BLATZ - Milwaukee, Wis. - Old Heidelberg Brew beer tray - This is an esthetic beer tray that was reportedly produced during Prohibition (ca. 1920s) for the "near beer" product of Blatz - Old Heidelberg Brew...not "Beer."  The label on the bottle confirms this somewhat as it does state that the product "Does not contain...of alcohol by vol..." (the missing parts are off the edge of label graphic).  This is also confirmed on the www.Trayman.net website (great resource BTW).  The tray was made - according to small print in the lower right corner - by the The American Art Works, Inc., Coshocton, Ohio.  Size of the tray is a rectangular 13.25" by 10.5" by 1.25" deep.  It has some chipping and edge wear as can be seen in the enlarged photo (click to see a larger version) but is overall a nice looking tray with good graphics and pleasing overall nice design...and an embossed BLATZ bottle! (Which is what attracted me to the tray.)  The bottle graphics itself are almost untouched, with most of the wear/chipping in the vicinity of BREW and along the rim.  The back of the tray also has spots where the paint has worn off but the tray has no dents at all.  I actually acquired this tray in Ely, Nevada about 30 years ago of all things; time now to pass it on.  Incidentally, a near mint example sold on eBay for $373 a few years ago; this one is certainly not mint but priced accordingly.   $75

1878 CC Uncirculated Morgan Silver Dollar - This is one of those uncirculated Carson City mint silver dollars that was removed from the plastic holder that the mint sold them in (I removed it many years ago).  The date of this is 1878 - the first year of the Morgan dollars I believe.  It is mint condition, but what grade - MS-60 or MS-62 or ? - I don't know, so I'll call it MS-60+.  However, potential buyers can click on the thumbnail images to the left to view much larger versions of the images that will show you the finer details...so you make the grading call.  

As far as I can see it doesn't have much in the way of distractingly large scratches or gouges, pretty clean cheeks, a good strike although not much in the way of "frosting"...so it is probably between MS-60 and MS-63.  These images are scanned images which gives a "harsh" appearance to the coin though I can take regular digital photographs of any of these coins if desired; just email me.  Nice example of a coin made with genuine Nevada - Virginia City - silver! Coin now in a mylar flip.   $235

1880 CC Uncirculated Morgan Silver Dollar - Here is another uncirculated Carson City mint silver dollars that was removed from the plastic holder that the mint sold them in (I removed it many years ago).  The date of this is 1880.  It is mint condition, but what grade - MS-60 or MS-61 or ? - I don't know, so I'll call it MS-60+.  However, potential buyers can click on the thumbnail images to the left to view much larger versions of the images that will show you the finer details...so you make the grading call.  

This coin does have a semi-proof-like surface to the background on the reverse (a tad on the obverse) and has some frosting to the face and hat of Ms. Liberty on the obverse and to the eagle on the reverse.  These images are scanned images which gives a "harsh" appearance to the coin, though I can take regular digital photographs of any of these coins if desired; just email me.  Nice specimen that is now in a mylar flip.  $425
 

NOTE:  I also have four more uncirculated Carson City silver dollars that will be sold in the near future.  They are 1881 CC through 1884 CC, inclusive.  Email me if interested.  Two are in the original U. S. Mint holders, two aren't.

NOVA CONSTELATIO - 1783 - No, this isn't a bottle but it is a very nice early American (Colonial almost) copper coin (cent) that is in very fine condition.  This is the version of the Nova Constellation large pennies with the blunt rays.  I bought this coin something like thirty years ago, but never could give up bottle collecting enough to really get into coins, so it is time to move it on.  This one was purchased from M. B. Simmons & Associates of Narberth, PA.  They graded the coin as VF-35 - just shy of EF - and it books as Crosby 3-C.  Click on the thumbnail images to view much larger versions of the images so that you can see the condition.  It has a nice brown glossy un-pitted surfaces - pitting being a problem with these early coins I believe.  These images are scanned images which gives a "harsh" appearance to the coin though I can take regular digital photographs of any of these coins if desired; just email me.  Overall a very esthetically pleasing to the eye piece that "Red Books" in VF at $700 and in EF at $1,600.    $600

1899 MS-60 Barber quarter dollar - Here is another coin that I picked up almost three decades ago - this one purchased from Bower's & Ruddy Galleries in Los Angeles, CA.  Click HERE to see the coin in the original flip from that company.  They rated this coin as MS-60 and it is a very nice example.  Whether it would "slab" higher or not who knows, though the surfaces look great and the strike looks pretty good to me.  Best thing to do is click on the images here and see for yourself what the surfaces look like - I'm not a coin grader.  All I know is that it looks very mint and very nice.  $225

Oregon Centennial Beam Bottle - Yes, this isn't near as old as the other bottles on this site. However, I think they are very interesting mid-20th century "relics". This Jim Beam bottle commemorates the 100th Centennial of Oregon's statehood in 1959. Front of the bottle has trees, beaver (state animal), river with fisherman, and the wording 1859 OREGON 1959 /CENTENNIAL. The label is on the front below the scene and is totally intact with just a little wear/scuffing. The reverse has the wording 1859 OREGON 1959 /100 YEARS with a bunch of snow covered peaks and trees. The bottle also has opposing beavers chewing on the stumpy (literally) neck. Base has the usual "Federal Law Forbids Sale or Re-use of This Bottle" verbiage and other manufacturers marks with the date 1959. Colors are bright and the bottle is mint with only the usual imperfections of manufacturing that all Beam's have (glaze irregularities and the like). A very esthetic bottle that used to sell for $50-60 back in the early 70's before the market for Beam bottles crashed.  The Sesquicentennial was in 2009 making this a 52 year old bottle already!   $20

...and for the aficionado of aged bourbon, I've got one of these Oregon Centennial bottles that is sealed & almost full of the original Jim Beam bourbon!  All sealed and proper, with complete labels and the works.  From the feel of the bottle (can't see inside of course) it has lost a bit to evaporation, but is probably at least 80-90% full.  Sold only for its historic significance - not the contents (wink) - to those over 21 (no winking there).  (Like a teenager would buy this anyway!?)   Not many of these around with the contents and yours for...$125
 

Pint scroll flask in deep amethyst! - Sure wish this was made in the 1850s, but alas, it is one of the excellent Clevenger Brothers reproductions from sometime in the mid-20th century.  Note quite early American, but a reproduction of such.  I believe this is an imitation of the GIX-10 pint scroll mold which the company made in the 1950s and 1960s according to McKearin & Wilson (1978).  Clevenger produced excellent reproductions, which to the untrained eye, look real...except that original examples in amethyst are essentially unobtainable (maybe not even in existence with this depth of color).  Many or most Clevenger bottles - like this example - also have a "CB" on the base indicating its origin.  Click CB base embossing to see the initials close-up.   This example has a smooth, non-pontiled base (a give away to me that it's not 19th century), a very crudely sheared/cracked off tooled "straight" finish or lip, and a very crude body.  Now that Clevenger is out of business (has been for a decade or so) their excellent glass items will become more and more collectible.   This example is in mint condition having never been buried of course.  A great window bottle that has been in my window for years.  SOLD!

HARRISON'S - COLUMBIA - INK - This is an example of the large family of ink bottles produced for Apollos W. Harrison who was a Philadelphia dealer in "books, maps and ink" from about 1847 to 1877 (McKearin & Wilson 1978). This would be considered a large ink bottle or small bulk ink.  It was acquired for and pictured on the Historic Bottle Website; the following is from the write-up on that website:

These ink bottles come in many sizes ranging from 2.5" (1 oz.) up to a gallon size at a large 11.5" tall (McKearin & Wilson 1978).  (This)...example is aqua in color,  3.6" tall, 2" in diameter with eight equal vertical sides, a crudely applied two part collared ring finish (the closest fit to the finish styles described elsewhere on this site), a very distinct blowpipe style pontil scar, and was blown in an apparent (hard to say for sure) two piece post-bottom mold with no evidence of mold air venting.  Click on the following links to see more images of this bottle:  base view showing the protruding and very tubular blowpipe pontil scar; view of reverse side showing the word PATENT embossed on the shoulder.  It is not known as to what the patent was for, though likely the ink itself not the bottle.  These bottles are known to have been made at several South New Jersey glasshouses including Whitney Brothers and Isabella Glass Works (Covill 1971). 

This example is not quite perfect but displays well.  Specifically, the top of the finish (as style essentially unique to Harrison's ink bottles) has a very thin, flat flake (approx. 1/4" by 1/8") that just touches the edge on the right side of the bottle (and shows in the image) and the bottle has some water staining which isn't too detracting (see image).  A very presentable example with a great example of a tubular blowpipe pontil...and priced right.   SOLD!

Barber Bottle - This is a mouth-blown, turn-mold, blowpipe pontil scarred barber bottle that dates from the heyday of such items, i.e. 1870s to maybe 1920 or so.  More specifically, this example likely dates from the 1880-1900 period and is a brilliant yellow green and has the enameled "dot and daisy" design and includes the original (?) shaker top for dispensing the contents.  The condition of this bottle is about mint - the bottle is perfect and the enameled design only has some very slight wear on the widest diameter part of the bottle body.  No chips, cracks, dings, or staining.  It also has some small seed bubbles scattered around in the glass.  Very nice looking item which I used to illustrate that bottle type on the Historic Bottle Website.  SOLD!

ROGER'S / NURSERY / HAIR LOTION - This is very unique bottle due to the beautiful rainbow iridescence "patina" from a rare "positive" interaction with soil this bottle was buried in.  Click on the images to the left to see the different colors that this bottle has depending on the direction of the light (two different light angles).  The same portions of the bottle have blues, reds and gold hues overlaid and visible depending on the light angle.  It is very similar to the bottles that were found in the mud flats of Benicia, CA. except this bottle has no glass etching like those bottle typically have.  It is 5 1/4" tall, smooth base (embossed with a "4" mold number), tooled patent finish or lip, and dates most likely from the 1870s given the location the bottle was found - the famous "ghost town" of Hamilton, Nevada.  (I purchased it many years ago from the digger of the bottle when I lived in Eastern Nevada.)  The origin of Roger's Nursery Hair Lotion is unknown but had to have been shipped in from California like most things to the Nevada mining camps.  Patina aside, the condition of the bottle is essentially mint with no chips, cracks, dings, or other post-production damage.  The pictures show the iridescence pretty well, but it is more impressive in real life.  SOLD!

PARK PHARMACY / E. G. COOK / DETROIT - This neat chunk of bottle making iron is an original mold plate - aka "slug plate" - that was used for the production of embossed druggist bottles during the 1910s.  It is embossed as noted, as a mirror image of course to the bottles produced by this plate.  According to the story I've heard, this - and a small "horde" of such plates - were found many years ago in an old shed at the site of the Whitall Tatum & Co. glass company (Millville, NJ).  Whitall Tatum & Co. was one of the biggest producers of proprietary (i.e., embossed specifically for a particular customer) druggist/pharmacy bottles from the 1870s to 1930s, including embossed mouth-blown ones until at least 1924.  This plate is 3.5" long, just under an inch deep, and 1.3" wide and weighs one full pound.  The back of this plate has the engraved glass company catalog or tracking number of P3465E and a screw hole where the plate was secured to the mold.  The condition is excellent with just some scattered rust here and there.  An interesting feature of this item is that it has the mold air venting holes scattered throughout the engraved lettering.  These small pin holes connect with a larger drilled hole that runs the length of the plate.  These vent holes allowed for the venting of the hot gases from the mold insides as the bottle was expanding.  This plate was procured and used to illustrate the Historic Bottle Website.  Great go-with for medicinal and/or druggist collectors and just to those interested in the lore of mouth-blown bottle manufacturing.  SOLD!

OLD CABIN STILL WHISKEY - Here is a quite interesting - and quite rare and historically fascinating - early machine-made whiskey bottle with the label, original box AND is still fully sealed with around 85%+ of the original contents - all of which date prior (barely) to National Prohibition!  The fully intact tax label (covering the cork stopper) notes that the whiskey was "made Spring 1915" and "bottled Fall 1919" - mere weeks before Prohibition was fully in effect in January 1920 (though most liquor was already off the market by early 1919).  Click upper bottle close-up to see this on the tax label. The label on the front notes that it was distributed by A. Ph. Stitzel of Louisville, KY. and "Distilled Spring 1915" - click close-up of the front label to see such.  The smaller rear label notes that the whiskey was produced by Wright & Taylor (a well know late 19th to early 20th century distiller) and in keeping with the period, was being sold "For Medicinal Purposes Only."  Click rear label close-up to see such.  The bottle is embossed ONE PINT on the rear shoulder, is machine-made as noted earlier, and has a cork sealed "brandy" style lip or finish.  The bottle and labels are essentially mint as shown in the images; box is a bit rough, but mostly largely intact and in good shape as the image shows.  Sold only for its historic significance - not the contents (wink) - to those over 21 (no winking there).  (Like a teenager would buy this anyway!?)  A very cool and unique item which I acquired to illustrate that bottle type on the Historic Bottle Website.  I see these type "medicinal" Prohibition era whiskey flasks with the original contents sell occasionally on eBay for $150 to $300 or more; I'll go towards the low end here on this example.  SOLD!

Handled Olive Green Liqueur Bottle  - Medium olive green, applied handle, likely applied lip (?) with silver or pewter decorative work covering it, smooth indented base, 6" tall, ca. late 19th century - most likely European in origin.  This is a beautiful handled jug that has about half of the contents still inside and is sealed.  Both sides have a small label which reads: Liqueur de MERISE.  There is also a small neck label that says the same thing.  Merise is French for "wild cherries"...so this is a "wild cherry liqueur."  Bottle is mint and has a nice wavy texture to the glass. Very nice looking item which I used to illustrate that bottle type on the Historic Bottle Website.  SOLD!

S. McKEE & Co. early shoo-fly flask - This large (about a quart) flask is an early Pittsburgh glass house item that is probably the precursor type to the later common shoo-fly and coffin flasks.  This greenish aqua flask was blown in a post base mold, has a crudely applied band type collar (a typical Pittsburgh glass house finish type seen on many flasks made in the 1860s and 1870s), almost 9" tall and 5+" wide, and has an empty "slug" plate on one side. Condition is near mint with no cracks, chips, or significant staining - a bit of sediment haze in the bottle.  This item was procured to use as an illustration on the Historic Bottle Website on the Liquor/Spirits Bottle page ( http://www.sha.org/bottle/liquor.htm ).  Following is the write-up from that website with a bit more more information on the style and specific bottle history:

The very earliest examples of shoo-fly flasks appear to date from at least the early 1870s, possibly the late 1860s.  Since many of these flasks are often embossed with makers marks from Midwestern cities ( e.g., Pittsburgh, PA., Louisville, KY.) it is thought that the style originated in the region delineated by these two cities and considered the "Midwest" in the glass making world.  These early shoo-fly flasks have applied finishes (brandy and oil; exception to the right), no air venting, and were blown in hinge mold or post base molds (Wilson & Wilson 1968; Thomas 2002; Whitten 2005a,b,c; empirical observations).  (The pictured example is) an aqua, quart sized, early shoo-fly style flask with an applied champagne type finish.  It dates from the 1870s based on diagnostic features and was made by the S. McKee & Co. Glass Company (Pittsburgh, PA.) who used the S. McKee & Co. mark from about 1872 to 1889 (Lockhart unpublished manuscript 2004f).  For more views of this flask click on the following links:  side view; close-up of shoulder, neck, and finish. 

Another interesting thing about this large flask is that the mold engraving very smoothly transitions over the three mold pieces that came together at the base - the two sides of the mold and the round base post plate (click on the image above).  A true craftsman did the mold engraving on this piece!  All in all, a nice glass works item with some nice crudity.  SOLD!

Genuine late 19th century "lipping" or "finishing" tool - This is the real thing - a finishing or lipping tool used to form the lip of bottles (i.e., "finish" the lip) at some American bottle making company during the late 19th century to possibly the very early 20th, i.e., 1880s to 1910.  This particular tool (12" in total length) has the jaws in place to produce a type of "blob" finish which had a slightly protruding ledge at the widest point on the finish's outside surface; click on the image to the right to see a much bigger version where the details show better.  I've seen this type modified blob finish on bottles before, though for the life of me, I can't place where. (Any comments on this would be welcome!).  This is the typical "calipers" type finishing tool, with a central "centering" plug and two connected springy arms, which was used from the mid-19th century (the first American patent was in 1855) to as late as around 1920.  This particular tool was most likely used to produce a "tooled finish" not an "applied finish."  How can I tell that?  Note how the lower part of the jaws would extend onto the extreme upper neck of the bottle "wiping" out the vertical side mold seams when rotated to "finish" the lip.  The wiped out upper side mold seam is a key characteristic of what is called a "tooled finish" on my Historic Bottle Website.  The condition of this finishing tool is excellent and could be used to finish bottles today!  It still has some bits of the original paint remaining here and there, though most of the exposed metal surfaces are lightly rusted though totally sound.  As one can see in the images, the protective sheathing for the handles is intact with some charring on the lower end where closest to the hot bottle.  This example was acquired for illustrating glass making tools on my other website and is of particular interest as it allowed for the changing of the jaws to produce a different shaped finish by unscrewing the set on it and replacing it with another set.  Very hard to find "go-with" for a bottle collection.  SOLD!

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

WESTERN AMERICAN BOTTLES BITTERS EARLY AMERICAN BOTTLES & FLASKS MEDICINAL "TONIC" BOTTLES OTHER MEDICINAL BOTTLES FOODS & CANNING JARS SODA/MINERAL WATER & BEER BOTTLE BOOKS

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