bottle. On the top is the word "EMARCO". Under it is the word "FEEDER" and above it is the word "hygienic". On one side it has a line scale that says "ounces" and on the other side it has a line scale that says "table-spoons". It's a clear bottle about 6" long. Any idea on what it was used for and the value. thanks, G.R. Bloomer

The first double ended feeder was patented in England in 1896 and they were made by various companies through 1960.  These were never widely used in the United States although some may have been sold here.  The bottle is known at the Banana shape, boat shape or twins bottle.  The fittings consisted of a pull-on rubber nipple and a rubber stopper or cap.  I suspect the design was touted as easy to clean.  Reportedly the bottle was very difficult to use because the vent had to be frequently adjusted.  They were made in four and eight ounce sizes.  I have no good yardstick by which to judge the value of these but would expect yours with a name to be in the $15-20 range.  Digger.

Hello Digger. I am hoping you will be able to give me an idea of the current market value for three bottles I have dug from privy's. I also have a question about your thoughts on prices in general. A "B. Bick" cobalt soda bottle round w/iron pontil, Milk glass Tear Drops eyeball flask, and the third one I am not sure about. It is 6 sided and resembles a cathedral pepper sauce bottle but it has many deep set panels with acorns on them. It is a smooth base with a drippy applied lip. On the base it says WMCC & Co. I have checked ebay and haven't found anything on the first two. I am in the market for a better price guide so you will receive an order from me shortly. I am also wandering why the current price guide I am using, a very popular one, seems to be high in estimated values. For example, a bears oil lists for 125 dollars and on ebay last week a perfect one sold for 28.00. I know that supply and demand dictate price and was thinking that with the incredible presence and accessibility of items on ebay only the rarest bottles are holding their price while semi-rare bottles are falling off. In other words, with the tons of people selling on ebay, what used to be thought of as rare is now much more common and worth less because of it. Thanks for your time, Eddie. Coil Swingin', Field Cleanin', Bank Scrapin', Sifter Shakin', Ground Probin', Crapper Diggin', Master of the Find and Keeper of the Booty !!!

Eddie, The Bick soda is a Cincinnati, OH soda and not common.  There are three variants one of which is not pontiled and the bottle is known in aqua as well.  The twelve-sided bottle is the best of the group and I am assuming yours is the round variant.  One source suggests a value of $200-300.  The Milk glass flask, I assume is the one with an eye embossed.  Known as the "Eye Opener", it usually brings about $90-100.  The acorn cathedral peppersauce sells in the $15-20 range.  

Bottles are not like coins in pricing. At the last bottle show I was at.  I had a bottle on my table for sale and was asked by fellow what I wanted for it.  I suggested $80 and he said well there was one on that table over there for $150 and one on another table for $50.   Prices as found in most general Mall book store price guides are either 1) someone's opinion or 2) dealer asking prices.  The accuracy of the first first scenario depends entirely upon the person giving the opinion.  With regard to the second situation, dealer asking prices are always higher than dealer selling prices.  My price guides are actual selling prices (but they too are probably inflated) as the typical seller will not be able to get that good a price because the typical seller does not get the bottle seen by enough people or the right people.  Your assessment of Ebay prices is probably fairly accurate.  When bottles first started selling on Ebay people were over paying for common bottles.  When the supply exceeded the demand the price went down.  Take your B. Bick bottle, for example, I expect you could find many people to pay $50 for it.  Many fewer would be willing to pay $150 for it. All of the soda collectors in Cincinnati who want the bottle already have it. Getting the above price means finding the one or two people willing to pay "what it is worth." A bottle (or anything else for that matter) is only worth what you can get someone to pay for it.

Obviously, condition also makes a great difference as well.  At the same bottle show mentioned above I met a fellow who had asked me via email about a soda bottle he wanted to sell.  I suggested it was worth $500.  He sold it for $1200.  Why, because it was an attic bottle.  Most of the sodas being offered for sale are dug bottles with all the imperfections one finds on dug bottles, stain, dings, scratches and a pontil without any of the iron residue left.  This bottle was perfect and so brought a premium from a serious collector. As for the Bear's Oil bottle sold on Ebay for $28 (I'd have gladly paid that price, I just wasn't logged on) I expect there are many collectors who would pay $28 for a mint specimen.  At the $125 dollar price you'd be hard pressed to find anyone these days.  Probably several hundred good specimens of bear's oil bottles survived.  It doesn't surprise me that someone paid that much.  I'd say the supply had just outstripped the demand.   Price on Ebay are returning to what the market will bear.  Digger

Find out how much your bottles are worth.  Order a copy of Digger Odell's Bitters Price Guide, Volume 2.

I would appreciate any information on an old liquor bottle. It's a firetruck Mooseheart Spirit of 76 O M B no.33 1974 Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Royal Halburton China. It's never been opened. Any information you can give us sure would be appreciated. Thanks

I cannot give you a price.  I found a number of Halburton bottles for sale, but not yours.  There were not a lot on bids on any except one.  the asking prices ranges from $5-22.  The one with a number of bids was bringing $18. I would think the contents would add to the value.  There is another bottle by the same company with Mooseheart name.  Digger.

I have several bottles I am curious about prices one is a Heinz ladies leg bottle with 12 sides has the # 158 on the bottom an H.J. Heinz is just visible it must have had a cork top its clear and very slender any info?? Thank-you MCG257 I could not locate the specific number on the base of your bottle, but from the description is sounds a lot like one of the ketchup bottles.  The bottle shown at the left was used about 1900.  By 1920 the Heinz numbering system had used numbers up to the 400s.  Digger

 

Mr Odell, I am wondering about a bottle I have acquired. Aqua, Torpedo? with bulging center, 8" tall, ABM, crown top, no closure, bottom stamped MT.L. Origin, Reading, PA area? Very heavy. Pics included. Any ideas? Worth? Phillip McGee Phillip, my guess is a soda bottle made in the 1920s-30 period.  The form is unusual, (the 20-30s gave rise to many innovative bottle designs in the soda category.) but with the embossing on the base, the value is very limited unless you can pinpoint the location and find someone locally interested. the lettering on the base is almost certainly the proprietors initials but it is not much to go on.  Maybe a reader can help.  Digger

 

HELLO, RECENTLY WHILE DIGGING IN MY BACK YARD I FOUND A SMALL BOTTLE THAT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN USED AS A CONTAINER FOR 3 IN 1 OIL. THE SIDES STATE THAT. ON THE BOTTOM IS THE # 17 CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THAT MEANS AND IS IT WORTH ANYTHING? THANKS TIM.

I addressed this question about this bottle in the March 2000, "Questions I Get."  The bottle is very common. The three in one slogan was three uses? in one oil.  Digger

I have a Kessler's that is still sealed with a metal screw cap with the paper seal still intact. It does not have smooth as silk on the label and i know they have used that slogan for more than 50 yrs.. The labels are in very very good condition. The label says blended by Julius Kessler distilling co. Inc, Lawrenceburg, Indiana. It also has a Michigan tax stamp. The bottle was made by anchor hocking ,# d126. The internal revenue # on the seal is 15a4072454. Could you tell me how old this bottle is and its worth. Thank you for your time, Robert Bouche.

Robert, The presence or absence of the wording "Federal Law Prohibits the Resale or Reuse of this Bottle," can help determine the age.  Those words were required on all bottles made between 1932-1964.  No bottles were made during prohibition.  the Internal Revenue Service began issuing tax stamps on liquor in 1894.  Your bottle if it lacks the wording above must be between 1894-1918 or 1964-2000. 

Have recently purchased a salesman's traveling kit of J.R.Watkins Products. This contains sample bottles of vanilla as well as several large bottles of his veterinary lotion, Family liniment. All the bottles have cork tops and the writing on bottles are raised. If you have any information on these bottles I'd love to here about them.

According to their website, " JR Watkins, developed his "Red Liniment" (the first product he sold in 1868), he created an enduring pain relief formula--a formula before its time. He mixed it up by hand in a vat, blending such varied ingredients as camphor, capsicum (red peppers), oil of spruce and other botanicals in an invigorating alcohol-based rub."  

Joseph Watkins, at age 28, purchased the rights to manufacturer and sell medicines compounded by one Dr. Richard Ward of Cincinnati.  Of the medicines he purchased, the liniment, formerly known as Ward's Liniment.  Originally he mixed up the stuff in kitchen and peddled it from his buggy in a 50 mile radius from his home in Plainview, Minnesota. About 1885, he moved to Winona and the company was called the Joseph R. Watkins Medical Co. He used teams of salesmen on wagons and eventually erected a two-story factory. In the 1890s he opened branches in San Francisco and later in Memphis, Baltimore, and New York.  

Personally based on the observations of excavated bottles from this company the products did not become widely accepted until around the turn of the century.  They are famous for the "Trial Mark", still the company's trade mark which is embossed in the glass.  If a customer found the product not to his liking he could  return it for a refund if the contents were not below the "Trial Mark."  Your kit sounds simply wonderful and must be quite rare.  In 1905, the company was advertising a veterinary ointment (apparently different from your bottle) and more than a dozen other products, but not the ones you list. The earliest I  found a listing for the Veterinary Lotion was in the 1912 Druggist Circular. Digger

Hello Digger, Just found a bottle here in the Florida Keys that I can't find any info on. I have one already that is green, but this one is amber colored. It is 12 inches tall, with a sheared top and a ring lip, a very high kickup, and the round seal on the shoulder is embossed "St. JULIEN MEDOC". Do you know anything about this bottle? Thanks, Dennis

Your bottle is a wine bottle, Bordeaux red wine to be exact.  The seal identifies the specific maker and region.  The maker is of town of St. Julien  located in southwestern France near Bordeaux.  The Medoc is a pennisula famous for wine making even from ancient times. "In the Médoc more so than anywhere else without doubt, the idea of cru is essentially linked to that of the vineyard and the property. The cru is the "seal", the private name, the birthright of each vine-grower to whom it has been handed down in the classical tradition. These crus (classés, bourgeois and artisans) have for long been grouped into families. The 1855 Classification of Gironde wines made official a hierarchy which had already been firmly established by practice. For the term "Cru Classé", created in the Médoc, existed well before 1855. The classification, which developed gradually as from the second half of the eighteenth century, remained an internal reference until 1855, used by the brokers alone as an indication of the range of wine prices before being brought to public attention at the time of the Universal Exhibition.
This 1855 classification - completed in 1973 with the 1973 classification for the First Growths - is a base reference, establishing an evaluation of the Médoc crus; it also serves as a model imitated by the other Bordeaux appellations....To be entitled to the controlled Label of origin Saint-Julien, the red wines must: - to come from the commune of Saint-Julien and well delimited pieces of the communes from Cussac and the St. Lawrence."  About 6% of the wines from the Medoc come from this commune.

Determining the exact age of your bottle can be done by examining it from mold seams and the method of manufacture. The presence of the applied seal in this case cannot be used to date the bottle based on the above information.  Digger

Hi: I have recently found a bottle at a garage sale Height = approx 12' tall base is 8" neck is 4" it is an amber colored bottle with a crown top i believe is BIMAL (SEAM GOES PARTIALLY UP NECK) TOP=CROWN HAS BOTH CURVED EMBOSSING AND EMBOSSING ON THE BOTTLE CURVED EMBOSSING READS: A.W. KENISON CO. EMBOSSING: BELOW COMPANY NAME READS : AUBURN, AND BELOW THAT READS: CAL. THE BOTTLE IS IN PERFECT CONDITION: EXCEPT IT HAS BUBBLES IN THE GLASS. I WAS WONDERING IF YOU HAVE EVER HEARD OF THIS COMPANY AND WHAT THEY BOTTLED?? I FOUND IN THE AUBURN CALIFORNIA VOTERS REGISTRY - AN "ALBERT WESTLEY KENISON" IN 1890. NOTHING ELSE WAS FOUND: CAN YOU GIVE ME ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION? THANKS FOR YOUR HELP JOHN BIDWELL

Your bottle is almost certainly a turn of the century beer bottle.  I base this primarily on the style and color.  Amber was almost always used for beer bottles.    My sources do not include the name you give.  I found about three companies in Auburn, CA doing business between 1855-1993, but yours was not listed.  Maybe a reader can shed more light on the mystery.  Since you apparently tried to locate some source materials you might try the local library or historical society for copies of city directories. If that does not yield any clues about the only course left woulod be research in old newspaper dating around 1900-1914.  Digger

I HAVE COME ACROSS A BOTTLE FROM ITALY. THIS BOTTLE IS WRAPPED IN LEATHER . IS THERE A VALUE LISTING FOR THIS TYPE OF BOTTLE? THANKS , HOLLY DURHAM

I wish I could help, but I have no idea.  Digger.

dear digger, I found an old coffin cobalt blue bottle at a local dump here in Maine. the bottle has poison embossed down the front w/little stars all around. it 3 3/4 inches tall with an m in a circle on the bottom.  Now i looked up the m and found this "cristales mexicanos, Monterey, Mexico. could you please let me know if i got lucky? tina

dear digger, I found an old coffin cobalt blue bottle at a local dump here in Maine. the bottle has poison embossed down the front w/little stars all around. it 3 3/4 inches tall with an m in a circle on the bottom.  Now i looked up the m and found this "cristales mexicanos, Monterey, Mexico. could you please let me know if i got lucky? tina Judging from your description, I would guess that the bottle pictured at the left is the bottle you found. the one at the left is 3 3/8" tall.  With the complete label and contents it sells for about $75-125. I am not sure about your referecne to Mexico and the "M".  the bottle shown is identified by the label as a product of the Norwich Pharmacal Company of Norwich, NY.  It dates to the turn turn of the century. Digger.

hey digger!! I have a clear bottle about 8 inches in height, and about 3 inches in diameter, it doesn’t have any straight edges, it is oval shape from left to right, and on the front it reads, "syrup of tar and cod liver oil, Boston mass." I have the Kovell's antique bottle price guide, and the closest thing I could find to it was just syrup of tar, but none with cod liver oil as well.... i was hoping you could help me find out how much that bottle is worth, and also it's a dug up bottle, but its in very good condition, considering it's been dug up....I know it's at least 70 years old, because there used to be a dump near my house over 70 years ago, and that is where I found it.....thanx for you help digger, write back please....Jeff manson, Lewiston Maine

Your bottle is possibly "Mortimer's Syrup of Tar and Cod Liver Oil Extract," produced by George Mortimer & Company, 212 Milk St. Boston, MA.  The company produced several articles, but the earliest reference I found to yours was 1913.  I would estimate the value at $5-10.

I WORK FOR A DEVELOPMENTAL DAY PROGRAM. OUR MAINTENANCE MAN FOUND A OLD BOTTLE FROM THE SOUTHEAST BOTTLING COMPANY OLD APPLETON, MO THE BOTTOM OF THE BOTTLE HAS APPLETON ON IT. MY HUSBAND HAS ASKED AROUND AS FAR BACK AS HIS CO-WORKERS CAN REMEMBER IS 1940'S. AND AT THE TIME THE BOTTLING COMPANY WAS LONG GONE. THIS BOTTLE IS IN FAIRLY GOOD SHAPE. IS THERE ANY WAY YOU COULD HELP OUR CLIENTS LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS OLD BOTTLE? THANK YOU, MY CAMP

Old Appleton, MO is a mighty small place.  According to their website, the population of Old Appleton is approximately 82. The approximate number of families is 28.  At sometime the name was changed from "Appleton" to "Old Appleton."  Knowing when that happened might help date your bottle.  I found a single reference to the Appleton Brewing Company (1906-1947) (sometimes called the Appleton Brewing & Ice Company circa 1908).  There could not have been too many bottling companies (your bottle is probably a soda not a beer).  the prime time for the proliferation of such concerns was between 1920-1950.  Sorry I can't be of more help.  Digger.

Hi I’m looking for information on 2 bottles and I’m not sure where to look or even start, so I’m hoping you can help me. The first bottle is a 4/5 quart clear long neck type bottle with embossing that says old Quaker and has a Quakers head and wheat embossed on it. The second is a soda bottle that has Southland sparkling beverages in white frosted type lettering and has Southland bottle Co. Paragould AR on the back. If you can help me any I would appreciate it. Thank you Sondra

Hello found a Old Quaker straight bourbon whiskey bottle. My in-laws got it for a wedding gift in 1939 It is a full btl with the Wisconsin tax seal on it. It has a picture of a Quaker man holding some oats on the back Would this btl have any value Thank you so much

Your Old Quaker bottle is a Product of The Old Quaker Distillery of Lawrenceburg, IN.  Yours sounds pretty new with the 4/5 qt.  The company, which may not still be in business was using the embossed picture on bottles made after about 1932 and through the 1950s. I was not able to find any reference to your soda bottle.  The label shown at the left is from a 1943 half pint Quaker Whiskey. Value with a label would be $10-15. Digger

 

My mother has a presidential figural bottle from 1968 and she wanted more information about it. It looks like an elephant, on one side it says REPUBLICAN at the bottom and there is a side picture of Nixon and it says NIXON 68' under the picture in a circle and then under the circle it says FOR PRESIDENT, and at the bottom it says CAMPAIGN. On the other side is a side picture Agnew and it says AGNEW 68' beneath the picture like the other side only it has VICE PRESIDENT. On the bottom it says WHEATON, N J; and under that it says first edition. the bottom is rectangular. The color is amber and it is BIM, it has a sloping collar. We would like to thank you for any information in advance.. or if you could help direct us in our search. Thank You Again

Your bottle is very common and can be found for sale on line almost every week.  This week the minimum bid on one just like yours is $5.50 with no takers so far.  I addressed this question in an earlier month.  Many thousands of these were produced. Digger

 

hey digger, me and my friend went digging again today and we found a few more bottles, anyway....we have this Pepsi-cola bottle that was not dug up, and we have the patent number dated back to 1871, but we are unsure if the bottle is that old, or if that's just when the design of the bottle was started....please help us find the value of this bottle digger.....it's 10 inches in height, and clear with Pepsi-cola embossed all the way around it going down to up, at the neck of the bottle, it is embossed 6 times around the bottle, also the original paper on the bottle is 85% intact, and the bottom of the bottle reads, "DES. PAT. 120,277"(UNDERNEATH THAT) "4 A 48"(UNDER THAT IS...)"6" WITH A TRIANGLE WITH AN R IN IT AND THEN A 4 OUTSIDE THE TRIANGLE, AND LAST ON THE BOTTOM, READS "414-A" signed Jeff manson

With the number 120,277 the bottle would have been registered by the Patent Office in 1941.  With an original label it would be considered scarce, I expect.  The bottle itself is very common and without a label they sell for $2-3.  I'd guess it might bring $10-15.  Digger

Hello, I don’t collect bottles but found one recently while arrowhead hunting. It is very small maybe 3 inches. on one side it says Dr. kings new life pills and on the other side Chicago ill. Sounds interesting, any info would be appreciated. mike

Mike, Your little bottle is a cute little patent medicine from the turn of the century. They are common.  The company that produced these pills was the H.E. Bucklen & Company of Chicago, Ill.  They were highly successful sellers of a number of well-known brands.  The biggest seller was their Dr. King's New Discovery, a cure for consumption (TB).  Another highly successful product of theirs was Electric Bitters.  Other product which never sold well were Dr. King's California Golden Compound. Dr. King's Hop Cordial and Dr. Scheeler's Great german Cure for Consumption..   Herbert E. Bucklen purchased the rights to the medicines from one Dr. Z.L. King of Elkhart Indiana about 1878 and moved to Chicago the next year.  He created name recognition by the expenditure of large sums on advertising in all types of media.  the New Life Pills were introduced in 1880 as a cure for stomach ailments. Did you find any Arrowheads?  Digger

 

I found a really nice black glass bottle. It stands 9 and a half inches tall. The lip according to your guide is an applied double collar. Sheared lip, which is very uneven and the ring on the lip is flared, like a typical mineral-water bottle. It is a three piece mold, with a seam that ends at the base of the neck, yet if you look real close, it almost appears to have a seam that may have been up to the bottom of the collar. but there is no evidence of a spun off seam. the neck is three and a quarter inches from base to top and bulges near the middle .the base has many characteristics . It start out with a bevel sloping down to a second ring,to a third ring which is raised to fourth ring that has a bead type raised area. there is a small kick up. there are also initials of some sort etched in either a D and a D of a number 8.the tint is yellow when held up to the light.alot of infor here but I am thorough the entire bottle looks hand made and has a rough texture. can you share some input such as type and possible value. thank you KEN

Your bottle is probably an ale or whiskey bottle.  Whiskies, such as Scotch, are often found in such bottles(capacity about a quart) slightly larger in diameter than the ales which would hold only a pint. Check the picture above from the lady in Flordia to see if you bottle is pictured there.  Without embossing, even bottles from the 1850s in this style have a modest value of $20 or less. Many of these were imported from England.

Hi, I dug a bottle and was wondering it's worth. Its open pontil four paneled with John C Baker's on one panel, compound on second panel, fluid extract on third and sarsaparilla on the last panel. It has an applied lip and stands about 7" tall. It has minor staining and is in excellent shape. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks, Jim Creveling

Your bottle is quite rare.  John C. Baker is listed in Philadelphia from 1856-1858.  Value...hmmm...I'd estimate $350-450 (cleaned).  At least three are known and probably more.  You can find it listed in both Volume 5 Medicines and in my new book Pontil Medicine Encyclopedia. Digger

I'm looking to get some information on an old soda bottle I found today. It's clear glass with a crown top. The label is for a drink called "Howdy", one label (white print on Red) says "Howdy" the Friendly Drink and the other says "Howdy" A Product of the Seven-Up Co. It is a 10 oz. bottle with scalloped sides and rings of painted bubbles on the sides. On the bottom are, in clockwise, are E 65 4372 3 and then a T shaped symbol with an l and a j upside-down under the arms of the T. If you have any info. let me know. Thanks in advance. Jeff Bemis

Your bottle is common and comes in several variants, one with just white lettering and one with red and white.  It is not much sought after by the serious painted label collectors since it does not have a picture on the label only writing.  The design of the bottle is interesting and appears to date about 1950-1960. It has a value of $2-3. Digger

I found a bottle while hiking near some old mines in the Black Hills of South Dakota near Lead, SD. The bottle is a honey amber color (I am not familiar with bottle terms so some of my descriptions may be off somewhat), 9 1/2" tall, 6 1/2' to the shoulder, 3 3/4" in diameter, has the words "HY-PRO" in 1" tall indented capital letters on either side of the shoulder of the bottle with the inscription "32 oz." in 1/4" tall letters below the P. It is an ABM (two seams go all the way to the top on either side of the bottle, but they do not extend across the bottom) with a double collar and a cork in 1/2" opening. The cork is is about 1/2" long with a pencil size hole in it. The base is indented (pontil?) with the letters "MG" in the center of the bottom. There is also an "O" on one side of the bottom. I've looked at a couple of books but most seem to classify bottles by type and I don't have any idea what this bottle was used for. I would appreciate any information or clues about the bottle. Thanks for any information you can give. Bill Barrett

I could not find the name in my sources.  It sounds like some kind of chemical bottle from the 1930-40 period.  Digger

Do all old glass pharmacy bottles have value. I have obtained some bottles, some are clear some are brown. What markings on the bottles if any constitute value??? Thanks for your time and consideration My brother found a bottle while digging. It looks like a soft drink bottle. It says " 3 cents" on it. There are no dates on the bottle. Any idea what kind of bottle it is or where we could find some information? Thanks Jackie Shelton

Jackie, Check out the article on my website about determining values.  that should give you a good idea of some of the variables involved. In the pharmacy category people like bottles that have the "label under glass," especially those with names of illegal or banned substances (opium etc..)  Colored bottles especially cobalt blue are also highly desirable.  Unembossed clear bottles rarely have any value.  Your other bottle might be a milk?? or perhaps the 3 cents is the return deposit.  Finding information on the thousands of soda bottles produced between 1920-1970 is very hard.  The painted label soda collectors have catalogued the best ones (those with pictures) but no one to date has produced a book covering sodas because the category is just too large.  There are probably 5-10 thousand different companies producing who knows how many different bottles after 1920 and thousands more prior to that date.  In addition to the massive amount of work to research all of those companies by checking local libraries, historic societies and newspapers, the size of the book would price it out of the range of affordability. Digger

My family and I have always enjoyed digging in creek beds, old dumps, and dirt pits for old bottles. My mother found our crowning glory in an old spring creek behind our house. It is an amber seven up bottle with a crown neck, and smooth bottom with circular mold ring. It has a seam on either side and around the bottom. It is embossed with 7-up on the neck and on the bottom reads: property of Seven up Bottling Co. Houston, Texas. On the side, just at the bottom is a small raised square and the numbers: C 964. We have never seen another like it and have been unable to find out anything about it. If you have any information, such as age, etc., we would really appreciate it. Thank you for your time, The Williamson Family

I have good news and bad news.  The good news is your bottle is tough to find these days.  they come from either Dallas or Houston TX and were produced between 1937-1942.  Some have sold for as much as $120.  The bad news is that the bottle originally had a painted label in white and red showing a girl in a bathing suit with bubbles over her head and the words 7-up.  there was also writing on the reverse.  I suspect you bottle from being buried lost its paint making it worth very little to most collectors.  Digger

Hi!  I have recently discovered that my backyard, along the alley was used to dump garbage.  Therefore I have many, many bottles back there.  Some local collectors that are friends of my brothers came out and dug up literally hundreds of bottles.  They were nice enough to give us several and now my problem has come to be how to properly clean these bottles? Many of them are caked with dirt inside.  I have washed them out with mild soap and water and let them soak, but still have not gotten all the marks out.  I have not yet tried a bottle brush on them as I was not sure if this would scratch them or not.  I don't have a clue if they are worth anything or not, but it was really neat to see all the bottles back there.  The men figured most of them to be from the late 1800's to early 1900's, especially since my home was built in 1901.  Sorry to babble, but if you could help I would really appreciate it!  Oh I should mention that some of the bottles have small rust marks on them from laying next to pieces of metal.  Thank you for your time! Sincerely, Kelly Santos

Soap and water and elbow grease along with a brush or kitty litter will do just about all you can do.  the rust stains can be removed with steel wool, but the cloudy stains are permanent from long exposure to the ground.  Digger

Hello, I'm not a bottle collector, but I've come across a lady who explained that her parents had salvaged a lot of bottles from a dump years ago, washed them off, and she now has them in about 11 boxes. I've identified such things as a brown Furniture City Brewing Company, Grand Rapids, Mich / clear Sloan's Linimint / brown Father Johns Medicine, Lowell, Mass. / green Atwood's Jaundice Bitters Formerly made by Moses Atwood Georgetown, Mass. / clear Chas. H. Fletcherr's Castoria / clear Watkins / clear A. S. Hinds Portland, Me. / brown Scaled design on bottle with large fish emblem. There are porcelain lids for canning jars, soda bottles, cobalt blue bottles like ointment came in, and some that are odd shaped with no markings. I'd like to dispose of the entire lot for her but haven't a clue how to locate an interested person. I'd estimate there are about 120 bottles plus quite a few old glass or porcelain lids. What do I do with them? I'd appreciate your suggestions. Leonard Lorge Hudsonville, Michigan

Everything mentioned above is common.  Put an ad in the local paper, give them to an auction dealer or put them on-line on Ebay.  Expect $2-10 per box.  Digger

Forgive me for asking what is probably a mundane question for you .... were there reproductions of early American flasks made by the Lestoil Co.? Where could I look for more information? Thank you.

In the 1960s, the Lestoil company produced a series of four flasks in at least three colors. The designs were inspired by early American flasks but are adaptations of those designs.  The bottles were intended as containers for Lestoil and held about 12 oz. Digger

Do you have any information on green Catto's Whisky bottle in good shape?

In 1861, one year after the production of the first ever blended Scotch whisky, James Catto experimented with the creation of his own blend in Aberdeen, Scotland. He  entered his blend in various International Wine and Spirit contests. He was rewarded with two prestigious Gold Medals, firstly in Paris in 1878 and then at the London International Exhibition of 1884. These two medals still remain featured on the label to this date. James died in 1908.  Today their 12 year Scotch whiskey is sold in the green bottle, the 21 year old in a crystal decanter and the 25 year old in a ceramic container.  Early containers were stoneware with stenciling and the word "Catto's".  I expect your bottle is not too old and probably has little value.  Digger

A friend of mine dug up a bottle of Genuine bear grease; on a site still unopened. The label says it was imported by John Cosnell & Co 12 Three kings st Lombards St London.( (a PICTURE OF A BEAR WAS ON THE LID) It is blue; I'm unsure of size. It doesn't appear to have any markings. he wants to enquire about its age and value.

I haven't heard of such a bottle.  Check out my article on Bear's Oil bottles on this website for information.  I need a better description of the bottle to given a good estimate.  Digger

If you can help identify this bottle I will appreciate it as I do not collect bottles. I found this one on Mother's Day and it has me fascinated. I am very thankful for your help and if you cannot help, I thank you in advance for taking the time to read this. The bottle is embossed (1) on the front with a circle and above the circle are the words CONTENTS 7 FLUID OZ (2) on the bottom "shoulder" of the base is a T with what appears to an N or an M under the left bar and a C under the right bar. (3) On the front of the base shoulder and to the right of the T is the word REGISTERED. (4) On the back of the base shoulder is SEALED 1-11-14. Below that is PAT. DES. 86037. (5) On the bottom of the bottle is PAT. DES. 86037 along with what seems to be 1+ and the letter S The color of the bottle is CLEAR. The bottle is 7 inches tall The bottle seems to be ABM since the seam goes through the bottom half of the lip but is not visible in the upper half then reappears in the neck above the lip. I don't know what to call the top of the bottle. It has a lip, two half moon shaped "ears" above the lip and the final part of the top is sort of a rolled edge about 1 and 1/4 inches in diameter. There is no closure on the bottle. The bottom of the bottle is smooth with what I think is a mold mark (small, slightly off center circle about 1/2 inch in diameter with no larger circle around it). The bottle has two small chips. One is about the size of the head of a pin the other about half as big. Those seem to be the only marks of wear. It is not stained. I found the bottle half buried in the ground near an old creek and close to an old home site. I hope you can help me ID this bottle. The more I look at it the more I want to go back and see if there are others. This could be fun. Thanks for any help you can give and thanks for just reading through my rambling description. Dave West

Dave, The bottle design was registered in 1933 based on the design patent number you gave above. That fits with the type of closure you describe which was a metal cap that was secured by the half moon shaped ears.  If I could see the shape, I might be able to give you a clue about what it contained.  Obviously it was liquid.  Parts of the description sound like a milk bottle or dairy product bottle.  Digger.

I have found an old bottle. At least I think it is old. This bottle is a dark brown like the old beer bottles. It is also somewhat shaped like one. This is a Javex bottle. The lettering is printed on the bottle in raised letters. Could you please tell me what you know about this type of bottle? Maybe you could tell me where to look for more information. Thanks in advance. Lori Anderson

I do not know.  This is a new one to me.  Maybe a reader can help. Digger

G/Day Could you please help me I am looking for National & other bottle shows for May, June .Thanks Regards John Ballantine.  

Check out the show listings on my site.  the National show is in August in Denver Colorado.  Nothing big in May or June.  Digger

Hi & Help please! I dug a bottle the other day and can not find it in any of my books. Also have not been able to locate it on ebay. Would appreciate any help with identification and value you can give. Light amber 91/2 inches tall 31/2 inches across bottom. Embossing "32 OZ." Also there are 6 diamonds embossed around both the top and bottom. Inside of each "INKS" is embossed. (not in the diamonds on the seams). Bottom base has a rather rough off center circle with a diamond inside with a number one (this marking is very common to bottles, not related to the diamond ink as far as I can figure). I believe it is machine made although the seams on the bottle itself are much more crude than those on the neck and lip. Hope you can access the photos attached. Any help would be appreciated. I have your bottle listed in my More Inks Book Volume 11.  the example shown in my book is not machine and is darker amber than your bottle.  This might well be a Diamond Ink bottle.  The color of your bottle is very pretty.  Yours is only the second one I have seen.  I'd estimate the bottle value at $20-30.  Digger.

 

I have a coke bottle I fond in a old army camp in mass and it has new Bedford Mass on the bottom how old ???

If it is the standard Coke bottle shape and does not have the 1915 or 1923 date on it, then it probably is from the 1940-60 period.  If it is amber then it is older than 1915. Digger

Hello, I was wondering if you could answer a question for me? I found a bottle while on vacation in the mountains of Tipperary Ireland. It is olive in color and resembles a beer bottle. on the neck it says 1/2 Pt. On the body, their is a circle with DIC se 127 inside. On the bottom it reads icb 101 34. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks again Scott  

I am afraid I am not much of an authority on Irish bottles.  Sorry.  Digger.

I HAVE A BOTTLE THAT I FOUND IN A SECRET CUBBY HOLE WHEN WE REMODELED OUR HOUSE AND I CANT FIND ANY ONE WHO WOULD KNOW IF IT IS WORTH ANY THING IT IS A BOTTLE OF DUBONNET NON ALCOHOLIC A GREAT TONIC IT IS IN A BOTTLE WITH A HOLE CUT IN THE BOTTOM AND IT IS FULL OF LIQUID AND IN GOOD SHAPE IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN FRANCE IN 1846 IF YOU CAN HELP WOULD YOU THANK YOU DAWN T.

They still sell the the product.  It is an aperitif spices with various plants and spices.  I suspect your bottle is not too old and probably not worth much.  Digger.

I am not a bottle collector but have been trying for about 30 years to identify a bottle. I have looked in the libraries, consulted collector books, sent pictures to collectors but have not been able to find anything about it. The bottle is 8 inches tall, including a 2 inch neck; is aqua blue; somewhat of a blob top; the bottom is 2 1/2 by 1 1/2 and appears to be "donut pontil"; the back is flat; sides and front con-caved; I can see a few bubbles in the glass; no scratch or chips and raised lettering reads "DR ROE'S BLOOD CORDIAL". In my research I have found a lot of DR ROSE but never a ROE'S. Any information or advise on where I could do more research would be appreciated. Dean Heinze Kingman, AZ

Well you are in luck.  I have found a reference to your bottle in the 1905 Pharmaceutical Era.  The bottle is a product of F.U. Roe & Sons, Franklin Grove, Lee Co. Illinois.  In 1905 the company was making Roe's Ague Pills, Roe's Balm of Gilead Ointment, Roe's Blood Cordial, Roe's Physic, Roe's cough Drops, and Roe's Hair Balsam.  Now if your bottle is pontiled as you suggest, the company must go back before the Civil War.  I might also note that the "Dr." did not appear in the 1905 listings, but that is not unusual and the actual product may still have had it.  I also found a listing for a Roe's Celebrated Cough Syrup advertised in a NY newspaper in 1861.  It may or may not be related.  If yours is indeed pontiled it might well be unique.  Digger.

Hello, I need help identifying a bottle I got in an auction box. It is a whiskey of some sort. 11 3/4" tall, 7up green, is embossed BIELZOFF vertically on the front sides with a cowboy riding a horse in the center of the names. Also has a place for label underneath the horse and a place for label on the back side, the rest is embossed with a rather diamond and ribbed pattern. This has a screwtop and also a lady's leg neck. Also has the FEDERAL LAW Forbids slogan. The bottom has R-244 19(C in Square)42 also 635 off to the side. Any help you can give as to value, will be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Carol

Your whiskey or spirits bottle was made between 1932 and 1964.  I found the bottle on Ebay with an asking bid of $3 and no takers.  It is an interesting looking bottle with the horse embossed but there is little collector interest in this category at this time. The bottle on Ebay has 19(C in Square)46.  The owner suggested that might be a date.  I am not sure.   Digger.

Hello, and thank you in advance for any help you may be able to provide. This website was referred to me from the eBay antiques board. I just found this bottle at a rummage sale and I know nothing about it, other than someone told me it once held medicine. There are two pictures here: 
http://images.honesty.com/cgi-bin/honesty-image/6012098/bottle.jpg

 http://images.honesty.com/cgi-bin/honesty-image/6012100/bottle2.jpg 

It is 7" high, thick amber glass with plenty of bubbles. The glass is very uneven, the left side is much thicker than the right. There seems to be a mold seam, which stops before the neck and lip. The bottom is marked "1788" and is backwards. On the base there is a row of slight indentations of half circles about 1" long; and where "1788" is marked, there is a deeper indentation where it looks like the numbers were pressed (?) into it. The label reads "Essence Synthetique, Eau De Quinine, Van Dyk & Co, New York, a branch of (first 3 letters illegible) schmeijerue, Amsterdam Hollande". It seems to be in good shape, only a few chips in the lip, and the label is not flaking off as you can see in the picture. Thank you again for any help you may be able to provide---I would very much appreciate it! Monica

The bottle looks to be turn of the century, certainly before World War I.  The bottle obviously contained quinine. Quinine is an alkaloid isolated from the bark of several species of Cinchona trees. There is historical evidence of its use to aid in the cure of malaria dating back to 1630. It was widely used until synthetic substitutes were found. "By 1820, two Frenchman isolated quinine, and the rush was on. Harvesting in South America soon (no pun intended) outstripped the bark supply. Seeds were secretly taken from South America. British botanists failed to make them grow, but Dutch growers had better success. They transplanted the best of the cinchona trees to Java and quickly created a monopoly which lasted until World War II. Early in that war, seeds and cuttings were returned to the Americas to be later harvested and used by the Allies. In 1944, quinine was synthesized in the laboratory, leading to more synthetic quinine alternatives. In recent times, malaria plasmodium have become resistant to many of the synthetics, and there has been a return to the original naturally produced quinine which is in fact a combination of closely related chemical substances." (Joyce, C. Earthly Goods/Medicine Hunting in the Rainforest. New York: Little Brown and Company, 1994.) Given the above information things seem a bit confusing since the label of your bottle suggests it contains a synthetic quinine (which would date it after 1944). I think it is older than that.  The mention of Dutch growers in the above quote sheds light on the possible origins of your bottle. Clearly the name Van Dyk and the mention of Amsterdam support this idea. Digger

Edison Thomas A. Edison ,battery oil bottle (4 inches tall with signature on back of bottle) I would like info on dates and value. I found this bottle washed-up on the beach in SC.

The bottle dates to the 1920s.  I covered this question in other months.  They sell for $3-5.  Digger.

My daughter found a couple bottles on our property. One is just a plain amber blown glass bottle, much like a soda bottle. But the other one has lettering which said "A.L. Murdock; Liquid Food; Trademark; Boston USA, London; 12 1/2% Liquid Albumin" The bottle has many sides - 12 - 18 or so. We checked your site to see if there was any info about this type of bottle but couldn't find anything. What kind of bottle is this? What do you think it's worth? My daughter would sure like to know! Our house was built in 1800, so we are very excited to continue our treasure hunts in our back yard! Thanks. Loved your site.

Albert L. Murdock, began to distribute this product about 1880. Murdock like many others saw an opportunity to market such a product.  This opportunity came about as a result of the million or so deaths each year from Tuberculosis.  This particularly savage disease caused the victim to slowly waste away.  Number products were aimed at the victims to help them regain their former strength and weight.  Albumin is a protein manufactured by the liver. Liver disease, kidney disease, and malnutrition are the major causes of low albumin. In malnutrition there is not enough protein in the patient's diet for the liver to make new albumin from.  The business continued well into the twenteith century under the name of the Murdock Liquid Food Company, Huntington and Gainsville St. Boston MA.  Albert E. Murdock, probably Albert L.'s son, ran the business in the later years.  The last year the company was listed was in 1926.  The bottle, which is attractive with the 12 sides is known in two sizes. They usually sell for $12-15. Digger

 

My husband has found two bottles while working I was wondering if you could tell me anything about them. #1 Is a milk bottle, embossed with One Quart Liquid - White Belt Dairy - Registered Standard Milk - Miami, Fla. #2 Is a vinegar bottle, pyramid shape, on the bottom it embossed with White House Vinegar, it is rather pretty. Cathie in Florida

Your bottles probably date to the 1940s.  In every state thousands of farms put up their own milk in their own bottles.  There is no comprehensive listing of every state.  I have no way of knowing if the milk is rare or common, but typically such bottles sell for $5-10. Most White House vinegar bottles are common.  The company made several pyramid shaped cruet bottles.  They sell in the $8-15 range. Digger

dear " digger"- a friend brought me a nice 6" clear bottle from out west USA. It has a flared lip, the seams go up through the lip, and a flat bottom "on the shoulder " embossing is: Sodiphene First Aid for The Family, in a soft script and underline swash under the Sodiphene . On the bottom is embossing; in curved format: the Sodiphend Co. Kansas City, MO. So far I think the contents were some kind of antiseptic, possibly related to the Tolu, or other Balsam trees of S. America. It was apparently advertised between 1928-29 approx 10 times in Chicago papers--this info from library queries in Kansas city.. I would like to know what the contents were and were used for. The little bottle is a bit clouded.. I give talks at times about old medicines and such..and this little mystery is bugging me. Thank you for any information. sincerely, Margaret N. Harker, M.D.  

I was able to locate the following information to substantiate your notion that the item was an antiseptic.  The table below in indicates brand names, and number of times the product was advertised and reel # of advertising for the list of antiseptics.  This appears to be the same information found by the Kansas City  Library. Your best bet is to contact  the Chicago Public Library and give them the information I found by searching under "sodiphene" the actual page from which I took the table below is no longer displayed, but was cached by Google search engine.  It was called the "D'Arcy Collection".  To exactly what that refers, I am not sure but I think it must be a microfilm collection.  Ask the library if they will send you a copy of the ad.  It might give more information. I checked sources from 1913-1917 and found no reference to the company, which was probably rather short lived.  Digger.  (http://www.uiuc.edu/providers/comm/DArcy/a.htm)

Antiseptics BRAND NAME YEARS # OF ADS REEL # Astringosol 1927-60 47 9 Bactine 1950-71 53 9 Campho Phenique 1925-68 93 9 Dioxogen 1910-19 18 9 Glyco-Thymoline 1910-47 36 9 Halitosine 1933-34 9 9 Hexylresorginol 1930-36 61 9 Johnson & Johnson 1956-69 35 9 Klenzo 1920-21 6 9 La Lasine 1929 4 9 Lanteen 1946-47 6 9 Lavoris 1919-73 295 9 Listerine 1914-74 1051 9 Miscellaneous 1916-69 110 9 1952-65 2 216 Pepsodent 1931-47 78 9 Sodiphene 1928-29 10 9 Vi Jon 1957-64 18 9 Vicks 1933 12 9 Zemacol 1946-47 6 9

 

HI, i found a few bottles but I am not sure what they were used for. The bottles were found in Philadelphia, while digging with a back hoe. The one bottle is about 8" tall and says V. tortorello and underneath the name has a horseshoe then the address. on the back very bottom it says this bottle not to be sold it appears to be old. If u could help i would appreciate it.

The key words are "This bottle not to be sold."  This wording appears almost exclusively on soda bottles 1850-1910.  Without seeing the style of the bottle, I cannot give you a specific date.  Check out the soda information on my site to get a better idea.  Since you did not mention what color the bottle was, I assume it was aqua or clear.  Clear would be newer, probably dating the bottle after 1900.  In any other color such as green or cobalt the value would increase greatly. Digger

"Wu-Chia pi" bottles I have a couple of these bottles but can not find any information on them. I do know they are from the era of 1840 -1850 and that they are Chinese use to store eggs and fruits. I like to know if they are worth anything. Thank you in advance for any help. Andrew Reyes

Wu-Chia pi is the Chinese name for Siberian Ginseng. "Siberian Ginseng is the root, root bark and stem of a plant within the ginseng family. Its first Latin name, eleutherococcus, means "free-berried shrub," while its second, "senticosus" means thorny.  It is grown in thickets in northeast China, eastern Russia, Korea and northern Japan. Most of the world’s supply comes from Siberia and China." Without a better description of the bottles, it is difficult to say much about their value.  I do know American collectors prefer American bottles, but I have seen Chinese opium bottles sell fairly well, especially those in color.  Digger

digger, What do you use to clean your bottle with to get those black stains out? I've only seen them in the bottles that have I have found in the river. Most of the bottles I have I’ve found in the river. I’m also looking for some information on a bottle that we dug out of a privy last week. It was an amber pickle jar that said Kilton Foote above a slugplate and under the bottom it said Bunker hill pickles. In the slugplate there was three barrels in a field and it had an elongated raised diamond in the middle. The bad part is it was broken but I would still like to know more about it. We dug it at a hotel that was built in 1871 their is nothing left and it is in the middle of the woods. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Dave McCord East Tawas Mi.

Try muriatic acid, weak hydrochloric acid for the stains.  Some might no be removable without professional help.  Your Bunker Hill Pickle is fairly scarce and comes a a number of shades of amber.  They usually sell for $50-75. 

 

I found a bottle, approximately 5" tall, with the words "Mrs. Winslow's - Soothing Syrup - Curtis & Perkin's - Proprietors" on it. There is also a number 8 on the bottom. Any estimate on what this bottle may be worth? Thank You, Marcia Finlayson

Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup was made infamous by the investigations of the AMA just prior to the passage of the Food and Drug Act of 1906.  You will find several references to this brand on my website.  Check out the section on Dangerous Drug Bottles.  the bottle and its history are also in my latest book Pontil Medicine Encyclopedia. Thousands of specimens of this bottle survived, many of them from the pontil age (1840-1855).  The preparation was to be given to infants to quiet them and sooth their teething pains.  It worked too.  A dose of morphine prior to bed always gives a good rest.  Your bottle sounds like one of the smooth based variants probably dating in the 1880-1900 era.  The value. $3-5.  Digger.

I bought a bottle at a yard sale today, and didn't know if it's real or did someone design it to look old. Either way it doesn't matter, I only paid $1.00 for it. Anyway, here is what it looks like. It says "DR. GUERTIN'S NERVE SYRUP" and has a picture of DR Guretin on the bottle. Under that it says the following: A valuable remedy for Epilepsy, ST. V???? Dance, Convulsions, Hysteria, Nervous Debility, Nervous Prostration, Insomnia, Neurasthema and disorders of the nervous system Under that is some small print, some I can make out, some I can't. Then under the small print it says the following: Prepared and guaranteed by Kalmus Chemical Company, Kalmus building, Cincinnati Under the food and drug act, June 30, 1905 No. 16345 Also on the bottle there is a picture of an angry man with (it looks like), devils all around his face, then underneath that, it's a picture of the same man (smiling this time) holding a bottle of this syrup and all the devils are flying away I don't know if you can help me, I'm just trying to figure out what it is so I know what to do with it. Thank you for any help you will be able to give me. Angela Dixon

Sounds like you got a great deal.  Yes, this is a real product.  The first listing for this product is in 1914 in the Druggist Circular.  The address given is the same as your bottle.  the company was in business at least through 1917.  Products made after 1906 needed the quote about the Food and Drug Act.  Check again and I think you'll see the date is 1906 not 1905.  Digger.

I found bottle in a fishing net off the ca. or. border, an amber, BIM, Golden Gate Bottling Works, Chas. Roschmann San Francisco on the lower side "this bottle never sold" it also has a bear holding jug, it is in mint condition, can you tell me anything about it? you help is greatly appreciated Lewis Forkner. 

 If the bottle is a blob top it is probably a pretty good item.  I found a listing for the Golden gate Brewery (1907-1908).  No mention of Chas. Roschmann however.  San Francisco had 75+ breweries.  I couldn't estimate a price.  Digger

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Dear Sir, While pulling weeds in my back yard I found that my dogs had dug up a bottle. It is very clean and stands about 4 1/2 inches tall and is clear. It is embossed vertically "chamberlain's". It is also marked on the bottom "bottle made in the USA". It appears to have a top that would have been sealed with a cork. The seam also runs vertically and is wavy. Any information you can provide would be appreciated. Should I keep it or toss it? I've attached a JPEG photo of the described bottle, I hope it is helpful. Thank you for your kind attention. Ray Peters

 

Ray, I found no photo attached to the email but I do that myself sometimes. Nevertheless, the bottle is very common.  Yours must date about 1920.  Earlier bottles, such as the one shown at the left,  were aqua not clear and had more embossing about the name of the product.  Now it seems there were two companies selling patent medicine products under the name Chamberlain's.  The bigger of the two founded by Davis S. Lowell and their sister  Izanna L. Chamberlain about 1873, was located in Des Moines, Iowa.  It was known as the Chamberlain Medicine Co. after 1892 and had several nationally known products, the most popular of which were its Colic, Cholera and Diarrhoea Remedy (at left), Cough Remedy and Pain Relief. The business continued well into the twentieth century. The other company was the A.N. Chamberlain Medicine Co. was located in Elkhart Indiana.  Their best seller was a product called Immediate Relief.  I do not know if there was any relation between the two companies both in business in the 1880s, but I think not.  Your bottle is probably from the Iowa concern.  Digger

 

I have a Bitters Bottle. I have not been able to find out anything about it. It is clear bottle it has on it, DR BERGMANNS MAGEN' BITTER There are not cracks or chips on it. If you have any information on it I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you. Lisa Belford

Your  6 3/4 x 3 1/8 x 5 inch bottle is extremely rare. It might well be a German import. The word "Magen" is German for Stomach hence your bottle is a stomach bitters.   I found a reference to Bergmann's Capilary Tonic Pills for sale by the Fogera Company of New York City.  This company primarily imported European products for sale to American markets. They may have been the ones importing this brand and discontinued it because it was not a good seller.  I would expect your bottle to be worth $150-250  Digger

I found an old bottle that I found rather unusual. It was found while during remodeling of our beach. Unfortunately, I do not know much about bottles but I did find this rather different. It is embossed with a pictures of a dog on it. The top (small) picture is a dog without a leash and a dog house. The middle (larger picture) is just a dog (looks like a retriever) and the bottom picture (small) is a dog on a leash and a doghouse. Do you have any idea what this bottle was used for. It is about 3-4" wide and about 6" tall. Thanks for any help you can provide.

I have no idea about this bottle.  Maybe a reader can help.  Digger

Hi! Thanks in advance for any help...I have a brown bottle with the following inscription: Side 1: W.H.Comstock Side 2: MORSES INDIAN ROOT PILLS Side 3: DOSE 2 TO 4 Side 4: (blank) Size = 2.5"tall x 1" wide x 3/4" thick Any info or can you direct me to any re: history, price, etc. Thanks again, Hugh Williams

The Comstock company is a very old one indeed. The bottle is scarce but not at all rare.  They can found in several variants.  One bottle similar to your  has "Bottle Made in Japan" on the base another has "Made in U.S." on the base.  They date to around the turn of the century.  About 1915 or so they began putting them up in a yellow tin.  Many Almanacs can be found advertising this brand which was sold world-wide.  More can be learned in my book Indian Bottles & Brands and also in Pontil Medicine Encyclopedia. the pills were made continuously for about 150 years.

HI!! We are in the process of remodeling an old house in the process of digging the foundation for the addition we have come across some old glass bottles. I am just wondering about the history of one. It is a Brandimist. That is the word that is embossed on the front. Around the bottom of bottle is May 15 1926 Brandimist bottling company. If you can help me i would appreciate. thanks MOMMIE TO CHASE & RILEY :)

I was not able to find any information out about Brandimist.  It is one of the thousands of sodas produced by Mom and Pop operations are World War I.  Maybe a reader can help.  Digger.

  I have several purex bleach bottles that I would like to know their worth if any. They are all brown glass, and in different sizes. The gallon size has a finger ring at the top and would remind someone of a moonshine bottle. They all have the name Purex embossed on them, some raised and others not. Could you please send me any information you may have on these? Thank you very much.

Purex bottles are so common they have almost no value.  Digger

I need some info on a whiskey bottle that I dug up. It it 9 1/2 inches tall and 3 1/2 inches in diameter. It is cylindrical in shape with a short applied top. The mold seam stops at the top of the shoulder. It is made of clear glass and there are no trademarks or numbers anywhere on the bottle. It has a clear glass stopper on it with a cork ring around it. The bottle is embossed as follows-OLD DEXTER-WHISKEY-BOTTLED ONLY BY-OLD DEXTER DIST'G Co.-6TH DISTRICT- COVINGTON KY.-U.S.A. On the back it is embossed-GUARANTEED-STRAIGHT WHISKEY. Any info as far as rarity, value, age, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Kenneth King    

Age would be 1890s-1918.  Despite the fact that it might be rare it probably has a value under $20.  It is possible someone locally might be willing to pay more.  The above picture dates 1915 and shows none machine made whiskeys, some with glass stoppers with cork around them. Thousands of different brands exist.  I was not able to find any reference to your particular bottle.  Digger

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