OT: Anyone collect old bottles??

[bsshog40]

I found a bottle that looks just like this one only it's clear, no tint color. We were tearing up some concrete. It's about 4"-5" high. Does anyone know anything about these? I think it's from the 1880's. This is the same plant where a co-worker found a 1900 Barber Qtr after tearing up some concrete.

[dooly]

Hi .. i have a massive collection of old bottles .. shame they are all from the UK well apart from my warner's.. the glass colour is Aqua on the bottle in the picture.. clear glass was used a lot earlier in the US than over here.. what you need to look for is the seam on the bottle .. earlier ones will have a seam running up to the lip then an lip applied.. later ones will have the seam running through the neck .. and even later ones will have no seams at all..also look on the base of the bottle there are usually marks there which can identify where it was made..

 

oh! i forgot this type of bottle is called a Chemist or a Quack over hear. and a Cure your side of the pond

 

hope this helps dooly

[bsshog40]

Ok Dooly, this one has a seam that runs from the top of the lip to the bottom of the bottle. It also has a seam around the lip of the bottle. On the bottom of the bottle is a diamond mark with C98 inside and underneath the diamond is a big number 4. Nothing else. thanks for the help Dooly.

[cpm9ball]

Bobby, it's my understanding that the coloration was affected by the lead content in the glass. Some turn brilliant shades of blue, green or lavendar.

 

I used to have a collection of dairy products glass I got when I was living on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Fifty or more years ago, many of the farmers didn't have garbage collection. They usually had a wooded area on the farm where they would dump their non-burnable garbage such as glass and metal. The garbage would become buried under decades of layers of dead and decaying plants and leaves. Digging through it was messy, but fun. We'd find butter jars, half-pint and pint cream bottles and, of course, quart milk bottles.

 

In Oregon, we'd find Edison Oil Co. bottles that were used by the railroads for the batteries that powered the telegraph. They'd take one little bottle (about 3" tall) of the oil and pour it over the water in the battery cells to keep it from evaporating.

 

Chris

[bsshog40]

I have seen older bottles Chris that were colored like that. Didn't know what caused it. Thanks for the info. Are there worth anything? Probably like anything else, just who would want it I guess.

[cpm9ball]

I have seen older bottles Chris that were colored like that. Didn't know what caused it. Thanks for the info. Are there worth anything? Probably like anything else, just who would want it I guess.

 

There is a market for collectible bottles, but I never looked into it. However, since James lives in the St. Louis area.....................

 

Chris

[bsshog40]

I dug up some info on Ballard Linement and he started his company in 1882 until the named changed to James Ballard in 1923. Pretty old bottle and in good shape, really surprised me under concrete that it looks as good as it does. thanks for the help guys!

[dooly]

Ok Dooly, this one has a seam that runs from the top of the lip to the bottom of the bottle. It also has a seam around the lip of the bottle. On the bottom of the bottle is a diamond mark with C98 inside and underneath the diamond is a big number 4. Nothing else. thanks for the help Dooly.

 

A! that sounds like a 4 piece mold type which in the Uk would mean it was post 1940.. i do not recognize the makers mark .. we also have ones with diamond's on the base which were made i Liverpool but they have IXL within the diamond.

 

as for the colouration due to the chemical content of the bottle this only occurs when the glass has been left in sunlight over a long period of time .. most notably in Australian glass on old prospecting sites.. also a few years back a lot of Australians were putting them on there roofs to colour them and trying to pass them off as rare colored examples

 

dooly

[bsshog40]

I'm finding out more and more about this bottle. First I found that this describes what is on the bottom of my bottle.

 

Pontil Mark - scar on the bottom of the bottle, usually a rough circular glass mark. It was made by the punty rod that held the glass for the glassblower. If the scar was rough, it is called an open pontil; if it is smoothed out, it is called a ground pontil or refired pontil depending on which was the smoothing was done. Date pre 1850s. ( I can feel the edges of the circle but don't know if that classifioes it as being rough).

 

This was interesting also. My bottle has a seam on each side running from bottom to top and one around the lip. This is the info I found also.

 

If the bottle has 3 mold lines (one horizontal completely around the shoulder, and two others from base to this shoulder line), then it was made between 1820-1870. If the bottle has a pontil, then it dates before 1870. (It's not the shoulder, but it seems to indicate this was a 3 mold type bottle).

 

I'm still trying to find out the info for the C98 inside the diamond registration mark, and the 4 under that.

[cpm9ball]

I'm still trying to find out the info for the C98 inside the diamond registration mark, and the 4 under that.

 

This is just a guess, but the "4" may indicate the size of the bottle.

 

Chris

[rbrown4]

Bobby and others, I know nothing about these bottles but this is a very interesting thread and am looking forward to learning more about this one.

 

Rey

[pendragon1998]

I found a 20 year old glass Gatorade bottle last week in the woods; does that count?

[rrantique]

Bobby, I think the bottle was made by Diamond Glass. I have a bottle book and will look if i can find it or one similiar to it. Will let you know. If the bottle has a seam on it , it was made using a mold. Usually if it is blown glass, it will have a pontil mark. (thumbs u

[bsshog40]

Bobby, I think the bottle was made by Diamond Glass. I have a bottle book and will look if i can find it or one similiar to it. Will let you know. If the bottle has a seam on it , it was made using a mold. Usually if it is blown glass, it will have a pontil mark. (thumbs u

 

Here's the post I put up earlier if you missed it Irvin.

I'm finding out more and more about this bottle. First I found that this describes what is on the bottom of my bottle.

 

Pontil Mark - scar on the bottom of the bottle, usually a rough circular glass mark. It was made by the punty rod that held the glass for the glassblower. If the scar was rough, it is called an open pontil; if it is smoothed out, it is called a ground pontil or refired pontil depending on which was the smoothing was done. Date pre 1850s. ( This does have a pontil mark. I can feel the edges of the circle but don't know if that classifies it as being rough).

 

This was interesting also. My bottle has a seam on each side running from bottom to top and one around the lip. This is the info I found also.

 

If the bottle has 3 mold lines (one horizontal completely around the shoulder, and two others from base to this shoulder line), then it was made between 1820-1870. If the bottle has a pontil, then it dates before 1870. (It's not the shoulder, but it seems to indicate this was a 3 mold type bottle).

 

I'm still trying to find out the info for the C98 inside the diamond registration mark, and the 4 under that.

 

Thanks Irvin and let me know what ya find out. I believe it had to have been made between 1882-1923 as to that was when Ballard Snow and Liniment used this name. The name changed after 1923. I don't really think it's worth much but I am watching one on Ebay that is the same only my bottle is clear and the one on ebay is tinted.

[jesbroken]

Great post, Bobby. I enjoy learning about collectibles. I collect 3 to 8 sided glass jars but not this size or type. Keep us informed as the info develops.

Thanks

Jim

[kryptonitecomics]

I have a pretty good collecton of bottles...avon and otherwise.....most bottles have little to no value...$5 to $30 but that doesn't mean they are not fun to collect and interesting to learn about. Of course there are rare and valuable bottles just like there are rare and valuable coin...I have seen bottles like the one you posted selling for between $10 and $20 at flea markets and antique fairs. A lot of times the color can make a big difference in the price.......here is my favorite in my collection.....bought it in an antiques store in Texas many years ago....in wine bottle terms it would be considered a close to a double magnum or 3 ltr size...but this one holds a gallon or 3.784 liters

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dooly]

Bobby, I think the bottle was made by Diamond Glass. I have a bottle book and will look if i can find it or one similar to it. Will let you know. If the bottle has a seam on it , it was made using a mold. Usually if it is blown glass, it will have a pontil mark. (thumbs u

 

Here's the post I put up earlier if you missed it Irvin.

I'm finding out more and more about this bottle. First I found that this describes what is on the bottom of my bottle.

 

Pontil Mark - scar on the bottom of the bottle, usually a rough circular glass mark. It was made by the punty rod that held the glass for the glassblower. If the scar was rough, it is called an open pontil; if it is smoothed out, it is called a ground pontil or refired pontil depending on which was the smoothing was done. Date pre 1850s. ( This does have a pontil mark. I can feel the edges of the circle but don't know if that classifies it as being rough).

 

This was interesting also. My bottle has a seam on each side running from bottom to top and one around the lip. This is the info I found also.

 

If the bottle has 3 mold lines (one horizontal completely around the shoulder, and two others from base to this shoulder line), then it was made between 1820-1870. If the bottle has a pontil, then it dates before 1870. (It's not the shoulder, but it seems to indicate this was a 3 mold type bottle).

 

I'm still trying to find out the info for the C98 inside the diamond registration mark, and the 4 under that.

 

Thanks Irvin and let me know what ya find out. I believe it had to have been made between 1882-1923 as to that was when Ballard Snow and Liniment used this name. The name changed after 1923. I don't really think it's worth much but I am watching one on Ebay that is the same only my bottle is clear and the one on ebay is tinted.

 

Hi bobby

 

hear is a picture of a Pontil scar

 

and the bottle it is from

 

unfortunately most of my collection is still in boxes at the moment due to the renovation of my house

 

But here are a few i still have lying about..

Some nice coloured top creams

 

stuff in the little display cabinet

 

recent digging finds.. if you look hard enough bobby you will see some like your bottle

 

And a USA bottle i dug up here a few weeks ago also in clear glass

 

Info on bottle: AUSTEN'S/FOREST FLOWERS/COLOGNE/AUSTEN MFG.Co/OSWEGO/N.Y./U.S.A

 

I wish i had the collection up so i could let you all see it as it is quite impressive

 

[bsshog40]

Well I decided to take some pics so you have a better idea of what I have.

[MBA101]

Funny to see this thread. Was drinking Jack Daniels last night bottled in 1964.

[rrantique]

Bobby, i looked up the bottle, and found it under medicines. My book certainly is out of date circa 1989, but list the bottle as 4 1/2" clear price $2 to $6. (thumbs u

 

Does not list date of mfg.

 

I think the number inside the diamond is mold number and the 4 is the size of bottle. (thumbs u

[dooly]

Aha! i see what you are talking about bobby .. it is pressure molded bottle hence why you were confused with the base (thumbs u

[bsshog40]

Aha! i see what you are talking about bobby .. it is pressure molded bottle hence why you were confused with the base (thumbs u

 

So what date would that put that around Dooly? I'll probably just keep this thing. It's kind of neat!

[jtryka]

I have a bottle of Margeaux from 1986 and a bottle of Brunello from 1988, does that count? Oh, and my uncle collects glass insulator caps from telephone and telegraph poles (he used to work for Illinois Bell).

[dooly]

In the UK i would date it to about 1910-1915 as for the USA i don't know but if i had to make a guess i would say about 1900's

 

definitely a keeper (thumbs u

[jackson64]

great thread..was fun following along and watching how collectors use methods of deduction, exclusion etc..to get an idea of what it is they have..sometimes for me the researching and info gathering is half the fun...

[123cents]

I use to collect old 10 oz. Soda Water bottles. There is some of what left.

 

 

[Just Bob]

Mmmm. Frostie root beer. When I was a kid, one of those and a Zero bar would put me in hog heaven!

[jtryka]

I used to love Zero bars, and I remember when my grandma used to get the Hire's syrup and make the rootbeer herself, Hire's was the best! At birthdays we always used to have vanilla ice cream mixed with Canfield's Strawberry Supreme pop, that used to come in a quart bottle.