# What would be the 'holy grail' of bottle finds?



## AvoidingWork (Jun 29, 2004)

Hey all.  I was just thinking, --what would be the most prized bottle-find?


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## deepwoods (Jun 29, 2004)

Does it have to be an already known bottle? My personal"holy grail"would be a Dr.J.B       Henions Cure for Malaria,a W.C Sweets King of Oils,or a cobalt ten-pin F.Gleasons MineralWater.All Rochester N.Y bottles.


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## BRIAN S. (Jun 29, 2004)

Well avoiding work that would greatly depend on what type of bottle you like or collect !
 Myself personally , I like the Bitters !  So my " holy grail " of bottles would probably be one of these Legendary Bitters !  I can dream can't I ?????????   
  Or if it was a bottle not yet known my holy grail would be a Cobalt blue Kelly's Cabin or a Cobalt Aromatic Orange Semi cabin from Nashville !!!!   Whew ...... I'm getting the shakes and sweats here just talking about it !!!!!  LOL       Brian


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## IRISH (Jun 29, 2004)

I agree with Brian that it just depends on what you like,  for me it would be the cobalt blue hotel Codd from Cossack WA (don't know if there is a complete one known) or the cobalt John Johnson Roebourne Codd with the writing down the back.  
 Unknown would be a cobalt Codd-torpedo hybrid from Australia [] ,  we get a blue lip one so you never know [] .


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## Oldtimer (Jun 29, 2004)

Oh my......Mine would be a 12 or 14 or 16  paneled pontiled embossed Emerald green or Cobalt master ink...I want to dig this bottle please...


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## AvoidingWork (Jun 30, 2004)

Neat.  Sounds like it is a subject thas crossed a few minds ....Speaking of incomplete bottles--is it ever worth it to keep broken bottles?  I glued a few back together, but i'm running out of room in the window sills to display them.   ---Also, i found a "wyeth & Bro Philada" the other day.  I've seen this term before--what exactly was 'philada'?


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## Oldtimer (Jun 30, 2004)

> ORIGINAL:  AvoidingWork
> 
> Neat.  Sounds like it is a subject thas crossed a few minds ....Speaking of incomplete bottles--is it ever worth it to keep broken bottles?  I glued a few back together, but i'm running out of room in the window sills to display them.   ---Also, i found a "wyeth & Bro Philada" the other day.  I've seen this term before--what exactly was 'philada'?


 

 Philadelphia PA.

 Wyeth is a common name to see on a bottle. A bottle would have to be very rare to have value if it is glued together.


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## Harry Pristis (Jun 30, 2004)

"Philada'" is usually written "Philad'a", an abbreviation for Philadelphia.  As in:

_in McKearin/Wilson in Illustration 78, 

 Blue-aquamarine, long rectangular body, fluted corners, long cylindrical neck, narrow round collar,; inscribed lengthwise on one side: "GENUINE ESSENCE"; paper label on the other side: "From FREDERICK KLETT & CO's / ESS. PEPPERMINT. / Drug and Chemical Warehouse. N.E. Cor. Callowhill / and Second Streets, *Philad'a*." 1843-58 address._

 ------Harry Pristis


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## AvoidingWork (Jun 30, 2004)

Thanks.  The thought that Philada might be a shortform for the city had occurred to me, but i thought..too easy!


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## amblypygi (Jun 30, 2004)

> ORIGINAL:  Oldtimer
> 
> Philadelphia PA.
> 
> Wyeth is a common name to see on a bottle. A bottle would have to be very rare to have value if it is glued together.


 
 True, but I did once see a tiffany-style lamp sell for $300+ on ebay that was made of glass from broken bottles. It was very cool, lots of Stoddard ambers, Lockport greens and recognizable embossing. Very neat idea. I can't do stained glass myself, but I have been saving the nicer-colored shards for quite a while now, maybe I'll learn.

 Sean


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## AvoidingWork (Jun 30, 2004)

now that's a cool idea.   I've been collecting the bits of flow-blue and transferware pottery that always turn up in my dig.  Someday I'll grout them together and make a frame.  or something.


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## kumtow (Jun 30, 2004)

Hi Guys,
 My holy grail would be a cobalt blue Husband Bros Townsville Codd bottle.  As far as the Tvl collectors are aware a complete example has never been found.  Alternatively a blue lip York hybrid would do nicely[8D]


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## IRISH (Jul 1, 2004)

I wouldn't mind a cobalt Husband Bros codd myself now that you mention it [] ,  the Cossak and Roebourne codds have more writing on them though (I've never seen even a piece of the Cossak one but have been told the details of it by a well known digger in WA from the 1970's and 80's).


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## tazmainiendigger (Jul 1, 2004)

Stoddard Granite State Flag Flask would launch me![8D] Taz


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## Tandy (Jul 1, 2004)

[] I guess my "holy grail" of bottles would be either a Catties (Renmark) stone ginger beer, or a Burgess (Port Pirie) stone ginger beer. [] ....but then I collect ginger beers.


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## Aerated (Jul 1, 2004)

For me it would have to be a 10oz Moffet & Co Invercargill (New Zealand) Blue-lipped 
 Acme-Reliance Codd Hamilton Hybrid. Quite a mouthful!.Considered one of the top NZ bottles. They sell for Thousands when they come up for sale (hardly ever).
 There is quite a good range of desirable NZ codds/patents I would like, & the more I think about it the bigger the list gets!.[]


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## idigjars (Dec 25, 2004)

Cobalt BLue Piso Cure bottle would be my wish


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## soilandglass (Dec 30, 2004)

mine ... ohhhh a hybrid? coloured too.


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## bearswede (Dec 30, 2004)

What's with all this cobalt crap??!!!???

 Give me a couple of matching about mint 1857 dark green 14 inch cone-shaped Bryant's Stomach Bitters...

 Wahoo... I'm dizzy just thinking about them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


 Ron


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## vnovakane (Dec 30, 2004)

What are the Cobolt Blue bottles going for ??? I have a few, also  4 Smyrnoff  shot glasses ..


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## diginit (Dec 30, 2004)

I have to agree with Oldtimer,a 12 or 14 or 16 paneled, pontiled, embossed Emerald green or Cobalt master ink would look great with my inks.
Vnovakane-by the way,  
 The price of cobalt bottles,as with all bottles, varies with age, condition, and rarity. Each bottle should be appraised separately. Any background info is a plus. Even if your just curious.


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## drjhostetters (Dec 31, 2004)

Hey A W,

 I was "coin shooting" an old cemetery (someone once told me they used to put coins on the top of the tombstones as a "tip" for the caretaker and I was hoping one or two fell off and I might be able to recover it..)..anyway...a lady came up and assked what I was doing and she told me about this old dump down the hill from the cemetery and she was looking mostly for broken shards because she used them to make stained glass pictures and window hangings that she sold at flea markets....neat idea I thought...another way to preserve our heritage and make something useful out of "trash"....recycling our heritage as it were..
 Happy New Year and may you find your "Holy Grail" in your next dig...

 The Doc...[X(]


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## vnovakane (Dec 31, 2004)

I have 7 cobolt blue bottles;
 1- 4 in. Bromo-seltzer....Emerson Drug Co. Baltimore,MD  
 1- 3 in. bottle with a glass dropper still in it... has 5 elongatted ribs vertically down the front and 2 on each side...it hsa 1 oz. on the front... it has a ringed neck for a screw top...
 2- 2 in.  1 is 8 sided with vertical ribs on the top... the neck has rings for a screw top... the other has 3 sides in the front and rounded in the back, also with ringed neck...
 1- is approx. 5.5 in. tall ,has 7 elongated ribs in front and 2 on each side... has a thick rim at the top for a cork...on the bottom it has an  A  with an arch over it, and the #'s 871 on one side and either 9 or 6 on the other... 
 the last 2 are VICKS bottles, one in perfact shape,the other melted from the fires...


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## ronvae (Jan 7, 2005)

I think my (current) "Holy Grail of Bottles" would be a prohibition-era soda from a brewing company with "bravery", "generosity", or "chastity" embossed on it.  I already have "Lovit Soda" from the "Sobriety Co.", and a "Purity Brewing Co.".  I'd like to end up with a little prohibition-era virtue collection.


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## cowseatmaize (Jan 8, 2005)

Ok, you've all read this story but anything like this,  http://www.maineantiquedigest.com/articles/pick0699.htm . It doesn't matter what bottle, that kind of find is cool. I could easily part with that to buy 1 or 2 (hundred) I'd like to keep.


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## stubby (Jan 10, 2005)

Hello; 
     Around here torpedo bottles are amoung top finds for most of the people I scuba dive with. especially a Glendenning torpedo one of the first locally produced soda waters. 
                                                                            stubby 
                                                             Nova Scotia Canada


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## S.C. Warner (Jan 10, 2005)

"but when you recognize something of quality, you buy it," he said"
  I find that to be true. (if you have the ready cash, anyway) Nice article. Thanks!

 sc


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## kumtow (Jan 10, 2005)

I heard a cobalt blue hybrid was found in the Carribean a couple of years ago.  That would look really good on my shelf.[]


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## WhiteLighting (Jan 15, 2005)

Holy Grail-----  To find another "J. Lake Schenectady",Deep cobolt blue 1850's iron pontil ,no chips and 4 in existance,thats a find!...........
 to bad i sold the one i found,but its in good hands.............


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## cowseatmaize (Jan 16, 2005)

A olive green with puce tone pontilled Zutriff Conundrum. No such thing you say, maybe it just hasn't been found yet.


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## DOLANBADGER (Feb 5, 2005)

I'm the new kid on the block,not sure if i'm doing this right.
  The 'HOLY GRAIL' for me, emack stone ginger from N.B .


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## diggs (Feb 7, 2005)

I agree with Harry it,s an abbreviation.Sounds like a name for a scary bug.lol


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## Byronincoos (Feb 21, 2005)

> ORIGINAL:  AvoidingWork
> 
> Neat.  Sounds like it is a subject thas crossed a few minds ....Speaking of incomplete bottles--is it ever worth it to keep broken bottles?  I glued a few back together, but i'm running out of room in the window sills to display them.   ---Also, i found a "wyeth & Bro Philada" the other day.  I've seen this term before--what exactly was 'philada'?


 
 In regards to broken bottles....I've been keeping shards of mostly 'embossed flat panels' from square or rectangular broken bottles for about 30 yrs. Why...? I always figured when I was to old to go digging anymore....I might arrange these broken pieces to make leaded glass window panes, with the embossed pieces in no particular arrangement other than colors and an over-all theme, like the shape of a bottle in the middle...and, using the abundant porcelain 'Boyd' inserts as corner or border designs....the 5-gallon buckets of these shards are still being added to. Guess I'm not that old yet.


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## Oldtimer (Feb 22, 2005)

[][][][][][][][][][]


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## RJ_Digs_Deep (Feb 22, 2005)

Great Topic ....


 To me, a very early, very crude - amber cathedral pickle would do ... RJ


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## oldshoe4u (Feb 28, 2005)

Ya know, I've read this post about a thousand times and right now there is about three feet of snow on the ground outside and more falling.  I'd probably settle for being able to dig a screw cap unembossed pickle jar right about now, but If I had my choice I'd like to find a nice Cobalt Master Ink as well, and to post in the amazing discoveries column a nisce double peacock ten gallon S. Hart Crock would be nice[]


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## Maine Digger (Feb 28, 2005)

Hey Ol' Shoe, do what I've been doing lately; I throw a few of the bottles I dug last SUMMER out into the snow bank, wait a day and then 'dig' them up.  Just so I won't lose my touch![8D] It hasn't started snowing here yet, but we're expecting 8 - 12'', we've had 71'' in Portland to date.[]


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## oldshoe4u (Feb 28, 2005)

That's hilarious Norm!  We were just talking about hiding some bottles in the dirt pile in my friend's basement and 'digging' them out.  Dirt pile is actually from all of the bottles we have cleaned there in totes full of water, silt left over after water is drained pile is about 3' high (his landlord will love it if he ever moves LOL)  Too funny we just had this conversation last night!  Were at 105" of snow to date and they're calling for 6-8" from midnight to AM drive and another 4-6" during the day tomorrow.[].

 BOB


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## grdigger35 (Feb 28, 2005)

The Holy Grail would be a million dollars. Then I wouldn't have to dig anymore. I'd just buy the bottles I want.


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## bearswede (Mar 1, 2005)

I bet you'd miss the dirt under your nails... I know I do!

 Ron


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## grdigger35 (Mar 1, 2005)

You're right Ron! Not to mention all the knicks, scrapes, scratches and cuts.


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## bearswede (Mar 1, 2005)

You forgot poison ivy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Actually, I got my worst cases doing archeology (just another way of saying: "sanctioned pot-hunting")...

 But I miss bending over a screen full of soil, waiting for the next projectile point or pottery shard to pop up...

 And I miss the thrill of that o.p. base buried in the muck turning out to be a complete tobacco-amber Phoenix Bitters bottle (in my dreams!!!)...


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## amblypygi (Mar 2, 2005)

> ORIGINAL:  grdigger35
> 
> The Holy Grail would be a million dollars. Then I wouldn't have to dig anymore. I'd just buy the bottles I want.


 
 I think you'd find that the guys are right; you'd miss the dirt. I think it's the thrill of seeing something coming out of the ground after 100, 150 or 200 years that's really the holy grail, the bottles themselves are just the frosting (or the wine in the grail, for a better analogy).

 Sean


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## crunchtime (Mar 2, 2005)

In terms of $$$ the cone shaped _Bryant's stomach bitters_ *is* the 'holy grail' of bottle finds - check out the following link:
http://www.maineantiquedigest.com/articles/bitt1198.htm


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