Keene Sunburst pint flask GVIII-8 - Sunburst flasks are one of my favorites and with many people for obvious reasons - they are truly beautiful early American items.  The offered medium olive green - with just a touch of amber - pint flask here is also an 1820s to early 1830s design from the Keene-Marlboro Street Glass Works, Keene, NH.  It is classified as GVIII-8 by McKearin & Wilson and has KEEN embossed on one side and P&W on the other in the little ovals in the middle of the sunbursts, a blowpipe pontil scar on the base, slightly flared sheared lip or finish (sheared/cracked-off with tooling marks and re-firing), and was produced in a key base mold.  Click reverse view to see the KEEN side.  This flask is also essentially mint with no issues except for some wear on the high points of the sides (where the embossing in the center of the sunburst is and particularly on the KEEN side) and some typical base wear.  As is typical, the KEEN and P&W are lightly embossed but readable.  Nice example.   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!

SUCCESS TO THE RAILROAD (horse pulling a cart) - This is embossed on both sides of this familiar pint flask; familiar to most bottle collectors that is!  Although not particularly "rare" in the world of early American flasks, these are very popular flasks due to the great embossing which is typically very "raised" and bold - especially the horse and cart - and the historical linkage with the early push to connect the country by rail in the 1830s, the age of these flasks.  This particular mold is classified as GV-3  by McKearin & Wilson (1978), is pint sized, blown in a true two-piece "key base" mold, has a cracked-off (aka "sheared") and refired straight finish or lip, a blow-pipe (aka "open") pontil scar on the base (click base view to see such), and is a beautiful light-ish to medium yellow olive in color.  Oh, it also has distinct ridges down both narrow sides on the mold seam and around the embossing pattern on each embossed side.  The flask also has the typical crudeness collectors love in early American glass - cool swirls and lines in the glass, rough surface texture, lots of seed bubbles and small impurities in the glass (none with radiation issues), varying glass density and color, in-making waviness to the lip rim, and just the look and feel of "oldness."  The condition of this example is near mint with some highpoint wear on the embossing and the base from having sat and laid somewhere for 180 years; no chips, cracks, or other post-production damage.  The only "issue" with this flask is typical of this mold in that a portion of the embossing (primarily the word "THE") on the upper part of the side is weak (enough to be hard to photograph) though it is all readable and the rest of the embossed lettering is moderately to very bold.  Nice addition to any collection and an ex-Heckler auction item.  SOLD!

Shield and Clasped Hands pint flask (GXII-23) - This pint flask was blown by the famous Pittsburgh glass company of Christian Ihmsen & Sons as indicated by the C. I & SONS embossed underneath the eagle on the reverse side (well, reverse as noted by McKearin & Wilson).  The other side has the popular Civil War era - the era of this flasks manufacture - motif of the clasped hands within a shield along with the word UNION, 13 stars, etc.  The embossing is very bold and distinct.  According to Jay Hawkins' great book on the subject of Pittsburgh glass makers, Christian Ihmsen & Sons was the company name from 1861 to ~1875.  This 7.5" tall, pint flask is listed as "comparatively scarce" by McKearin & Wilson (1978).  It has a very crude applied "tooled, broad rounded ring below thickened plain lip" (to quote McKearin & Wilson - their finish #12) and a rounded key-mold type smooth base (McKearin & Wilson type #5 base) indicating being blown in a true two-piece mold; both finish and base being typical of the wares produced in the Pittsburgh region during the pre to post Civil War era.  The color is a relatively rich blue aqua with the glass having various swirls of un-melted slag or ash particles imbedded in the glass; click close-up of the finish, neck and shoulder to see a close-up of some of this.  The flask is overall very crude with large bubbles, the noted slag particles (no radiations from any of these), a very sloppy and crude lip, stretch marks in the neck, wavy glass and is just a wonderful example of the crudeness of hand-blown glass from the mid-19th century!  Condition is near mint - no chips, cracks or other damage (well, one tiny pin-prick at the edge of the base and a bit of wear on the high points of the base) - although there is some light haze in the upper shoulder and a bit behind the eagle on the reverse.  Overall, a fine Civil War era liquor flask that is scarcer than most of these types.  SOLD!

Persian "saddle" flask/bottle - Offered here is virtually perfect example of what are referred to as "Persian saddle flask" and believed to have been used as such ( slung inside of some type leather or cloth sheath) in various parts of the Mediterranean world or nearby (like Persia).  (Not "early American" per se, but from the era of Colonial America.) According to McKearin & Wilson (1978:244-245) the origin of these flasks is a bit vague though they attribute them to Persia (Iran today).  What isn't questionable is that these bottles are definitely old being produced during the 17th and 18th century.  (I've read once about someone contending they were Austrian bottles from the 18th or early 19th century, but never seen any confirmation of that.)  In any event, this bottle is at least a couple hundred years old!  This example is 9.25" tall, a rich medium clear green, has the typical wrapped "thread" or string of glass around the upper shoulder and neck, free-blown manufacture with a crudely tooled flared lip and a glass tipped pontil scar on the somewhat pushed up base; click base view to see such.  The bottle is in near mint condition with no chips, cracks, an entirely intact applied thread of glass (these are often missing pieces, but not this one); the only issue is a bit of content haze on the inside and some outside surface wear and light scratching in the usual spots (base rim & sides).  Very nice looking item which I used to illustrate that bottle type on the Historic Bottle Website.  Great window bottle and almost certainly the least expensive, good condition bottle dating from the 1600s or 1700s that one can acquire these days.  SOLD!

(shoulder star) /E. ROUSSEL / PHILAD.A - DYOTTVILLE GLASS WORKS PHILAD. / SILVER MEDAL / 1847 / AWARD / THIS BOTTLE IS NEVER SOLD - This is a great, dated, mineral/soda water bottle from Philadelphia, PA.  The contained product was good enough to win the silver medal at some unstated competition in 1847.  Tod von Mechow's great website on soda/mineral water bottles dates these as being made/used from 1847 to 1849 - an early soda by any standards.  The bottle is just under 7.5" tall, an olive toned medium emerald green color to my eye which passes the light easily, has some nice whittling to the surface and bubbles in the glass, and a nicely distinct iron/improved pontil scar on the base with light but even iron residue remaining.  Click base view to see such.  The shoulder has a very boldly embossed star and the finish/lip is what is referred to as a "tapered collar" - a one part, early and crudely applied finish that has flattened sides and flares out distinctly from the rim to the base.  Click close-up of the shoulder, neck and finish to see such.  The embossing is generally quite good: the E. ROUSSEL side is all very boldly embossed; the 1847  dated side - which was engraved much less deeply and with very small letters compared to the ROUSSEL side - is still pretty bold for these bottles with only the IS in BOTTLE IS NEVER SOLD nearest the heel being very hard to see.  The condition is very good having been lightly cleaned.  The only issues being a minor bit of residual (post-cleaning) case wear/scratching, some scattered, small, and hard to see ("pin prick" size) contact marks on the body/heel, a narrow wisp of light discoloring from the upper neck gradually disappearing in the shoulder (this could be some minor post-cleaning stain but could be some glass mixing discontinuity), and a small (2-3mm in diameter) impact mark at the heel...no other chips, cracks, or other post-manufacturing damage.  Overall this early soda is very appealing to the eye and much better looking than that litany of minor issues implies - see the images.  Bottle acquired for and used/pictured on the Historic Bottle Website.  Great dated mineral water made during the earlier days of the "blob soda" era.  SOLD!

Root beer amber early umbrella ink - Stoddard manufacture?  Well, everyone speculates about that with these early umbrella inks so I won't (or maybe I just did?).  This bottle is a beautiful little jewel that looks like it was poured into the mold.  It has sheared and re-fired straight finish or lip, a blow-pipe pontil scar on the base (click to view base), was blown in a two-piece hinge mold, and dates from around 1845-1855 most likely.  The surface of the glass is glossy, waxy, with rippled whittle all over.  It may have been professionally cleaned although I think it was fire polished when made - a common bottle treatment at that time with some types of bottles, especially those with sheared or cracked-off finishes like this.   Color is a medium to medium dark root beer amber and fairly represented by the image.  The condition is just about mint with no chips, cracks, or staining...just one tiny pin point peck mark (with no accompanying issues) on the lower part of one panel.  SOLD!

Brilliant, deep grass green pint scroll flask - This is a spectacularly brilliantly colored pint scroll flask which keys out to GIX-10 in McKearin & Wilson's 1978 book "American Bottles & Flasks."  This flask was likely blown at the Lancaster Glass Works (Lancaster, NY) between about 1845 and 1855, has a crudely sheared/cracked-off lip or finish which received some tooling and re-firing, and has a large wonderfully nasty blowpipe pontil scar; click base view to see such.  (This image also shows that a bit of the extreme outside base edge appears to have been ground down some to allow the flask to stand straighter, something commonly done by early flask collectors.)  The color is as shown - a brilliant medium grass green that is  both beautiful and very rare to find.  The flask is also very crude in the body and neck with stretch marks, bubbles, moderate amount of pebbly-ness to the surface (but not too much) and all the things one wants in a mid-19th century American figured flask!  I have another that is essentially the same color so this one is "extra." The flask has one "issue" that was almost certainly done in making, i.e.,  several short, very thin, hairline fissures in and around an inside open (?) bubble near the lower median rib on one side.  Click close-up of side to see the hairlines pointed out.  Two of these "lines" appear to be the edges of the inside open bubble or on the thin covering of it on the inside, but not sure.  The third hairline (upper one pointed out in the image, <1cm long) appears to come off the edge of the bubble.  All of this is very hard to see and to photograph, but they are there...and sound WAY worse to describe than they really are.  There is no other issues with the flask and the glass is sparkling and unstained (never buried I'm sure). If perfect, this would be a $1500++ flask I suspect.  This slightly flawed example is priced to move and the in-making "damage" very hard to see...and the color will make your bottle shelves come alive!  SOLD!

CLARKE & WHITE / large C / NEW YORK - Although Clarke & White bottles are generally fairly common in most of the myriad of varieties, this one has uncommon - though very esthetic - crudeness to it.  I actually don't really want to get rid of it as it is so cool looking, but here it is...I can't keep everything.  The bottle is about 7.75" tall, has a fairly crudely applied "mineral" finish/lip (the Saratoga mineral water bottles are the origin of the finish name I believe), smooth (non-pontiled) somewhat domed base (embossed with an "X" in the middle and a "7" off to the side - see image), and is from the 1860s.  The special thing about this bottle is the zillions of tiny and not so tiny bubbles in and on the glass; click close-up of the glass surface to see this semi-orange peel look to the glass surface.  Otherwise the bottle is essentially mint with no chips, cracks, staining, or other issues...the only thing I can see is a very small scuff (not chip) on the edge of the heel on the back.  There is probably some minor scratching and such mixed in with the rough surface but they are unobtrusive.  A great example!  SOLD!

Square blacking bottle - Here is a classic example of early American utilitarian bottle making - a 1820s to 1840s era "blacking" bottle most likely produced at an early New England glass factory.  Blacking is an old term for shoe polish (as applied by "bootblacks") though the product was also used for harnesses, belts, and other leather products.  This example is ~4.3" tall, a fairly clear (not muddy) olive amber with a yellowish tint, heavy glass for its size, has a crudely cracked-off lip or finish (aka "sheared" though most bottles like this were cracked-off), blown in a hinge mold (a distinct mold seam dissects the base) and sports a nice, bold and sharp blowpipe type pontil scar.  Click base view to see such; one can see in the image how the hot, plastic glass was pushed up slightly by the pontil rod in order to inset the scar enough so that the bottle would stand upright easy, which it does.  The glass surface is quite "rough" and wavy reflecting the crude cast iron, two-piece, probably bottom-hinged mold it was blown into.  Lots of seed bubbles in the glass and just OLD looking.  Condition is essentially mint with no cracks, chips (besides the totally in-making roughness of the cracked-off finish which received very little fire polishing at the "glory hole"), or staining...just a tiny bit of dirt (or blacking?)  in one upper corner.  Actually, it is rare in my experience to find one with significant staining as "black glass" like this is very durable glass and hard to patinate (aka "stain").  This bottle was acquired to help illustrate the shoe polish/blacking bottle section of the "Household Bottles (non-food)" typology section on my Historic Bottle Website.  Nice example, very early American and in great condition!  SOLD!

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