EARLY AMERICAN BOTTLES & FLASKS
(Civil War era & before)

Listed prices do not include shipping & insurance.  Please read the Information for Buyers section on the main "Bottles For Sale" page for complete buyer information.
 

CORN FOR THE WORLD (corn motif) - (monument) BALTIMORE -  Quart size, McKearin GIV-4, smooth base, crudely applied double ring variant lip or finish, ca. 1860-1870.  Click reverse view to see such; click side view to see one side.  The color is a brilliant medium golden or orange-ish amber and the glass has bubbles and other crudeness including stretch marks in the neck.  This flask has the added attraction of being an ex-Charles Gardner collection flask, the auction sticker for which shows in the base view image.  (Item #2196; it also has the Gardner collection catalog sticker on the neck - 145F.)  Condition of this flask is about mint with no staining, cracks or chips of note; just one tiny (2 mm in diameter), flat, edge flake at the base which was noted in the auction catalog addendum.  This bottle also used for and pictured on the Historic Bottle Website.  Great big boldly embossed flask with a significant heritage.  $1650

E. DUFFY & SON / 44 FILBERT St.  - This listing is for a very early and interesting ale or porter bottle from the City of Brotherly Love .  The noted embossing (click image to the immediate left) is embossed in a very distinct "slug plate" or just "plate."  This is one of the earliest of these type plates which made it easy for soda, mineral water, beer (ale, porter, stout) bottlers to have individualized "proprietary" bottles made up for them at less cost than a individual mold.  The other side is embossed (not in a plate) with DYOTTVILLE GLASS WORKS (arched)  / PHILAD.A (Philadelphia, PA.).  This particular bottle has a crudely applied mineral finish/lip, a distinct iron or improved pontil scar or mark on the base, and an overall crudity befitting its manufacturing date of about 1854 to 1856.  (For more information on these Dyottville bottles and dates of manufacture see Tod Von Mechow's excellent article in the May 2006 issue of AB&GC magazine.)  The condition is very good for a re-used, dug bottle with no chips, cracks, or notable staining though the bottle does has some moderate wear to much of the body from re-use; this is visible in the close-up image to the left.  It is however, not really that distracting and gives the bottle surface a "matte" type finish.   Bottle used for and pictured on the Historic Bottle Website.  A relatively nice example of a very historic bottle which is among the earliest of the embossed beer bottles.  $165

OUR CHOICE "CLEVE AND STEVE" half-pint flask - This amber half-pint barrel flask (these are also found in the one pint size too) was produced during Grover Cleveland's 1892 Presidential campaign and is embossed OUR CHOICE / (two busts) / CLEVE & STEVE / NOVEMBER 8TH 92 / MARCH 4TH 93.  On the reverse, superimposed over the barrel staves, is a rooster which was the symbol for the Democratic party in some Midwestern states at that time indicating that this is where these flasks were most likely produced.  These flasks are listed in McKearin & Wilson (1978) as a portrait flask with the catalog number GI-124 and are one of the latest produced flasks the authors cataloged.  Click on the following links to view more pictures of this flask: view of the reverse with barrel hoops and embossed rooster; base view; side view; close-up of the shoulder, neck, and finish.  This bottle is in mint condition with no damage or staining of any kind; the only imperfection is a very small (2 mm or so long, < 1mm wide) surface roughness to the left of "Cleve's" head (visible in enlarged photo) that appears to be a non-melted "slag" particle at the surface.  Bottle was used to help illustrate the barrel flask type on the Historic Bottle Website.  A rare item with neat historical significance.  $600  (Yes, this isn't "early" American, but listed it here since it does have a McKearin number.)

Keene Sunburst half-pint GVIII-10 flask - Sunburst flasks are one of my favorites and with many people for obvious reasons - they are truly beautiful early American items.  The offered olive amber half-pint flask here is a typical 1820s to early 1830s design from the Keene-Marlboro Street Glass Works, Keene, NH.  It is classified as GVIII-10 by McKearin & Wilson (has KEEN embossed on one side and P&W on the other in the little ovals in the middle of the sunbursts), has a blowpipe pontil scar on the base, straight sheared lip or finish (sheared/cracked-off with tooling marks and re-firing), and was produced in a key base mold.  Click on the following links for more pictures of this flask: shoulder and neck/finish view; base view; side view.  Bottle is mint with no issues at all with some typical base wear (though I suppose I should mention a tiny potstone in the side with no issues).   As is typical, the KEEN and P&W are lightly embossed but readable.  Bottle was used to help illustrate the figured flask section of the Historic Bottle Website.  I've had this flask for 20+ years having acquired it with a grouping of early American bottles from an old time New Orleans collection.  Time to pass it on.  $825

Pitkin flask, swirled to the right, 36 ribs - This exceptionally nice "pitkin" flask is 6 1/4" tall and in a very bright medium forest green coloration.  The upper 1/3rd of the flask is swirled and singled ribbed and also a bit darker than the rest of the bottle (as the image shows).  The lower 2/3rds is double patterned with the swirled ribs and vertical ribs and is lighter.  Base is somewhat pushed up and has a glass-tipped type pontil scar.  Click here for a close-up of the shoulder, neck, and flared sheared finish which shows the color very well.  This is an ex-Paul Richards collection flask which Heckler sold in September 1993 (lot #320; the auction sticker is still on the bottle).  Heckler's color description was also "forest green" with no condition issues noted.  I agree...the condition is essentially perfect with no issue besides a tiny bit of vague wear on the lower sides (very hard to see) and on the base, of course.  (There is also the Richard's collection number lightly marked on the base with white paint - it would be easily removable.)  Excellent example in a very nice color.  $825

Quart GIX-2 Scroll flask - This is most likely a McKearin & Wilson GII-2, as the lower star looks a bit smaller than the upper one to me.  Quart size, 8.5" tall, ca. 1850s, a deeper than average bluish aqua, nice distinct iron pontil base (click base view to see such), and a crude sheared or cracked off lip that was refired a bit like most "sheared" scroll flasks, though quite a few scrolls weren't even refired and can be sharp.  Condition of this large bottle is near mint - it was never buried it appears - with just a bit of dirt inside at the base.  The glass is the nice wavy, crude, and with some un-melted sand grains particles (no real potstones and no radiations), swirls and bubbles - all the stuff that make these bottles a joy to behold.  Also a great window bottle.  $135

Shield/Clasped Hands - Eagle with banner calabash - This item is McKearin & Wilson (1978) GIV-42 and features a mixed bag of embossing on one side (pictured to the right) that includes a Masonic compass, the word UNION, clasped hands, a couple leafy branches and an assortment of stars.  The reverse side has the letters ARS (for A. R. Samuels of Philadelphia, PA.) with a bird and banner; click reverse view to see such.  It has very interesting fluted ribs on the side; click side view to see such.  This "calabash" bottle is about a quart in capacity, bluish aqua in color, has a sharp blowpipe (aka "open") pontil scar on the base (click base view to see), an applied single tapered collar, is almost 9" tall, and dates from the Civil War era.  This item has never been buried and is essentially in perfect mint condition with no chips, cracks, dings, or staining.  It does have a very small (less than a pinhead in size) sand grain on the lower reverse that has several very, very short (1 mm) "legs" coming off of it...all hard to see (I used a hand lens), but it is there.  Bottle used for and pictured on the Historic Bottle Website and a nice example.  $70

ROHRER'S - EXPECTORAL / WILD / CHERRY / TONIC - LANCASTER, PA. embossed on three sides of this tall "pyramid" shaped bottle which is very familiar to most collectors.  Also has the two  odd "pretzel" type motifs on the four sides (round on the narrow sides and arched with a "V" in the middle on the wider sides) as shown in the picture and, of course, the very pleasing "roped" corners.  10 3/8" tall, a medium but "bright" golden amber, distinct big gray iron pontil mark on the base (click Iron Pontil for an image of the base), ca. 1860s.  Also has some bubbles scattered throughout the glass.  Bottle has the typical wear on the base from not having been discarded - an attic find undoubtedly.  It is in near mint condition except for the base wear and a very, very small thin/flat "flea bite" on the outside edge of the lip (finish) which is hard to see.  One of the classic bottles that every collection should have and a beautiful example.   $395

Louisville Double Eagle Pint - GII-24 - An always popular flask due to the highly ornate embossing, heavily and elaborately ribbed sides (click side view to see such), and just a "neat" look...great window bottles.  These ca. 1840s flasks blown in Louisville (most likely) have very heavy embossing and lots of it; click close-up of the embossing to see such.  This example is a nice bluish aqua, relatively heavy glass, a blowpipe pontil scar on the "key" mold base (click GII-24 base to see such), and a straight "sheared" (probably actually cracked-off and refired) finish.  The bottle is in near mint condition with a perfect though crude lip rim and no chips, cracks or dings.  It does, however, have a light overall haze which is very even and non-distracting (just a few small different density spots) and appears as though it was probably dug (wish I could dig one!).  It would clean up spectacularly with a light professional cleaning (it has little or no "etching") but looks quite nice as is with the very light "frosting" effect which adds some highlights of rainbow iridescence.  Given this light haze on an otherwise perfect bottle, it is priced right at....$250

SOLD ITEMS

Bininger "Small" Whiskey Barrel - This is the smaller version of the Bininger barrel embossed as follows:  Distilled in 1848 / Old Kentucky / Bourbon / 1849 / Reserve / A. M. Bininger & Co. 19 Broad' St. N. Y. along with various groups of rings as you can see in the picture.  Medium amber, about 8" tall, double OPEN PONTIL base (click  to see a picture of the base), crudely applied double collar, ca. 1850's.  A nice example that includes an very unusual "double" open pontil mark where a blow-pipe type pontil scar is located in the middle of a larger pontil mark (see picture - hard to describe).  Why this bottle was double pontiled is hard to understand, unless one rod "failed" and the glassblowers helper had to re-attach a pontil and used a larger rod?  The only condition issue is a few scratches and a couple very shallow, no harm pontil flakes (one just barely touches the heel of the bottle) which is understandable because of the multiple empontilling this bottle received.  Nice example in near mint condition with the scarcer pontiled base (or in this case - double pontiled!).   SOLD!

Double Eagle "BEADED EDGE" Pint Flask - GII-1 - One of the most beautiful of the figured/historical flasks in many peoples opinions are the beaded edge double eagle flasks made by an unknown Pittsburgh, PA. glass according to McKearin & Wilson (1978).   This pint flask has a sheared/refired lip, blowpipe pontil scarred "key mold" base (click GII-1 base for a picture), and is bluish aqua in color.  This example is mint with very little/no wear and has a bit of the orange peel effect to some parts of the smooth surfaces; just enough to add some additional character to a flask that already has lots of character with the boldly embossed (and quite artistic) eagles and of course the highly decorative double row beaded edges.  Excellent flask.  SOLD!

WALKING MAN - EAGLE WITH BANNER  - Pint, bluish aqua, crudely applied single collar, smooth base ("key" mold), 7 1/2" tall, ca. 1860-1870.  This a "Pike's Peak" without the "For Pike's Peak" embossing - I think it is GXI-17 in McKearin & Wilson (1978).  Click HERE for a picture of the eagle on the reverse.  Nice example of this flask which is listed as "scarce" by McKearin & Wilson.  Bottle is about mint with a tiny bit of high point wear.  There is an inside partially open bubble (about 7/8" by 1/2" is open) to the left of the walk'n dude's face that has some residual content sediment in it.  Otherwise an almost pristine example.  SOLD!

LOUISVILLE, KY - GLASS WORKS - This is the "comparatively scarce" GIX-9 (curved embossing) pint scroll flask produced by the Louisville Glass Works sometime between the late 1840's and the Civil War.  Click reverse side to see that side.  The thumbnail image to the right shows a close-up of the Louisville, KY embossing (click to enlarge).  Like most of these flasks, this example is quite crude with an "orange peel" surface texture, though the embossing on both sides is still quite distinct.  Flask is almost 7" tall, has a large, distinct, oval iron pontil mark, and a crudely cracked off "sheared" lip that like many scroll flasks was only minimally fire polished - if at all - leaving behind a rough, finger cutting (almost), crude lip that has some in making flaking from the cracking off process.  (For more information on this glassmaking process visit my other website which is hosted by the Federal Government; the cracking off process is explained at this link: http://www.blm.gov/historic_bottles/finishes.htm - scroll down to the section on "Cracking off and shearing.)  Color is a nice bubbly bluish aqua and an Ex-Glass Works Auctions item (listed as mint, which it is).  A flask one doesn't really see that often really.  SOLD!

SCROLL FLASK - A nice pint, scroll flask that is listed in McKearin & Wilson (1978) as GIX-12a (has 6 points to the upper star on one side with the rest being 8 pointed).   They note that this mold is "rare" and comes in two colors - cobalt and aquamarine.  Well this is the latter color of course.  The flask has the typical (for a a pint scroll) sheared & re-fired lip with a nice outward flare, 6 3/4" tall, blowpipe pontil scar on a distinct "key" mold base, ca 1850-1860.  A rare mold for an otherwise relatively common flask but still as popular today as they were prior to the Civil War.  This example is mint or darn close - no chips, flea-bites, cracks, stains or other problems though it does have a no-harm shallow pontil chip that just reaches the heel of the bottle on one side and a small bit of high point wear.  The color is a better than average, relatively deep bluish aqua, that has great eye appeal.  Also has nice bubbles in the glass and some typical period crudeness including nice wavy, waxy glass.  Not much else to say about it except this is about as good as aqua scrolls get and one of the rarer mold aqua pints.  SOLD!

KEENE MASONIC - EAGLE PINT GIV-17 - One side of this wonderful early American pint flask is an eagle with banner on top of oval with the word "KEENE" embossed.  The other side has a Masonic emblem - click HERE to see a picture of the reverse.  Sheared & re-fired mouth, great sharp blowpipe pontiled base, 7 1/2" tall, ca 1835-1845.  Made at the Keene (Marlboro Street) Glass Works, Keene, NH. this flask is not particularly rare - by figured flask standards - but always popular.  The color is a light to medium clear olive yellow - beautiful light (for these bottle) color from top to bottom.  The condition is essentially mint with only a few spots of high point wear.  Stretch marks in the neck, lots of tiny seed bubbles, and a glossy pleasant surface appearance.  There is some minor weakness of the finer details of the embossing, e.g. the shield on the eagle's chest, which is common on this mold.  However, as the pictures show the overall embossing impression is quite bold.  SOLD!

New England type umbrella ink - These New England attributed early American 8-sided umbrella inks date from the 1830s to 1850s era, and though not exceptionally rare, are very popular because they are both beautiful, come in an assortment of colors, and are simply fine examples of the craftsman era of glass blowing in America.  This example is about 2 3/8" tall, has a blowpipe "open" pontil scar on the keyed hinge mold base, and is a dark olive green in color.  Click on umbrella with sun behind it to see the color with direct sunlight behind it.  Very crude in the body with wavy, waxy, bubbly glass this example is about mint with some typical base wear and one very tiny pin prick nick on one base corner.  This bottle appears to still have a tiny bit of residual ink inside; evidence of having never been buried most likely (along with the base wear).  Nice example.  SOLD!

I also have an almost identical example (actually blown in the same exact mold!) that is a medium topaz olive amber and is simply beautiful.  Pictures upon request.  SOLD!

CUNNINGHAMS & IHMSEN / GLASSMAKERS / PITTSBURGH, PA. embossed more or less horizontally on the front of this strap sided flask; the reverse is not embossed.  Bluish aqua glass, applied vaguely banded lip, almost 8" tall (pint), smooth "key" mold base, ca. 1860-1870.  Listed in McKearin & Wilson (1978) as GXV-5 and as "scarce."  Click embossing close-up to view a close-up of the embossing which is very distinct, but hard to photograph.  The bottle and glass has some nice crudity: stretch marks on the neck, sloppy applied finish (a very "Pittsburgh" type lip), and a flap of glass formed on the lower neck where the mold didn't come together well.  This is a hard to find glassworks flask from the same era as the glassmaker base embossed fifth whiskey cylinders.  Condition is about about mint with a few scratches and a couple light wisps of content staining which is virtually invisible.  Nice flask.  SOLD!

McCARTY & TORREYSON flask - This pint semi-scroll shaped flask (McKearin & Wilson GIX-48) is embossed on one side with McCARTY & TORREYSON / (star) / MANUFACTURERS / (decorative stuff) / WELLSBURG, VA.; click HERE to see an image of the lettering embossed side which is well embossed (picture makes it look lighter than it is).  The reverse (or is it the front?) has a cool "primitive art" type sunburst design that really makes the beauty of the flask; click on the thumbnail picture for a larger version.  Bluish aqua in color with a very distinct iron pontil scar on the base; click base view to see such (the small bit of clay helps the bottle not rock, though it does stand up fine without it).  The interesting history on these flasks is that Wellsburg, VA. is actually in West Virginia now - a state created during the Civil War (1863) era when it was split off from Virginia by a Northern controlled Congress in the debate about slavery and succession.  Obviously this bottle dates prior to the Civil War (1850s).  Bottle is essentially mint with little or no wear and no cracks, chips or other damage though there is a small bit of sediment in the corners of the base.  I also has some nice wavy crudeness to the glass and is overall an exceptional example of a fairly hard-to-find flask.   SOLD!

DR. TOWNSEND'S / SARSAPARILLA / ALBANY, N.Y. is embossed on three sides of a very familiar (to collectors)  early patent medicine that dates from the 1840s or 1850s.  This is the variant with the "SARSAPARILLA" in fairly small letters and shifted towards the shoulder (not centered).   Bottle is 9 3/8" tall, sand pontil scarred base, medium olive green in the upper half getting darker towards the base with a crudely applied long tapered collar.  This bottle is made of very heavy, crude glass with a wavy, rippled surface texture which is also full of hundreds or thousands of bubbles of various sizes.  Also has some neat swirling stretch marks on the shoulder and lower neck.  Click on the following links to see the other two embossed sides of the bottle and some more visual evidence of the crudeness: SARSAPARILLA side (just a tad lightly embossed); ALBANY, N.Y. side.  The bottle is near mint with a bit of light wear on the sides and a couple small (< pin head size) nicks on the inside of the lip that are most likely the result of manufacture as the lip rim is very crude and wavy.  However, they have a bit of an edge to them so they are noted.  Overall a nice, typical example of these classic early American medicine bottles.   SOLD!

Globular Midwestern bottle with 24 swirled ribs - Although not real rare, these swirled ribbed bottles are very popular for obvious reason - the are beautiful.  This example is a light to medium honey amber, just under 8" tall with a round glass-tipped pontil scar on the base and an applied or rolled banded collar typical of these bottles; circa 1820-1840.  This is a nicer than average specimen in that it is very distinctly ribbed throughout the entire bottle.  It is in essentially mint condition with just the lightest of content haze inside when viewed in bright sunlight and a bit of shelf wear on the base from sitting for upwards of two centuries.  A fine example of early American glass making skills.  SOLD!

FLORA TEMPLE handled flask - McKearin & Wilson #GXIII-21 (base is like #21) or GXIII-22 (finish is like #22).  This is an example of the smaller pint sized Flora Temple flask with the famous (at the time) racehorse inside of an upraised hanging frame with HARNESS TROT 2.19 3/4 below the frame (the record speed of the horse at a race held in October 1859).  These flasks are thought to have been manufactured by the Whitney Glass Works.  This example has the applied banded collar, applied handle on the right side, smooth base (a bit of mold seam roughness on base making it a bit tipsy though it does stand up fine), and is 8.25" tall.  Color is a very nice, translucent medium reddish or puce amber with a waxy sheen to the glass surface that is pleasing to the eye (not a professional cleaned type sheen; this bottle has not been cleaned).  The color and glass sheen is pretty evident in the larger version of the image to the left (click to enlarge).  The flask is in about mint condition with some light scratching/wear on the back where it was laid down, some on highest part of the horses belly, and a bit of in making roughness along the lower right mold seam where some glass extruded into the loose interface between mold halves.  SOLD!

Mid-Western "Pitkin" flask - If there is a more beautiful class of bottles made during the early 19th century than the New England and Midwestern "Pitkin" type flasks, I sure don't know what they would be. This example is a beautiful clear medium green, 6 1/2" tall, with 36 broken-ribs swirled to the left, open (blowpipe) pontiled base, Midwestern American ca. 1820-1830.  Click HERE for another view of this flask showing the typical ridge of glass near the shoulder that typifies these flasks.  Pitkin flasks of all origins were made using the German Half-post or "double-dip" method where the bottle is first blown in a small pattern mold (the vertical ribs), pulled out and expanded slightly, dipped in the hot glass again, patterned in a second mold with a different set of ribs engraved in it, then removed and expanded to its final shape.  I just love these early American flasks, but this one is a duplicate - if that can ever be said of free-blown glass since they are always unique.  (Note:  This bottle was used to illustrate my Historic Bottle Website.)  Condition is essentially mint with just a little typical wear on the base and some light scratching on the lower sides; all minor and non-distracting.  There is also an interesting small glob of glass attached to the side of the flask (shows on the right side in the picture to the left) which is a neat reminder of the primitive nature of glassblowing almost 200 years ago.  These are getting harder and harder to find every year.  (Ex-Heckler auction #66 item; my price is less than what it sold for!)   SOLD!

ZANESVILLE / OHIO / J. SHEPARD & CO. - This embossed lettering is on one side of a spectacular pint flask classified as GIV-32 in McKearin & Wilson's 1978 book American Bottles & Flasks.  Although not a rare mold, examples in any color but aqua are highly sought out these days for obvious reasons - these bottles are beautiful!  This example is overall a fiery and brilliant orange amber with maybe a touch of red as shown by the various images.  As the image shows (but slightly exaggerates), the flask is actually somewhat "two-toned" in that the upper body/neck and lower half are a medium reddish orange amber with a swath of yellowish orange amber in between.  The lip is crudely sheared/cracked-off and refired (and perfect); the base has the typical blowpipe type pontil scar (click base view to see such).  The side with the eagle and noted embossing is shown to the left.  The reverse (click reverse view to see such) - called the front according to McKearin - features a typical Masonic arch, sheaf of wheat, some tools, etc.  The flask side (click side view to see an image of such) has a bold medial rib many other flasks of this vintage (i.e., 1825-1830).  This flask is in mint or perfect condition - I can't find anything wrong with it including any high point wear...except for some on the base were it should be.  It is fairly crude with a moderately pebbly surface and pretty well embossed with only a slight bit of weakness to the "Zanesville" (and rays below it) on the one side, though as the image shows, that embossing is quite visible.  I've had this flask for about 20 years and time to pass it on though I will miss it. (Bottle used for and pictured on the Historic Bottle Website.)   SOLD!

Bininger "Big" Whiskey Barrel - This is the larger - and rarer - version of these well known and justifiably popular, early "figural" whiskey bottles.   Embossing pattern is:  Distilled in 1848 / Old Kentucky / Bourbon / 1849 / Reserve / A. M. Bininger & Co. 19 Broad' St. N. Y. along with various groups of rings as you can see in the picture.   This is a lighter amber, whittled, open pontiled stunning beauty which a nice waxy glass surface.  Big "blowpipe" open pontil scar on the base - click Big Bininger Base to see a picture of the base.  This bottle is about mint with a very small flake (1/8") off one of the lower rings on the back, on very small open bubble on a ring also on the back, and 150 years of base wear as this bottle was never buried.  Nice example.   SOLD!

PATENT "RICKETT'S" squat liquor bottle - OK, this isn't technically "early American" though these bottles are indeed commonly found on early American historic sites primarily east of the Mississippi.  This is one of the famous Ricketts three-piece mold bottles and is embossed as such on the base:  H. RICKETT'S & CO. GLASS WORKS BRISTOL.  Click HERE to view an image of the base which shows the embossing which is distorted in places due to the crudeness of the bottle (common on these squatty Rickett's bottles).  It is embossed with PATENT on the shoulder and are the bottles that originated this feature which was copied by many American glass companies during the mid 19th century.  Click shoulder view to see the PATENT embossing which also shows a bit of the three-piece mold seams.  This particular bottle is a dark olive amber (i.e., black glass), has a sand chip pontil scar which is typical of these English-made bottles, has a crudely applied mineral finish or lip, is almost 9" tall, ca. 1821-1840.  For more information, these bottles are covered in more depth on my other Historic Bottle Website at this link: http://bottleinfo.historicbottles.com/liquor.htm#Squat%20spirits%20cylinder%20bottles   The bottle is essentially in mint condition with some base wear and few light scratches.  It came out of an old time collection in New Orleans which I purchased part of about 20 years ago.  (It also included a similar - though light olive green - bottle with an 1822 dated blob seal which will be listed in the next year or so.)  Great historical item!  SOLD!

MIST OF THE MORNING / SOLE (indented circle) AGENTS / BARNETT & LUMLEY - The previous wording is embossed horizontally in the center of this horizontally ringed liquor/whiskey barrel.  It is reminiscent of the much commoner Hall's Bitters barrels but with a totally different lip or finish, i.e., a "brandy" style instead of the wide flared one-part disk finish/lip of the Hall's.  This beautiful bottle is a light to medium yellowish amber in color, about 9.6" tall, has a crudely applied brandy finish, smooth indented base, and dates from the 1860-1875 era.  Besides having beautiful waxy glass with some bubbles and other body crudeness, this barrel is essentially mint; I can't find any problems with it whatsoever, but I suppose someone might find a small open bubble or vague scratch.  These are pretty rare bottles that came in a couple variations including this type with some of the upper sets of rings being slightly "slugged" out to form a flared label space.  Simply one of the finest examples I've every seen (an ex-Harmer Rooke auction item from about 20 years ago).  SOLD!

C. BRINCKERHOFFS - HEALTH RESTORATIVE - PRICE $1.00 - NEW YORK - The Brinkerhoff's bottles are one of the more available early, pontiled, dark olive green (almost black glass) medicine bottles around and still not that commonly seen anymore.  It is embossed reasonably bold - for these bottles - on four sides with C. BRINCKERHOFFS - HEALTH RESTORATIVE - PRICE $1.00 - NEW YORK.  (See the various linked images to view some images showing the boldness of the embossing.)  This product was advertised between 1845 and 1849 as a cure for consumption (tuberculosis), liver complaint, asthma, colds, coughs, and pains in the side and chest according to Odell's great book on pontiled medicines.  This bottle has a crudely applied short oil finish (aka a long tapered collar), was blown in a two-piece "hinge" mold (as indicated by the mold seam crossing diagonally across the entire base), and has a large sand pontil scar (aka "sticky ball pontil).  Click side view to see the HEALTH RESTORATIVE side of the bottle.   The condition of the bottle is essentially mint with no staining, chips, cracks, nicks, major abrasions, or other issues.  Nice example with that great crudeness that makes early American glass so wonderful.  Bottle used for and pictured on the Historic Bottle Website.  SOLD!

Click on the following links to go to these other pages with more bottles for sale.