ORANGE TONICA RISLEY & Co. N.Y. embossed around the shoulder of this nicely shaped "quasi-tonic" - probably a liqueur with medicinal qualities. Color is a beautiful golden yellow (see picture), round "drum" shaped body with a ridge at the base and shoulder, long "ladies leg" style neck, plain indented base, fairly crudely applied wide single band type collar, 10 1/4" tall, American ca. 1870-80. Bottle has no stains or cracks and some nice long bubbles in the glass. It does, however, have an extremely shallow, flat side-of-the-lip flake that is 3/16" long and 1/8" wide with some accompanying "roughness" right at the edge of lip. Doesn't amount to much and by describing it I make it seem more than it is - but it's better to have more information than less, eh? There is also an small (1/8" diameter) impact mark on the side of the bottle that has no depth or radiations but it's there - really no problem. This makes a beautiful window bottle (that's were I have it now) with its "clear" yellowish color. Though not quite a figural, it does have some unique shape attributes that make it a handsome piece of 19th century glass.    $50

Dr. JONES / RED / (cloverleaf) / CLOVER TONIC - This is embossed horizontally on the front indented panel; the reverse is embossed vertically with GRIGGS & CO. / OTTAWA, ILLS.  8 3/4" tall, crudely applied "brandy" finish, smooth base, ca. 1875-1885.  The color of this fairly crude example is a brilliant orange amber with maybe a touch of red to my eye.  It is unusual for a square "bitters type" bottle like this to have horizontal embossing on one side and vertical on the other, though this feature is shared with the regionally competitive and popular Primley's Iron & Wahoo Tonic (Indiana).  This particular example is in very good condition with some ample wear to the base (maybe never buried and sitting somewhere?) and a few small wear spots on the sides.  There is also a small (1/8th square) abrasion mark on one back side corner that is very minor and non-detracting (most wouldn't even describe it) and a tiny bit of content haze in a couple shoulder corners.  Otherwise this is a very nice example with bubbles, neck stretch marks, body crudeness (wavy panels - see pictures) and great color.  $100

VIN ZYMO WINE TONIC - This bottle is a very interesting early 20th century "wine tonic" - common sub-species of medicinal tonics - bottle that was bottled in a standard "Bordeaux" style wine bottle.  The bottle was produced in a turn-mold as it has no side-seams and the distinctive concentric horizontal rings on the body typical of that manufacturing method.  It also has a tooled banded "champagne" style lip or finish, smooth base with a 1.25" kick-up and bump ("mamelon") in the center, 11.6" tall, and is a nice medium olive green color.  The bottle is labeled Vin Zymo Brand Elixir Wine Tonic which was produced by Purexo Products of San Francisco, CA.   It notes a 20 or 30% alcohol level (there is a hole that obscures part of percentage) which is much higher than the usual levels of wine (12-15%) so must have been fortified to give it extra "medicinal" qualities.  The label also notes that it "contains valuable medicaments (whatever that means) in properly blended fully matured California wine" and is "free from iron and laxatives."  The bottle is in about mint condition (a little scratching on reverse) and the original label is very colorful and 95%+ intact and still solid.  Bottle used for and pictured on the Historic Bottle Website.  Interesting California wine related item from the era when the government was just beginning to really crack down on quackery.  $25

SOLD ITEMS

REED'S / GILT / 1878 / TONIC embossed vertically on one side panel; other sides are not embossed but have variable portions of the original labels and tax stamp.  Bottle is a brilliant, relatively light golden amber with very nice glass surface texture, some scattered bubbles, applied tapered collar, smooth base, 9" tall, ca. 1880-1885.  Click here to see a picture that emphasizes the embossing.  This a nicer than average Reed's (never buried of course and these bottles are prone to heavy staining) and includes about 97-98% of the original front label with the Hostetter's "knock-off" trademark of a St. George type guy on a horse, but without the spear and dragon like on the Hostetter's.  The label is moderately age darkened but easily readable as shown in the picture.  The black back label (another Hostetter's knock-off) is about 65% complete and on partially readable.  The third unembossed side also includes a virtually unreadable tax stamp.  This bottle is essentially mint - no staining, cracks, or chips but does have a small surface (no real depth) open bubble on one of the base corners.  Beautiful example even without the label.  SOLD!

WEB'S / A NO. 1 / CATHARTIC / TONIC boldly embossed with some vegetation sprigs on the front of this Lash's Bitters shaped (same company) amber square. On the back it's also boldly embossed - THE BEST / LIVER , KIDNEY & / BLOOD / PURIFIER - click HERE for a close up of the back embossing. Medium amber, 9" tall, tooled long tapered collar, ca. 1890-1910. Also has PCGW lightly embossed on the base - a product of the Pacific Coast Glass Works. The bottle is damage and stain free - only a light few scratches/scuffs, i.e. about mint. Shiny and clean and a relatively scarce bottle - and one of the few Western embossed tonic bottles.   SOLD! 

GOLD /IRON (lion) TONIC / LION - Dr. Thenard - One of the great looking square "bitters" shaped tonic bottles that happens to be one of my personal favorites in the tonic world.  Bottle is beautiful golden amber (like all of them seem to be appropriately enough), 8 3/4" tall, smooth indented base, applied long tapered collar.  Who Dr. Thenard was (click on Dr. Thenard to see a picture of the reverse) I have no idea, nor have I ever tracked down what city this came from.  These are found in the West, but also seem to come out of the East too so I don't know what region of the country they hail from.  Bottle is near mint with just a few very light spots of external haze.  There is a very small potstone in the back under the "H" that has a three very, very small (less than 1/16" long) and hard dot see "legs" connected to it.  Not much of a big problem, but it's there.  A rare tonic bottle that is infrequently offered and one of the few "picture" tonics.  One recently sold on eBay for $375.   SOLD!

MARA NOVA / TONIC on indented front panel. Also MARA NOVA TONIC CO on one side and BOSTON MASS. on other side - reverse is plain. Pale greenish aqua, rectangular with tooled double collar, smooth indented base, 8 1/3" tall, American ca. 1890-1900.  Bottle is near mint with no chips, dings, or cracks but does have some minor, streaky spots of haze on the inside. A rare tonic bottle from New England with big bold distinctive embossing.    SOLD!

CLEMENS / INDIAN / TONIC / large Indian figure with herbs in hand / PREPARED BY / GEO. W. HOUSE - This may not be the pinnacle of tonic bottles but it is definitely in the top tier - especially this one with a virtually 100% intact label!  Aqua with a outwardly rolled lip, OPEN PONTIL base (click HERE to see a picture of the base), 5 1/2" tall, American (Nashville, TN.) ca. 1850.  Although there are a few of these around with the labels (where did they come from?) this one has to be one of the best since it is entire with minimal staining or discoloring.  The label even has George W. House's genuine hand written signature at the bottom though it is somewhat water distorted but readable - click HERE for a close-up picture of the label.  George apparently hand signed all his labels.  The embossing is very sharp and distinct - click HERE for a close-up of the embossing.  The body of the bottle has some very nice whittle markings and eye appealing crudity.  Condition of the bottle is mint and I don't believe there is a better specimen of this bottle existing.  SOLD!

STEWART D. HOWE'S - ARABIAN / TONIC / BLOOD PURIFIER - NEW YORK  All that is embossed in three indented panels with the fourth side plain for the label.  Like the Hoofland's above, this one is only being sold because I acquired a slightly nicer one.  These are big medicine bottles standing 9 1/2" tall.  This example has a smooth base, true applied "patent" finish, and dates from around 1870-1880.  The color is a nice shade of greenish aqua, which shows well in the picture.  Like most of these I've seen, it has a bit of spotty content haze which is light and not detracting; otherwise the bottle is mint with no chips, dings, or damage of any kind that I can see (and I look close).  SOLD!

DALTON'S / SARSAPARILLA / AND / NERVE TONIC BELFAST  embossed on one side; MAINE on the other.  The reverse plain but it does have the FULL LABEL and CONTENTS!  Aqua, rectangular, all panels sunken, plain base, tooled double collar collar, 9" tall, American ca. 1890-1900.  Click HERE for a close up of the embossing . Bottle is mint (ok a little dirt on the outside) and label is 100% complete and intact. Bottle is corked with about 95% of it's black (yuk!) contents.  A common but nice New England tonic bottle in pristine condition with the scarce label and contents.    SOLD!

WEB'S / A NO. 1 / CATHARTIC / TONIC boldly embossed with some vegetation sprigs on the front of this Lash's Bitters shaped (same company) amber square. On the back it's also boldly embossed - THE BEST / LIVER , KIDNEY & / BLOOD / PURIFIER - click HERE for a close up of the back embossing. Light amber with a bit of a yellowish tint and with good clarity, 9" tall, tooled long tapered collar, ca. 1900-1910.  As with all of this style of Web's bottles, it has PCGW embossed on the base - a product of the Pacific Coast Glass Works. The bottle is damage and stain free - only a light few scratches/scuffs and just a wisp of content stain in one line on one side, i.e. about mint. Shiny and clean and a relatively scarce bottle - and one of the few Western embossed tonic bottles.  SOLD!

VIN VITALIA / A TONIC WINE embossed in a "T" shape on the front panel of this unusual triangular tonic bottle in an unusual color - emerald or "7-up" green.  This is a quite rare and unusual tonic from New York, I believe.  9 1/2" tall, tooled double ring lip or finish (click HERE for a close-up picture of the lip), 3 sided with side beveled corners, ca. 1890-1910.  Great window bottle in this color!  Condition is very good with no chips, cracks, or dings though it does have some very light scattered haze inside and out which doesn't much detract from the beauty of the bottle.  SOLD!

WESTMORELAND'S - CALISAYA TONIC embossed on opposite sides in indented panels; one other side is indented and the other flat and not indented.  Click HERE to see an image of the side with "Westmoreland's" embossed.  Light to medium golden amber, 9 1/2" tall, square, tooled LTC with a ring (i.e. "brandy" finish), smooth base with round indent, American, ca. 1885-1890.  This is a very rare tonic bottle in this larger size - I've only seen or heard of maybe three others (and I'm always looking for tonics).  The smaller size is also rare, thought there are a few more around than the larger size.   This bottle is about perfect with a couple of light scratches and a very light patch of inside haze on the "Westmoreland's" side (so light it can't be seen in the picture).  Outside has a very pleasing glossy glass surface.  One of the rarer of the square, amber "wannabe bitters" tonic bottles.   SOLD!

BITTER APPLE TONIC / THE J. W. BRANT CO. / ALBION, MICH. embossed on the front; reverse is plain. Clear glass, round with double ridges around shoulder and near base, smooth indented base, tooled long tapered collar, 6 1/8" tall, American ca. 1885-1895.  Bottle is essentially mint with no chips or cracks and only the slightest wisps of water stain that can only be seen in strong light (see picture). A fairly scarce and unusually shaped tonic bottle with a great name, being the only tonic bottle I know off that includes "apple" in the name. (In fact there are few bottles with apples mentioned in their name. The only ones I can think of off hand are the Perrine's Apple Ginger cabins and the ultra-rare Bininger with apple in the name.)  Great little late 19th century tonic bottle.    SOLD!

WEB'S TONIC:  I have another virtually mint example that is a clone of the ones described in the sold section below except that it is bit lighter in color than the pictured examples and with a slightly longer neck.  Also has some nice bubbles scattered around the glass.  It does have a three in making very shallow body checks coming off the edges of several of the letters in the word "Purifier" that are very hard to see and very shallow (i.e. just in the outside surface layer of the glass).  When I acquired this bottle they were there and the seller did not note them as they are almost invisible.  These three short checks resemble the "crackle" effect one sees on occasional bottles when looking at them in the right angle of bright light...except these are just three in number.  Want to be as accurate as possible here and when describing them it makes them sound way more significant than they really are and you would likely never note them without my mentioning it.  Nice example anyway for a good price.   SOLD!