# Show Us Your Bitters Bottles...



## Staunton Dan (Dec 12, 2009)

I posted this in another thread. I feel that there will be more response if a new thread is started so here goes. Post pictures of your Bitters bottles whether they are Rare or not, Dug, Bought or Traded for. 

*"All bitters bottles are special in my mind because I dig so few of them. Anyone else that digs one, even though they might be common, has a special bottle in my estimation. However, all of that being said, I would love to see, as I am sure many others would also like to see some of the rarer bitters bottles. I know they are out there. Who out there has a picture of the rarer bitters bottles that they have dug?*"


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## cadburys (Dec 12, 2009)

I have never dug a whole bitters bottle in 3 years!! I have dug many shards though!

  Here is a Lackey's Iron Bitters // Bloomington // Illinois 

 It is rectangular with a hinge mold kick up in the base. It dates late 1860's to 1874

 This is VERY rare and I'd guess there are less than 4 known.

  I need one by the way!

 Ant


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## Plumbata (Dec 12, 2009)

There is some demolition going on near my house and I just got into a loaded 1880s-1890s pit. First 2 bottles out were some applied top Hostetters bitters, but alas, each had a busted panel. I'm going back to finish up now and hopefully I will have at least one to post for ya Dan!


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## Staunton Dan (Dec 12, 2009)

Hopefully there will be more than just Hostetter's in there. You're in a good time frame.


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## Dabeel (Dec 12, 2009)

Hey Dan,
 Great Stuff you are finding in that dump of yours.

 Here is my favorite dug bottle from a deep pit in Sacramento, even though it's not embossed bitters, I still classify it as one. The blue in it just sparkles!


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## Dabeel (Dec 12, 2009)

I forgot to include this one(Drake's Plantation Bitters) I watched "*caldigs"* pull from a pit in Sacramento as well. 
 I was pulling up buckets of dirt while he was tunneling away and he found it way down below............sorry I don't have cleaned up pics of it.


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## Ohio Rob (Dec 12, 2009)

Dr Stiebel's Stomach Bitters.  It was dug outside the small town of Walhonding, Ohio.  Looks a lot like Hostetters.  Found three Kilmer's, a gray crock and the Stiebel's that day.


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## Staunton Dan (Dec 13, 2009)

Kovels list Dr. Stiebels at $236 in 1996. Looks like a good one to me but like I said before, they're all good.


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## Staunton Dan (Dec 13, 2009)

> ORIGINAL: Dabeel
> 
> I forgot to include this one(Drake's Plantation Bitters) I watched "*caldigs"* pull from a pit in Sacramento as well.
> I was pulling up buckets of dirt while he was tunneling away and he found it way down below............sorry I don't have cleaned up pics of it.


 
 I would love to dig a whole Drakes. Did anyone ever get a cleaned up picture of it? Would love to see it.


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## Staunton Dan (Dec 13, 2009)

> ORIGINAL: Dabeel
> 
> Hey Dan,
> Great Stuff you are finding in that dump of yours.
> ...


 
 That's a great looking bottle. Looks to be a cornflower blue. That's my kind of bottle... simple, great color and very eye-appealing.


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## GuntherHess (Dec 13, 2009)

http://www.antiquemedicines.com/MattsMedicines/1261/Colburg2.JPG

 This is the only interesting bitters I have found recently.


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## Staunton Dan (Dec 13, 2009)

That's a nice bottle. When I see the bottom of an amber square bottle still in the hole, I always think bitters. Most of the time it's not or it is unembossed and you really can't tell for sure. Who's got a pontiled version to show off or a real rare smooth base?


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## CALDIGR2 (Dec 13, 2009)

Sorry, but I no longer own any better bitters. Many of the good ones went last weekend at our show. All I have left are a few local Cundurangos.[]


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## Staunton Dan (Dec 13, 2009)

Nice colors and display. Looks real westerny with the fence as a background.


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## beendiggin (Dec 13, 2009)

My first and only whole one


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## RedGinger (Dec 13, 2009)

I love the blue one, Dabeel and the in situ shot.  Bitters are a lot of fun.  The one I have was given to me by a fellow bottle collector.  It's a Doyle's.  I'll try to get a picture of it.  Love those bitters.  We have a panel of the Electric Brand Bitters we dug last year.  I really like that name.  Of course, Joe has a whole one of his own.
 P.S.  The only other bitters I have is sitting in my kitchen cabinet... []


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## JOETHECROW (Dec 13, 2009)

Teal Langleys...[]   Lip chipped[]


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## RIBottleguy (Dec 13, 2009)

I was lucky enough to pick this one up 2 years ago off of ebay.  It's not embossed bitters, but an example with the label identified it as "Great Peruvian King Bitters", The bottle is embossed O.H.P. Rose/ E.G. R.I. (Oliver Hazard Perry Rose, East Greenwich, RI).  The patent date is on the shoulder as well.   It is crude (esp. the lip), has a nice dark amber color,  and is triangular, which sets it apart from most bitters.  Some day  I'll take better pictures of it.


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## medbotls (Dec 13, 2009)

Here's one of my best...it was a sleeper at a local auction, and that's a good thing because I couldn't have afforded it otherwise.


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## daeldred (Dec 13, 2009)

We dug this a few weeks ago. Too bad it has a little crack. fabulous bottle though. Check out the story HERE.


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## daeldred (Dec 13, 2009)

Here is a close-up of the shoulder.


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## Staunton Dan (Dec 14, 2009)

Great story and pictures and great bottle. Thanks for contributing.


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## Staunton Dan (Dec 14, 2009)

> ORIGINAL: JOETHECROW
> 
> Teal Langleys...[]   Lip chipped[]


 
 Great color. Too bad about the chip but still a nice bottle.


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## blobbottlebob (Dec 14, 2009)

Here are some of the few that I have found. Oddly enough, both are "german" bitters. Does anybody know if there is some reason to advertise German bitters as being better - or is it just that these were German immigrants? One is Dr. Petzolds, the other is Dr. Hooflands. Two pictures coming. I had trouble for some reason getting the embossing to show on the Hooflands.


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## GuntherHess (Dec 14, 2009)

In the patent medicine age one of the gimmicks used to sell medicine was to show that the formulation came from an older respected tradition as opposed to just making a new product up. Saying the medicine came from the "old country" could give it some respect amoung people, many of who were immagrants. The Philadelphia area for one had a huge german population.


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## coboltmoon (Dec 14, 2009)

I donâ€™t know why the Germans were famous for their bitters but here is another one. This is the best bitters I have owned and just sold on Ebay for $360. Biberach Bitters from Philadelphia Pa. with an iron pontil.

 BTW I bought this bottle on Ebay two weeks ago for $22 so if you look you can still find bargains on the bay.


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## kranked003 (Dec 14, 2009)

Here's a link to my Bitters bottle.  I couldnt get to my photos.
https://www.antique-bottles.net/forum/m-48322/mpage-1/key-hollander/tm.htm#211644

 Hollander Drug Co.//Braddock, PA
 Carpathian Herb Bitters


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## BRIAN S. (Dec 14, 2009)

Barrels


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## CALDIGR2 (Dec 14, 2009)

Fantastic barrels, Brian! I have never collected them because a few of my local friends do and the conflict would be unhealthy. LOL


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## CALDIGR2 (Dec 14, 2009)

> ORIGINAL:  Staunton Dan
> 
> Nice colors and display. Looks real westerny with the fence as a background.


 Cundurango Bitters was a local product and the bottles command 4 figure prices, with the better colors in the mid range.


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## sandchip (Dec 14, 2009)

Those two Highlands are shonuff beauties!


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## BRIAN S. (Dec 14, 2009)

The Highlands are local . They are getting hard to find ! 
 But , I have to admit they are my Brothers ...... he does the Barrel thing and I like the Cabins . 
 No conflicts that way .


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## Staunton Dan (Dec 14, 2009)

Brian, the barrels are beautiful. How about showing us your cabins.


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## jays emporium (Dec 14, 2009)

Here is my collection of figural bitters.  Holtzerman, Old Sachem, Tippecaone, National, Fish, Roback, Drakes. 
 I didn't dig any of these but some I have had for a long time.  The one I've had the longest is the Fish.  When I was in college I was making more money buying and selling bottles than I could by working for $2. per hour.  On my trips home and back to school I always went different ways and stopped at antique shops and yard sales looking for bottles.  One time in about 1976, I stopped at one shop and asked about bottles and they told me there was an estate sale going on that had some good bottles but too expensive for them.  
 I found that sale as quick as I could and sure enough they had old bottles, mostly common but there were two Fish Bitters marked at $100. each.  They told me they found them under the house and I could tell that was true because they were stained on one side only from lying in the same spot for 100 years.  Since it was the last day of the sale and I was a poor college boy I managed to get both for $50.  I soon sold one of them for $125. and kept the other for 33 years.
 Jay


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## daeldred (Dec 14, 2009)

Hey Brian,

 Yeah, those Mansfield Highland Barrel Bitters are great bottles! Did y'all dig those or did you buy 'em? If you dug them did you dig them in east TN? We look hard every weekend for those here in Memphis where the Mansfield Drug Co. was. You say you collect cabin bitters? Have you seen or heard of the Wiggs Bros. Cabin Bitters from Memphis. I have only heard of one embossed one and another slick one found. I guess it looks like a Drakes bitters except a more ornate! That is our white whale! If by a long shot anyone has a picture of one we would really love to have a copy of it.


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## JOETHECROW (Dec 14, 2009)

> ORIGINAL: daeldred
> 
> Here is a close-up of the shoulder.


 

 Great bottles everyone![][] 

 As far as the Wahoo Bitters,...I'm thinking Holy "back to the future!"...By that, I mean,...(and I said this once before.) Did the giant 'Yahoo' computer firm borrow their 'logo' from this bottle? Just look at it,...does anyone else see this besides me?[]
                                                                                             Joe


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## JOETHECROW (Dec 14, 2009)

> ORIGINAL: Staunton Dan
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

 Thank you Dan,....I should take a different pic,...It is a beautiful color, but the background is so 'busy' that it kind of loses it's impact.There are some really great bitters showing up on here!....Keep them coming. (Anyone have any Buffalo NY bitters?..They came in some awesome colors and I think some were made at the Lockport Ny glassworks.(Root maybe?) Thanks,.Joe


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## Chuck1188 (Dec 14, 2009)

Hi all,
 My latest and greatest find was here locally in east texas at an antique shop. It is pretty rare to find good bitters bottles here in texas from what I have found. I also think I was spoiled because I am 21 years old and have only been collecting bottles for about a year. The bottle that I found was a Dr. C.W. Robacks stomach bitters. It is like a normal robacks except the fact that it has an iron pontil. I have yet to find a single pontiled Robacks on the internet. If yall would like me to post pics I will do so asap. I would also like to know what yall think its worth and yalls opinions on the bottle. 
 P.S. The price tag had $28 on it and I talked the lady down to $10 for it. A pretty nice deal I think.


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## appliedlips (Dec 14, 2009)

Great find Chuck. The Roback's is not uncommon with an iron pontil but is more desirable than its smooth based counterpart. Value would be in the $375-$425 if mint.


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## BRIAN S. (Dec 15, 2009)

> ORIGINAL: daeldred
> 
> Hey Brian,
> 
> Yeah, those Mansfield Highland Barrel Bitters are great bottles! Did y'all dig those or did you buy 'em? If you dug them did you dig them in east TN? We look hard every weekend for those here in Memphis where the Mansfield Drug Co. was. You say you collect cabin bitters? Have you seen or heard of the Wiggs Bros. Cabin Bitters from Memphis. I have only heard of one embossed one and another slick one found. I guess it looks like a Drakes bitters except a more ornate! That is our white whale! If by a long shot anyone has a picture of one we would really love to have a copy of it.


 
   No ..... they weren't dug  ...... by us anyway .
   Never heard of the Wiggs Bros. . I would *definetly *like to see a pic or drawing of it. I don't have many TN. Bitters ......... they are *hard* to come by.  I do have the large and small size Aromatic Orange Bitters semi-cabins from Nashville . And a Bettersons Bitters square from Knoxville .


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## Staunton Dan (Dec 15, 2009)

> ORIGINAL: jays emporium
> 
> Here is my collection of figural bitters.  Holtzerman, Old Sachem, Tippecaone, National, Fish, Roback, Drakes.
> I didn't dig any of these but some I have had for a long time.  The one I've had the longest is the Fish.  When I was in college I was making more money buying and selling bottles than I could by working for $2. per hour.  On my trips home and back to school I always went different ways and stopped at antique shops and yard sales looking for bottles.  One time in about 1976, I stopped at one shop and asked about bottles and they told me there was an estate sale going on that had some good bottles but too expensive for them.
> ...


 
 Great bottles Jay and a great story about the Fish Bitters. Which one is your favorite or is that a no brainer?


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## jays emporium (Dec 15, 2009)

Yes, the fish is my favorite because it has been with me so long.  The corn is probably the most valuable one and the Roback's has a nice iron pontil.  I bought the Roback's barrel from an ad in "Old Bottle Magazine" for $100. in about 1980.

 Jay


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## hj (Dec 15, 2009)

My one and only. Its is interesting simply because it was the third bottle pulled out of my very first real dump . I dug this before I ever dug a Bromo, a castoria or a Sloan's.

 My first three non ABM finds were an Allen's Lung Balsam, Healy and Bigelow's Indian Sagwa and this Doyles.

 Not too much since that dump. []Those were the days...[&:]

 hj


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## Staunton Dan (Dec 15, 2009)

Great Doyles there and great story. Hopefully you will get into some more good bottles soon including some more great bitters like this one.


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## bearswede (Dec 15, 2009)

Here's the "other side" to he Doyle's story...

  A "black" Dr. Soule's with a backward "S"...


  Ron


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## bearswede (Dec 15, 2009)

Full frontal...


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## lexdigger (Dec 15, 2009)

Nothing too special, but they are fun to see come out of the ground!


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## lexdigger (Dec 15, 2009)

More of a med, but still a bitters!


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## lexdigger (Dec 15, 2009)

OUCH! Iron Pontiled CW Robacks


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## lexdigger (Dec 15, 2009)

Welcome to my nightmare! Drake Plantation... busted and disgusted!


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## logueb (Dec 15, 2009)

Just don't seem like where I dig that there are many bitters.  You would figure that after 40 years of digging that there would be more.  Atwood's Jaundice, Hostetter's, Electric Brand, and Dr. S B H & Co. The Electric Brand bitters was the first bitters that I dug.  The one on the far right is embossed Dr. S B H & Co PR on the base.  Some places list it as a bitters.


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## lexdigger (Dec 15, 2009)

Another common but Fun one! First bitters I ever dug. Sample sized Dr. Harters Wild Cherry Bitters. Also got a sample sized Dr. Atwoods Jaundice Bitters outta the same dump.


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## Sam_MaineBottles (Dec 15, 2009)

Great Thread!

 Here's my favorite Maine bitters (and one of my favorite ME smooth base bottles overall) - a Peruvian Tonic Bitters from Portland - I really like the color and crisscrossed beveled corners.

 -Sam


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## Sam_MaineBottles (Dec 15, 2009)

This was a sleeper bargain on ebay and the partial label was a nice bonus!

 -Sam


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## Staunton Dan (Dec 16, 2009)

Wow, those are all great bottles. I can see why people just collect bitters. There's so many different kinds and many are quite elaborate. Let's keep this going. I know that there are more great bitters bottle out there. Show us your pics.


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## bottlechaser62 (Dec 17, 2009)

One of my favorites- found on top of a mound of dirt at a construction site!


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## bearswede (Dec 17, 2009)

Real nice lookin' bottle, Sam...!

 How you been? Since I had to retire and sell my best bottles, I don't get around to the shows anymore... Miss it...

 Ron


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## Lordbud (Dec 17, 2009)

I once had a Waits bitters that I'd never really liked that I purchased for $20 around 1990 which I traded for a San Francisco perfume back at the Golden Gate show when it was held in Pleasanton in 1991/92. I've seen plenty of Waits since then but have never seen another of the SF perfumes I traded for.
 I had an African Stomach bitters and a Peruvian bitters but sold both of them on ebay when I weeded out my collection.
 But I'm not bitter that I have no bitters in my collection. [8D]


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## bottlechaser62 (Dec 17, 2009)

just anoter shot of bottle


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

I was heading out to my Dads today and thought about this thread. He has a nice collection of pontiled bitters, so I thought I would take the camera w/me. Well, the battery in the camera was dead so I had to take the back up camera and it is junk!! I took pictures anyway , but they are not very good quality. They are good enough to tell on a few of them. Here is a Dr. Skinners Celebrated 25c Bitters.


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

Indian Restorative Bitters


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## JustGlass (Dec 17, 2009)

Here's a few of mine. They are common but pretty nice examples. The thin lip Richardson op bitters is my favorite of the bunch.


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## JustGlass (Dec 17, 2009)

another view


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

Stephen Jewitts Celebrated Health Restoring Bitters.


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## JustGlass (Dec 17, 2009)

last pic


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

side of the Jewitts


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

Just Glass,

       Very nice row of bitters!!

       I have seen some real nice bottles on this thread.

       Here is a Drakes


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

Tippy!!


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

Dr. Balls Vegtable Stomach Bitters.


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

Dr. Blakes Aeromatic Bitters.


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

Side of Blakes.


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

Colleton Bitters.


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

Other side of Colleton


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

Hooflands.


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

Clarks Sherry wine Bitters


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## bearswede (Dec 17, 2009)

Here's one I never should have let get away...




 Ron


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

Oxegenated Bitters


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

Side of oxegenated bitters


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

Langleys


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

Huge open pontil on langleys


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

Curtis and Perkins wild cherry bitters There was also a very nice phoenix bitters but the picture is too large to download.


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## bearswede (Dec 17, 2009)

Johnson's Indian Dyspeptic Bitters... Open pontil with "graphite" residue...


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

Real nice S O Richardsons Bitters


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

Dr. Manley Hardey's Jaundice Bitters


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## Bent_Twig (Dec 17, 2009)

Bearswede,

       That is one nice bitters bottle!! Love the pontil.


                      Twig


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## Staunton Dan (Dec 17, 2009)

Now that's what I'm talkin' about. What great stuff guys! Thanks a bunch for postin'. I could look at these bottles all day. Just don't see 'em much.


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## JustGlass (Dec 17, 2009)

Here's a Langley's Bitters I picked up at a flea market in Maine. Nice darker green color. I thought about having it tumbled but decided to put it on hold. Weird defect near base. Looks like the maker stuck a butter knife into it before it cooled. Also a chunk of glass in with the embossing.


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## MaineMtnDigger (Dec 20, 2009)

Thought i would join in these are the best bitters i have ever found


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## Dale (Dec 20, 2009)

Here are my Stresau Bitters bottles from Courtney, Tx. They're not embossed Bitters, but there has been one found with a readable label and they were Bitters. I did not dig these. 3 of them came from a friend that got them from Bill Agee's collection, and the other one I got off ebay. I believe I am the only person that has these 4 different varieties in a collection.


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## Dale (Dec 20, 2009)

Here is the back side of the bottles.


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