# How to distinguish E. G. BOOZ originals from  Clevenger Bros. reproductions.



## Steve/sewell (May 25, 2010)

Here are  the McKearin numberedGVII-3  GVII-4 and GVII-5  Cabin style original E G BOOZ'S OLD CABIN WHISKEY /
 120 WALNUT STREET PHILADELPHIA bottles and the Clevenger produced straight and beveled roof reproductions.
 These are some of the most desired and pricey bottles available in the bottle collecting world.
 It is also the most reproduced antique bottle on the Market.The Clevenger brothers made the best copy in 1930
 of the straight roof version and have fooled quite a few people myself included. I will show also in this
 post  Clevenger straight and beveled roof versions for  the ability to determine an original BOOZ from the Clevengers.

 Only one GVII-5 original BOOZ  exists and that is in the Corning Museum of glass.
 While not extremely rare the GVII-3  is none the less rare and has a high percentage of roof
 and corner  damage because of the thinness of the glass in those area's of the bottle.It was difficult to blow 
 the glass into the bottles corners and crevices thus the bottles were weak at those points.This is why the
 roof variant on the GVII-4 with the beveled roof was changed. Metal plugs were added in the corner peaks of 
 the roof in the mold to acheive this.

 The bottle was manufactured at the Whitney glass works in Glassboro New Jersey
 in the years 1858  through the 1860s and right on up to 1870.
 The Whitney glass works had a retail office in Philadelphia at 118  Walnut street 
 and right next door to them Edmund G. Booz had his store front  where he was
 selling his cabin shaped Booz bottles to liquor merchants and tavern owners through out the 
 Delaware Valley.There was speculation that the bottles manufacture date was in the year 1840
 but that has since been disproved as Edmund Booz would have been only sixteen years of age at that time,
 an age probably a little to young to be  a Liquor Merchant.

 The original bottle had a paper label wrapper that depicted an early American cabin.
 On the rear of the bottle on the roof  is the date in bold font 1840.
 This led many to beleive that the bottles date stamped  on the roof was from William Henry Harrison's
 presidential Campaign Log cabin and hard cider in the year 1840.
 Early in the 20th century Edwin Atlee Barbers book titled American glassware and the book by 
 Stephen Van Rensselaer's American Bottle's and Flasks only fueled the myth regaurding the Harrison 
 presidential campaign.

 A publication in 1926 by Hazel Mirkil in the magazine Antiques proved the 120 Walnut had not been in 
 existance before the year 1856 as the city of Philadelphia had renumbered their streets in that year.
 The reason the city renumbered was simple the Center City portion was growing and 
 it was easier to label blocks in the city as the 100 block 200 block ect.
 The old address of Boozs store would have been 26 Walnut street.
 Booz also had a property directly behind 120 walnut street at 15 Granite street.
 In the Days the famous Dr.Dyott had his store front at second and Race Front street being located on the river
 was where all of the business's that shipped goods via the Delaware river.
 This was only three city blocks from where Booz had his business on Walnut Street.
 In fact all of the important business locals were on the river for easy access of shipping of goods.

 There is sound justification that the mold maker who the Whitney glass works used for the bottle
 modeled his cabin in the image of a glass workers home which in the early 1840s through up to 1970 
 dotted the landscape surrounding the old Whitney Glass works location in the heart of Glassboro.
 The glass workers lived in small modest 4 room 2 story homes shaped exactly like the Booz bottle.
 When you peeled the label off the bottle it now closley resembled the glass workers homes.
 The last vestages of these old homes came down in 2007 as part of the down town revitalization project 
 the town of Glassboro was instituting.Glassboro has done a terrible job preserving its rich glass industry.
 Only a handfull of the original colonial homes still stand today.The 5 point intersection where the Stangers had founded
 the second glass works in New Jersey in 1775 has lost all of its historic charm with the original Stanger mansion 
 house as the only standing structure from the original works.

 Here is a group picture of the the Original Booz bottles 
 and their Clevenger counterparts.Left to right the Clevenger beveled roof,the original Whitney beveled roof,
 The original Whitney straight roof and the Clevenger straight roof


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## Steve/sewell (May 25, 2010)

Here are the Characteristics and measurements of the original Booz bottles.
 The bottle was blown in a hinged mold which opened and closed diaganaly.
 A treadle mold was used applying foot power to the mold which allowed the master blower to close the mold around 
 the gather of glass when blowing into it and than opening it when he was finished blowing the bottle.
 When the bottle was released from the mold it sat on a steel pedestal  2 7/8s in diameter.With the bottle now resting on the pedestal the slight circular depression seen on all of the Booz base's was left.The pedestal had been designed to move
 independently resting on a large pin.When the glass blower was finished blowing the bottle he was able to move the  bottle
 towards him for easy removal from the mold.With the bottle now removed from the mold the blow over portion of the glass was cracked off.Now it was the gaffers turn to place the the applied top to the bottle. Once that task was completed the
 bottle was placed into the annealing oven which had a lower temperature than the main furnace which allowed the bottle to gradually cool.




 GVII-3 E. G. BOOZ'S / OLD CAIN WHISKEY

 Type: Shaped in the style of a small two story cabin or house.
 The place of manufacture: The Whitney Glass Works Glassboro New Jersey
                                                          Main /High and State streets.
 Date of Manufacture. 1858  possibly right up to 1870
 Heigth of  the bottle:  7 1/2, 7 5/8s and 7 3/4 inches
 Width of the bottle:  4  1/16 inches.
 Depth of the bottle:  2 7/8 at the base and 3 inches at the roof line.
 The neck and lip  1  3/4 inches in total height.Finished with an applied sloping collar. 
 The Base of the bottle: Smooth with a circular impression 1/8 inch in depth by 2 7/8 in circumference.
                                                There are two horizontal seams about a half of an inch in from the corners
                                                 opposing each other diagonally
 The roof line: Straight ridge 4 inches in length.
 The front Roof design and embossing:The roof has 5 square rows of shingles in various sizes.
                                                                                The roof is 4 inches wide by 2 3/4 inches tall.                                                                          
                                                                                The following inscription :   E G BOOZ'S  OLD CABIN WHISKEY in 3/8 inch font.
 The rear roof design and embossing : The roof has 5 square rows of shingles in various sizes.
                                                                                The roof is 4 inches wide by 2 3/4 inches tall.
                                                                                The following inscription :   1840 in bold larger 1/2 inch font.
 The right side: The embossing in three rows E G BOOZ'S OLD CABIN WHISKEY.
 The left side    :  The embossing in two rows 120 WALNUT ST PHILADELPHIA (there are two dots below the t in ST)
 The back side of the bottle: Smooth plain no inscription a large label was placed here originally.
 The colors the bottle is found in: Predominantly in medium orange amber with varying shades,Some pale amber,
                                                                     Dark green,and a pale green.I personaly have never seen anywhere a color other than 
                                                                     the amber.I have seen dark and lighter shades of Amber only on this bottle.


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## Steve/sewell (May 25, 2010)

The GVII-4 E. G. BOOZ'S / OLD CAIN WHISKEY This is the original bottle with the beveled roof.

 Type: Shaped in the style of a small two story cabin or house.
 The place of manufacture: The Whitney Glass Works Glassboro New Jersey
                                                          Main /High and State streets.
 Date of Manufacture. 1858  possibly right up to 1870
 Heigth of  the bottle:  7 1/2, 7 5/8s and 7 3/4 inches
 Width of the bottle:  4  1/16 inches.
 Depth of the bottle:  2 7/8 at the base and 3 inches at the roof line.
 The neck and lip  1  3/4 inches in total height.Finished with an applied sloping collar. 
 The Base of the bottle: Smooth with a circular impression 1/8 inch in depth by 2 7/8 in circumference.
 The roof line: Straight ridge 4 inches in length.This is where this version is different than the GVII-3
                                                                                  Where the roof meets the gables on each side the molds sharp
                                                                                  corners werer beveled by placing metal plugs into the mold
                                                                                  This simple alteration made for a much sturdier roof.             
 The front Roof design and embossing:The roof has 5 square rows of shingles in various sizes.
                                                                                The roof is 4 inches wide by 2 3/4 inches tall.                                                                          
                                                                                The following inscription :   E G BOOZ'S  OLD CABIN WHISKEY in 3/8 inch font.
 The rear roof design and embossing : The roof has 5 square rows of shingles in various sizes.
                                                                                The roof is 4 inches wide by 2 3/4 inches tall.
                                                                                The following inscription :   1840 in bold larger 1/2 inch font.
 The right side: The embossing in three rows E G BOOZ'S OLD CABIN WHISKEY.
 The left side    :  The embossing in two rows 120 WALNUT ST PHILADELPHIA (there are two dots below the t in ST)
 The back side of the bottle: Smooth plain no inscription a large label was placed here originally.
 The colors the bottle is found in: Predominantly in medium orange amber with varying shades,Some pale amber,
                                                                     Dark green,and a pale green.I personaly have never seen anywhere a color other than 
                                                                     the amber.I have seen dark and lighter shades of Amber only on this bottle.


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## Steve/sewell (May 25, 2010)

An original Clevenger made straight roof version in the snow.
 Looks like an original at first glance doesnt it.


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## Steve/sewell (May 25, 2010)

The only sure fire ways to identify an original Whitney made GVII-3 straight roof Booz from the Clevenger version are as follows.

 On the original bottle  on the right hand side the word WHISKEY has two identifying marks which clearly show the difference between it and the Clevenger bottle.There is a period after the word WHISKEY on all the original.Sometimes because of a weak mold impression the period is faint but it is usually there none the less.The second identifying trait is when viewing the word WHISKEY left to right the first three letters WHI are on the same horizontal plane however beginning with the letter S the
 the letters SKEY are shifted down slightly on a lower horizontal plane.On the Clevenger version the word WHISKEY lines up
 nice left to right on the same horizontal plane.The top fork in the letter K  in the word WHISKEY is wider than the bottom fork
 on the same letter.The Base the the letter G  in E.G. BOOZ'S is closed on the clevenger version the G resembles a letter C thus you 
 see the incorrect listing on ebay all of the time  E.C.BOOZ'S


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## Steve/sewell (May 25, 2010)

Next, on the front roof of an original Booz,both the beveled and straight roof versions have the embossing in three lines reading like this  
                                                                                                                             E.G.BOOZ'S
                                                                                                                              OLD CABIN
                                                                                                                                WHISKEY
 When looking at the letters the following is true on all original BOOZ bottles.The C in the word CABIN should be directly
 below the first O in the word BOOZ'S.The letter S in the word WHISKEY should be directly below the C in the word CABIN
 You should be able to draw a straight line down through these letters where they line up.


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## Steve/sewell (May 25, 2010)

The only sure fire ways to identify an original Whitney made GVII-4  Booz from the Clevenger version are as follows.

 The bevel cuts at each end of the roof only extend downward into the first full row of shingles
 On the original bottle  on the right hand side the word WHISKEY has two identifying marks which clearly show the difference between it and the Clevenger bottle.There is a period after the word WHISKEY on all the original.Sometimes because of a weak mold impression the period is faint but it is usually there none the less.The second identifying trait is when viewing the word WHISKEY left to right the first three letters WHI are on the same horizontal plane however beginning with the letter S the
 the letters SKEY are shifted down slightly on a lower horizontal plane.On the Clevenger version the word WHISKEY lines up
 nice left to right on the same horizontal plane.The top fork in the letter K  in the word WHISKEY is wider than the bottom fork
 on the same letter.The Base the the letter G  in E.G. BOOZ'S is closed on the clevenger version the G resembles a letter C thus you 
 see the incorrect listing on ebay all of the time  E.C.BOOZ'S

 Next on the front roof  the embossing in three lines reads like this 

                                             E.G.BOOZ'S                                                                                                                                      
                                              OLD CABIN                                                                                                                                        
                                                WHISKEY
 When looking at the letters the following is true also on beveled roof version original BOOZ bottles.The C in the word CABIN should be directly
 below the first O in the word BOOZ'S.The letter S in the word WHISKEY should be directly below the C in the word CABIN
 You should be able to draw a straight line down through these letters where they line up.


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## Steve/sewell (May 25, 2010)

Another picture of an original Booz beveled roof with light colored lines showing where the Clevenger version bevel would be.
 On the original Booz bottle the bevel is only into the first full row of shingles.
 On the Clevenger version the bevel is larger and into the second full row of shingles.


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## Steve/sewell (May 25, 2010)

The letter K in the word WHISKEY on The side of an original Booz bottle is wider in the top fork of the letter.
 On the Clevenger version the same letter K is larger on the bottom fork of the letter.
 Here are two pictures of an original Booz to explain this.


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## Steve/sewell (May 25, 2010)

The letter K in close with hopefully a good explanation of the larger fork at the top.


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## Steve/sewell (May 25, 2010)

The Clevenger version of the bottle.This is a picture of the side of the bottle.Look at the word WHISKEY.
 The embossing is applied neatly straight left to right.Look also at the letter K,notice the bottom fork
 is wider now on this version.This is another good way to tell an original straight and bevel roof version
 from their Clevenger made counterparts.


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## Steve/sewell (May 25, 2010)

Here is a picture of the Clevenger version roof embossing showing how the alingnment of the letters in the
 words E.G. BOOZS  OLD CABIN  WHISKEY.Another sure fire way to tell if the bottle is a Clevenger version
 is to look at the bottom begining of the neck radius and where it bleeds into the roof line.On Clevenger versions 
 the first Letter O in the word BOOZ is drawn into the neck.


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## Steve/sewell (May 25, 2010)

The base of both the originals and reproductions are almost identicle.
 If there is a difference I cant detect it and have looked at seven versions I personaly own of the original
 and compared them to four Clevenger versions in my collection and cant find any difference's.

_Image removed - copyright violation_


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## Steve/sewell (May 25, 2010)

Here is the ultra rare and one of the most valuable bottles in the United States housed in the Corning Museum.
 This is the only known version of the GVII-5 bevel roof and is light aqua in color.It has been suggested by old time glass employees who worked at the Bridgeton Glassworks in 1885 that they remember seeing the aqua colored version of the Booz bottle at their plant

_Image removed - copyright violation_


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## Steve/sewell (May 25, 2010)

One of my favorite pictures I call cabin fever.Original Booz bottles,Clevenger Booz bottles,
 Kellys Old Cabin Bitters,Nearly Identicle to the Kellys  the Old Cabin Bitters a Smokine 
 meat sauce bottle from Winnepeg Canada and a Holterzermanns bitters all cabin designed.
 These are some of my prized bottles in my personal collection.


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## Steve/sewell (May 25, 2010)

I hope this is helpfull to everyone again.Thanks Charlie whiskeyman for emailing me today goodnight


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## Gunsmoke47 (May 25, 2010)

Very informative post. Thank you! Nice collection!


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## whiskeyman (May 26, 2010)

STEVE...no, I thank you for making this detailed invaluable information available once again after it had been erroneously deleted due to a server glitch...
 I'm going to pin it to the top so as to be readily found.

 Thank you again...!! []


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## Poison_Us (May 26, 2010)

As always, you come up with some of the best information for the masses.  Thanks again.  I think spotting repos is possibly the most valued information a collector can have and it always eats at me if what I am looking at is genuine or not.

 Oh, and nice set of cabins.  You can start your own colony now.


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## blobbottlebob (May 26, 2010)

Great post Steve. I know I have seen it before. My mom bought one at a rummage sale for a buck or two. I know it has to be a repro but I wanted to check it over nonetheless. I'll post a pic when I get the chance. Thanks again!


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## natedog749 (Jun 1, 2010)

I've read the original post word for word and compared the pictures to my bottle several times.  I'm havin a little bit of dificulty distinguishing the top corners of the roof.  The top right corner is actuay chipped off, I'm assuming (and hoping) that this is caused from the mentioned glass blowing problem. 
 http://tinypic.com/r/i3992f/6
 The above link is a quick picture that i took with my phone, sorry for bad quality. From this picture, is there anyway you can distinguish whether the left corner is of an original bottle?
 Thanks,
 Nate


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## whiskeyman (Jun 1, 2010)

Natedog...welcome to the Forum. It appears you have an amethyst (?) Clevenger Bros   repro...as the corner roof cut extends into the 2nd row of shingles. The originals only cut thru the 1st row.


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## Bushrodwoodworks (Aug 18, 2010)

Great post! What are the McKearin numbers for the other 3 molds? There where 6 original molds used. Does anyone have a source for descriptions, measurements, detailed images, for the other 4 not discussed here? 

 Many Thanks!


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## RED Matthews (Aug 18, 2010)

Hello Bushrodwoodworks and others.  Go to the historical files and check these bottles out.  Steve/Sewell has spent a lot of time covering them with outstanding information.
 RED Matthews


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## Bushrodwoodworks (Aug 18, 2010)

RED I went to Steve's blog, he has some interesting articles however I am finding nothing on the other Old Cabin Flasks. Perhaps I am overlooking something.


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## Steve/sewell (Aug 18, 2010)

Hello Isaac,
 There were only three original Booz bottle types and there were only two molds. The Booz bottle Mckearin numbers were the GVII-3 GVII-4 and the GVII-5.The GVII-5 is the same as the GVII_4 but has a shorter neck and the top instead of having a tapered mouth has a blob top.The missing numbers you might be reffering to are the GVII-1 and the GVII-2 and the GVII-6- were different bottles altogether.


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## Bushrodwoodworks (Aug 18, 2010)

Steve/sewell

 Thanks for the info


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## Jerseyana (Oct 26, 2010)

Dear Steve/Sewell

 I hate to break up the party on the Booz Bottle identification on this site, but some of this information is under copyright by me, the first person to do a detailed identification of these bottles. The photo of the base in particular was taken directly from my 2006 CD-ROM of Tippecanoe and E. G. Booz Too! with no permission asked from me, the author/photographer. The photo of the GVII-5 Booz is one from the Corning Museum of Glass - a photo for which a substantial fee was charged to publish it, a fee I paid and one I doubt you did. 

 I insist that the material that came from the Tippecanoe book be removed from this site. You have no right to use the information that I researched for many years without you footnoting and crediting your sources, as well as asking permission to do so. Instead, you seem happy to take credit for it yourself.

 Please remove any and all information which you cannot take the credit for doing your own research.

 Tom Haunton
 author - Tippecanoe and E. G. Booz Too!
 The Booz Bottle - Real vs. Repro


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## odditysteve (Dec 20, 2010)

Are there any other colors of the original Booz Log Cabin bottle? If so does anyone have a pic of one.  Also can someone show a pic of the bases of the original bottle Vs. a Clevenger. Thank you.


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## Jerseyana (Dec 20, 2010)

Good afternoon OdditySteve. The original Boozes came in a variety of shades of amber, from a light golden to very dark amber. I have also seen broken shards of an olive green-amber original. Although the McKearin American Glass books list other colors such as deep and pale green, I know of no one who has seen  original Boozes in these colors. The GVII-5 Booz of course comes in an aquamarine/pale green color.

 My Tippecanoe and E. G. Booz Too! CD-ROM has a photo of an original base - a copyrighted photo that had been illegally listed here. I still sell the CDs if you're interested. I can provide you a photo of the base of one of the Clevenger straight roof Boozes.

 Tom Haunton


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## cowseatmaize (Dec 20, 2010)

1


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## odditysteve (Dec 20, 2010)

I mainly ask because i have found one at a local "Mom & Pop" shop and havnt bought it yet. the color is green which has me skeptical to begin with, but the top is crude without any seem and the rest of the bottle has many imperfections as well. its definately not a wheaton. but the more i read about clevege's the more i think thats what it is. what do you think is fair market value of a repro?


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## Steve/sewell (Dec 22, 2010)

As for fair market value Steve a green one maybe 25.00 dollars.An amber one close in style to the originals can command 200.00 to 300.00 dollars.
 Here are the bases of a Clevenger version on the left and an original Whitney on the right that I OWN side by side.As you can see the two bottles are virtually identical.The Clevenger seems to be  a sixteenth of an inch thicker.I have compared 7 originals that I own with three Clevenger versions and it holds true most of the time that the Clevengers are slightly larger front to back across the base.


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## Steve/sewell (Dec 22, 2010)

The Clevenger version.


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## Steve/sewell (Dec 22, 2010)

The original Whitney Booz base.


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## Steve/sewell (Dec 22, 2010)

The two bottles side by side used for this comparison. As you can see the first Clevenger versions were extremly close in look to the Whitney originlals.


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## odditysteve (Dec 22, 2010)

Thank you Steve, i might have to head down and pick that bottle up now. it looks a heck of alot more like the one on the right than the other. and the price isnt too bad either. once i pick it up i'll try to post some picks on here. probably after christmas.


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## Steve/sewell (Dec 22, 2010)

Steve remember,the original Booz bottles only came in various shades of Amber,the green colored bottle you are asking about is no doubt a Clevenger version.Do not spend too much.


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## Poison_Us (Dec 22, 2010)

The real one seems to have more of an orange peel texture on the base where the Cleve is smoother...true?


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## bottlekid76 (Feb 20, 2011)

Hi Steve,

 What are your thoughts on this one?

 http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Old-Cabin-Whiskey-Bottle-E-C-Boozs-Philadelphia-/110651482689?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19c357a241

 All the best,
 ~Tim


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## cyberdigger (Feb 20, 2011)

Looks like someone bloodied themself on the broken corner.. []
EBAY


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## Steve/sewell (Feb 20, 2011)

Tim it has great color,just a little damage but...........its a Clevenger and I will show you why.First a bottle which would have had Booz's whiskey in it would not have left the Whitney factory in as crude of a condition this one is around the roof line and the tapered top.It also has all of the other tell tale signs that point to the Clevenger brothers as the manufacturers.The first O in the word E G BOOZ'S is drawn into the bottom of the neck mold line shown here.


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## Steve/sewell (Feb 20, 2011)

Here is the other item I spotted that told me this was a Clevenger made bottle.The eBay bottle is on the bottom rotated 90 degress for the sake of explaining this.


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## bottlekid76 (Feb 20, 2011)

Awesome... great info Steve & thanks so much. I greatly appreciate your knowledge on these examples!

 ~Tim


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## Steve/sewell (Feb 20, 2011)

It is still a great bottle Tim it will probably fetch well over 100 dollars.Did you see the other two Clevenger bottles in the Current Auctions and Sales section of this forum I posted yesterday.


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## bottlekid76 (Feb 20, 2011)

I just ended up looking at them. I see now that is one of the big keys or factors to look at. Thanks so much. If one didn't know what to look for with the information you have provided, it could very easily get a nod as original. I hope everyone thinking of adding a Booz gets to view this great info!

 All the best,
 Tim


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## myersdiggers1998 (Dec 31, 2011)

Steve ,in your very first photo you can see the differences in the colors of the cabins the originals are much lighter and you can also see the whittle in the originals ,great research, bravo.


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## web (Dec 13, 2021)

Thanks, that is lot to digest. Will be printing for future reference,


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