Antique Bottle and Glass Questions

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NOTE: I am closing commenting on this page – simple reason: most inquiries require photographs to answer – post your questions on the forum, preferably *with* photos. Go to http://forum.antiquebottles-glass.com

Before you fire off an email to us, please read the following to get your best response:

(1) Clearly describe what you have. If you don’t understand antique bottle lingo, check out our Learn section. We need to know details about the bottle condition, the embossing or writing on the bottle, the mold seam, the lip and mouth, the base and the color.

(2) What do you want to know? We can’t read your mind so tell us – is it value, where to sell, how to sell, where to buy, history or ?

(3) Do you need quick response or a detailed explanation? We do our best to answer quick questions, but if you need more of our time, then you need an appraisal. Time is money so please understand that we charge for appraisals and the personal attention that is required for phone calls, back and forth email discussion, etc.

(4) Photos, Photos, Photos! Pictures speak a thousand words. Need we say more?

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Ok, you are ready to get in touch. You can post your question along with photos in our answers forum. We generally respond within a few days, often sooner. If you want speak with us on the phone, need a written evaluation of what you have or otherwise need a chunk of our time, then get an appraisal. Learn how appraisals can make you money. You can also send us an email. In most cases, we will direct you to our forum or to the appraisal process. See the “Contact Us” link in the lower left corner of every page.

If you have a question that can be answered really quickly and you think photos are not needed (Are you sure?) then you can ask it in the comment section below >>

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71 thoughts on “Antique Bottle and Glass Questions”

  1. Cindy on said:

    I have found a bottle that I have been unable to identify. It is a clear glass bottle – 7 0z with the words Melo Shake embossed on it. On the bottom around the base of the bottle is embossed with – Hinsdale Beverage Company Hinsdale, NH. I have not been able to find any information on this – any suggestions or any suggestions as to where I should try to look?

  2. scott shatto on said:

    i have a green pepsi ( not pepsi cola ) bottle and it does not have a paper label on it, the words were probably done in paint, but im not sure all i know is that it doesnt have a printed paper label. Do you know anything about this bottle, like what it could be worth, or any value at all ?

  3. scott shatto on said:

    i have a pepsi cola bottle that says do not return and on the other side it says do not deposit, on the bottom it has the markings, of the letter B in a circle, 12, 2779, 8, 67, and it says not to be refilled also on the bottom, can you tell me what it is worth

    • HistoricGlass on said:

      Probably not a whole lot, if anything unless very clean and a rare variant. Best bet might be to browse around on ebay to see what you find similar there. Also consider checking out the SODA FIZZ web site – easily found with a Google search.

  4. scott shatto on said:

    i found a bottle that is about three inches tall and has the markings D & M 1.23 on it and there are very small, hard to see air bubbles in the base and it is a brownish red, or amber color do you know anything about this bottle

    • HistoricGlass on said:

      D&M probably stands for Davey & Moore, Ltd of Middlesex, England. They were a bottle manufacturer which began operations in 1805, but did not start using the D&M marking until 1900. They produced a general line of bottles so who knows what product this was used for.

      • scott shatto on said:

        thank you at least now i know that it was made anywhere from the 1900’s and up and that it was made in england thanks :]

  5. Dale on said:

    My husband found a glass bottle while digging to remove a large oak tree stump in the back yard. The bottle he found is clear glass. On the bottom of the bottle there is the word “Fitch’s” in a cursive writing. Under “Fitch’s” there is the number 7 and above “Fitch’s” there is the letter J inside of a shield little symbol. I have searched and searched and I can not find this particular bottle. Do you know what it is as well as value?

  6. DL Styvers on said:

    I found two clear glass bottles about the size of a soda bottle under some 95 year old concrete that I dug up. The bottles each have a large “PS” on the bottom. Can you tell me about their history? Are they valuable?

  7. shane griffin on said:

    I have a hand blown soda or beer bottle with cork top this bottle has a round bottom with a place about the size of a quarter to stand upon it is lite green . #598A on it cant find anything out about it. anyone saw anything like this?

    • HistoricGlass on said:

      It’s a soda water or mineral water bottle. Some have completely rounded bottoms, others mostly but not entirely round. Many are English; many but not all have embossing. You will also here the terms Maugham’s or Hamilton’s or roundender in reference to these bottles. You will read that the round bottom was intended to keep the bottle from standing up so the cork would not dry out – actually it has to do a design which can handle a greater pressure without breaking.

      They are very common and have little value in most cases (unless in unusual dark blues or greens)

      • shane griffin on said:

        thanks, have hauled it around for 10 years now at least i know what was in it. thanks again Shane

  8. scott shatto on said:

    I have found a bottle in my creek and it has an anchor with an H marked under the anchor and i was told that it was an anchor hockins bottle but i dont know what it is worth.

  9. Joannne Levakis on said:

    We have found an old dump on our property. The dump was used in the 1800’s. We have dug up many old bottles we have no idea what they are worth. I read your article and find many meet the requirements. On bottle has written on it Nickel-Tone Mfg. Co on top in a circle on the bottom it says Providence, RI and on the bottom Registered. We have about 25 and can did more.

  10. Crystal on said:

    I’ve found an old bottle,that has “Cardinal Cream”written on it. I was just wondering what kind of product this is and maybe what time frame it may have came from?

  11. robin on said:

    i have a very heavy clear glass bottle that has the following info on the bottom
    contents 10 FL. OZS. (in caps)
    20 (1) 56 (the number 1 is in a circle.
    4A
    3044-C
    the bottle has a waffled pattern on the bottom half ? And is an overhanging neck, that is smooth can you help me identify

  12. Bill Jensen on said:

    I found a Green bottle at an 1900 logging Camp near Hoodsport, Washington.
    It is 8 1/4″ Tall. 2″ in Diameter. Thick glass. Face of bottle is embossed with:

    H.Holtz & Co. Seattle, Wash. Base of bottle (on side) says: “Bottle Not To Be Sold”
    and also says: S.A.B.C.O

    The seam on both sides “Fades” to nothing, right before the Mouth.
    Can anyone give me any information on this bottle.?

    Thankyou

    • HistoricGlass on said:

      Without seeing a picture, I would guess it to be a beer or soda, and likely dates from early 20th century based on your description. Not sure about SABCO….not listed in the Toulouse book.

  13. Trish on said:

    I found a couple of old bottles while excavating. One is a green soda bottle with “Clicquot Club” on the side and an eskimo on the bottom. Another is a small cobalt blue bottle. And I bought 3 flasks at an estate sale. One is a purple “Jenny Lind” on one side Fislerville glass works on the other. The other one is an amber Robert E Lee on one side and Jefferson Davis on the other bordered by the confederate flag. And the last one is a yellowish “Colombia” with a picture of lady liberty. they are all in excellent condition (except the small blue bottle has a chip in the lip) and from all the research I’ve done, I am convinced they are genuine. Please let me know if you are interested. Thank

  14. matthew on said:

    Hello! I have this bottle i would like to know more about. It stands 1ft 2inches with a white stopper. The bottle is black with a Roman Warrior sitting down on 2 sides of the bottle. Next to him on the floor is a helmet with a unicorn on the front. Above him and around the bottle is a Celtic maze. The images are all done in white. on the bottom it reads federal law prohibits sale and reuse of this bottle and some numbers but no other marks. I would appreciate any information you could give me.

    Thank you!!

  15. Denise VanDusen on said:

    I have , I think, a scroll flask. It’s a very dark red color, there are some bubbles in the glass, you can see them if you hold it up to the light. It has an open pontel mark and is in excellant condition. I found it 40 years ago at an estate sale. I was wondering if it might have any value.

    • HistoricGlass on said:

      Denise, Scroll flasks have been widely reproduced and I have seen repros in a ruby red color. It is a fairly certain bet that this is a 20th century reproduction. They are widely collected and I would expect to see such examples bring $20-30 at auction. Gold is added to glass to achieve the ruby red coloration.

  16. ADDISO MOORE on said:

    I HAVE A OLD GLASS BOTTLE THAT SAYS
    THE GENUINE ALWAYS V.V CAMPBELL BEARS THIS SIGNATURE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IS WORTH.
    THANK YOU VERY MUCH

    • Donna on said:

      We found a bottle just yesterday with the same marking:
      THE GENUINE ALWAYS
      W Campbell (signature in cursive)
      BEARS THIS SIGNATURE

      It is about 6″ tall. It’s flat, cut to facets at the bottom. It has a threaded lip, so I know it’s not terribly old, but I’m curious about the Campbell part–what company it could be. Our family has some Campbell relations, so I’m more interested in its origin than its worth.

      • HistoricGlass on said:

        Second inquiry for same bottle. Same answer: A photo of the BOTTLE will help a BOTTLE COLLECTOR give you some clues as to what the bottle was used for, age, etc. Perhaps markings on base will provide clues. Then you can go about researching the W. Campbell Company. Perhaps head to the library and look for some historical resource on US industries. Post photo on our antique bottle forum (http://forum.antiquebottles-glass.com)

  17. m. g. phipps on said:

    Would like info. on Perrier bottle, 6-1/2″, pear shaped, deep green, air bubbles, 2 pc. mold line, mold seams extend length of bottle through top of the lip. Lip is fairly flat across. (not a screw cap. possibly a bottle cap). Prob. machine made, but base is unusual, deeply embossed with letters “Perrier”, with center star. Any info. appreciated, not having much luck researching via internet, and bottle books. This prob. dates post 1910, appears old, is heavy in weight, and has thick walls. Thanks.

    • HistoricGlass on said:

      Your assessment sounds good – likely earlier 20th century. I recall digging them on occasion. As you might expect with a company as popular as Perrier, these bottles are common and not worth a whole lot, if anything. I would head straight to the Perrier web site and visit their history page.

  18. justin on said:

    I was doing some metal detecting on a hill side and found a (Ste pierre smirnoff Fls) bottle it has embossed righting with a crouwn with saints in little circles not sure what they mean in on the back embossed is a print that has 1818 on it it is a screw cap but i know screw caps started around 1920 or so. there was no cap on it it has a seam that runs threw to the top i have found one other person online with the same bottle and ive checked all the other sites for this type of bottle and cant find nothing im guissing its from the 1920’s to the 1940’s theres a little gc the g on top conecting to the c under neath it and some numbers ? its aboute 11&1/2 inches tall do you have enay info i found in northern ca,

  19. wolfgang on said:

    I found a bottle that has a B then below that a 33 in a circle ( its hard to tell excatly) and then the number 43 on the bottem and on the upper neck it has two diamonds connected to each other made out of four little diamonds with swirls on the ends I was wondering if you knew what coming made this bottle of what it is?

    • HistoricGlass on said:

      Wolfgang, It sounds 20th century, likely screw top, little or no value. Post a photo on the forum and perhaps the shape will tell something of the bottle’s contents or use.

  20. Jeannie on said:

    I have found several bottles on my property. One bottle is apparently a liquor bottle of some sort (in perfect condition). The company name on it is :Dreyfuss, Weil & Co, Distillers, Paducah, KY. U.S.A.
    I found another small medicine bottle (in perfect condition) The Central Pharmacy Pensacola, FLA. , with the statement “Only the Best”. Would you be able to give me any insight how to find information regarding “The Central Pharmacy” Pensacola, Fl?

    • HistoricGlass on said:

      Undoubtedly this was a local business to Pensacola. I would start with the Pensacola library or historical society. Phone books or city directories are often helpful to establish the time when a business existed. Look also to newspaper archives for advertisements.

      In most cases, you are not going to find a written history for Company X – you are embarking on research based on original documents and piecing together your own story.

  21. shelli on said:

    i found a small black glass bottle that had yellow pills in it. it appears to have a small mirror in the bottom of the bottle. It is marked Pd & Co on the bottom. I cant seem to find out any info on this. It would be much appreciated if you knew anything about it to e-mail me back.
    Thank u

  22. Shelby Norwood on said:

    I have a bottle(jar) that is green about 10 inches tall that has L-658B 5 on (left middle) an anchor with a (H) laying on top (center) 6 (right center) with “Shedd’s Lady Betty” (on bottom) any ideas??

    h

    • HistoricGlass on said:

      The Anchor H sounds like the mark of Anchor Hocking, the glass manufacturer. My guess is that this has a screw top and is from the 1940s – 60s, and does not have much in the way of value. A good candidate for the recycle bin.

  23. kimblery on said:

    I found a green glass bottle in the yard at my new house the only markings that are on it is 0.71L 61 mm X30 38 any old have any idea what kind of bottle it is

  24. Kim on said:

    Hi & thank you for your time. During my new hobby of bottle hunting, I came across some very unique bottles. They are clear bottles (assuming whiskey) with a thumb print on one side and four finger prints (more like indentations) on the other. The prints are made for the right hand to hold the bottle. I have searched the internet but have come up with nothing. The site I found them was in Southern Oregon at an old CC camp. It was going until the the 1930’s or so the locals tell me. Any information would be loved. Thank you again..K

  25. James Gallaher on said:

    I have a small clear glass jar on the side is written
    BATTERY OIL
    National Carbon Company A Division of Union Carbide and Carbon Corp.
    30 East 42nd st.New York17.N.Y.Made in the usa
    On the bottom is a very odd emblem it looks like a lighthouse with a 7 underneath
    I was just wondering whst it was used for and when it was made
    Thanks so much

    • HistoricGlass on said:

      Early lead acid batteries were housed in wide mouth open top jars. Battery oil was placed on top of the water in the jar to prevent evaporation. I am sure you will find more information online by searching on “battery jars”

  26. Cybele on said:

    Over this weekend I found a bottle bottom (just the circle of the bottom only) on the beach and was curious about the age and history of it, such as what kind of bottle is it, milk, liquor, etc, ? Not sure if it would be identifiable by just the bottom. It is clear glass, about 4 inches in diameter. It is about a 1/2 inch thick. There is about an inch or so of the side of the bottle still attached, and on this is an embossed “K9”. There is also a raised line about 1/3 inch high that appears to have gone all the way around the bottom of the bottle. The entire bottom is embossed with a large 4-leaf clover. I can’t even say this would necessarily be an antique, but it seemed like such a “lucky charm” to find this so close to St. Patrick’s Day! Any help is much appreciated.
    Thanks!

  27. MARIA on said:

    I recenty found and old glass object with a stopper, it’s very delicate work almost translucent very light yellow no bubbles, very thin glass. Looks almost roman or egyptian in style. On the bottom it says JBA 1533 and there’s a 7 or 8 digit number. can you possible help identify this? or could you give me a phone number or so I could call or would it be better for me to post a picture. Although the markings on the bottom won’t come out so well in a photo. Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you

  28. Jill on said:

    I have a C.I. Hood & Co. Sarsaparilla bottle and would like to know what the # on the bottom means. Mine has the number 64.
    Thank you

    • HistoricGlass on said:

      I am not aware of any definitive reference on base markings besides Toulouse’s Bottle Makers and Their Marks (now out of print) – it is a wealth of information but will do little to answer questions about numerical markings. These numbers are likely to be mold numbers added by the mold makers. In some cases on 20th century machine made bottles, you will see several groups of numbers. For a few, Toulouse has specifically described which is the mold number and which is a year stamp.

      Hope this helps.

  29. Charlotte Scales on said:

    I discovered a bottle that is clear that is embossed with a lid from the E. R. Durkee & Co. New York. The lid has quite a bit of wear looking as though acid has eaten through it in several small places but otherwise still screws on perfectly. On the bottom of the jar there is a diamond shaped embossed emblem with a rounded ball on top with a roman numeral III inside. Underneath that there is embossed the date April 17, 1877. Above the emblem is embossed the words bottle patented. It looks as though the jar possibly had a label on it. It has a lip at the very bottom and another lip 3/4 of the way up. Above the upper lip are the embossed words, E. R. Durkey & Co. New York and above this are two lessor embossed lines together. The jar itself is tappered from the bottom to the top in circumference.

    • HistoricGlass on said:

      Durkee bottles are fairly common and not particularly valuable. The value and demand goes up considerably however if you have an example with a perfect closure and perfect label.

      Patent information is always interesting but one thing I have discovered is that the patent may not have anything to do with the bottle design. It could as likely be related to the contents or producing the contents. Searching for patent information is time consuming and not as easy as one might think. I did some searching for this Durkee patent but couldn’t find an exact match. Here is another patent for a bottle design by ER Durkee from 1875: http://bit.ly/bhHTw1

  30. Charlotte Scales on said:

    I found a NuGrape bottle that is green in color in extremely good condition with a tiny chip on the lip. It is embossed and on the bottom are the initials L.O.W. and or the other side at the bottom is embossed Bottle Pat’d March 9, 1920. It has a wonderful shape sort of like two balls sitting on top of one another with a smoke stake on top. I found one similar from the 1940’s that a man stated was worth around $100.00. How much would the one I found be worth. The bottle is literally perfect with the exception of the approx 2 mm. chip on the lip. Thank you.

    • HistoricGlass on said:

      I don’t have encyclopedic knowledge of 20th century crown top soda bottles, but I can tell you that many such bottles regularly trade in the $1 to $20 range. You are correct that some have value going up into the hundreds of dollars but these are the exception to the rule. The chip does hurt the value considerably.

      As for value, you might check out completed auction results at ebay.com or check out The Soda Fizz (http://www.thesodafizz.com/)

  32. derek lawrence on said:

    i have found a clear cork toped bottle but is weird is it has the american and british embossed on it. well it looks like the american flag british most definitly they cross over each like a x