# Help dating a blob top bottle without seam



## BajaTerry55 (May 19, 2020)

I recently found this glass bottle buried in the mud at low tide on a remote beach in the Gulf of California near La Paz, Mexico.  Bottle is 26 cm height and 6.5 cm diameter at base.  Color light bluish green and very frosted and scratched from long time in marine environment.  Applied blob top which has an uneven, drip bottom edge.  No visible seam or embossing. However, there are three faint concentric rings that go completely around the bottle that I can feel with my finger between the base and the shoulder.  My best guess is that this is a soda water or beer bottle made sometime before 1900.  Can someone help me identify and date this bottle?


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (May 19, 2020)

I love the sea glass look to the bottle. Totally personalized by the ocean. Someone may recognize the bottle by the 3 rings, i don't. I first thought a big florida water bottle. Hard to tell without any embossing. I would say it is still a great find and a keeper in my opinion. Thanks for the pictures Terry.


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## treeguyfred (May 20, 2020)

Hello Terry, welcome to Antique Bottles.net. I do think the bottle is nifty looking with the sand / surf satin finish. I'm glad to not know though if it was a sought after bottle, because the surf damage is irreversible. My gal and I would use the bottle as a vase for cut flowers.
So, about the details that we know... I did the calculations and it turns out to be a somewhat standard size "Blob" top beer or soda, approximately 9 to 10" in height and approximately 2 1/2 to 2 3/4" in diameter. We collectors of this type of bottle call that top an applied(you got that part right -on) Blob top. I'm wondering about the thre rings...do they go completely around the circumference? or are they partially around? They could be remnants of the embossing almost completely worn off. So, much of your ideas about this bottle is pretty square on... but the applied blob lip is indicating an earlier than 1900 fabrication for most of the USA.
Fun post thank you for sharing!
~Fred


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## treeguyfred (May 20, 2020)

So Terry, just for clarification, in the bottle collecting world these two bottles show what is considered applied tapered tops...


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## sandchip (May 20, 2020)

If there are no mold lines or "seams" and you're seeing faint horizontal lines, then it was most likely blown in at turn mold and would probably date 1880-1890.  More than likely a beer.


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## treeguyfred (May 20, 2020)

sandchip said:


> If there are no mold lines or "seams" and you're seeing faint horizontal lines, then it was most likely blown in at turn mold and would probably date 1880-1890.  More than likely a beer.


Sandchip just posted a very good idea, that occurred to me while I was posting replies to another unrelated post! Bravo


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## BajaTerry55 (May 20, 2020)

ROBBYBOBBY64 said:


> I love the sea glass look to the bottle. Totally personalized by the ocean. Someone may recognize the bottle by the 3 rings, i don't. I first thought a big florida water bottle. Hard to tell without any embossing. I would say it is still a great find and a keeper in my opinion. Thanks for the pictures Terry.


Thanks for your reply.  There are barnacles on one side.  Should I not remove them?


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (May 20, 2020)

BajaTerry55 said:


> Thanks for your reply.  There are barnacles on one side.  Should I not remove them?


That is a personal question you can only answer. If you like them keep them on if not then remove them. 
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## BajaTerry55 (May 20, 2020)

treeguyfred said:


> Hello Terry, welcome to Antique Bottles.net. I do think the bottle is nifty looking with the sand / surf satin finish. I'm glad to not know though if it was a sought after bottle, because the surf damage is irreversible. My gal and I would use the bottle as a vase for cut flowers.
> So, about the details that we know... I did the calculations and it turns out to be a somewhat standard size "Blob" top beer or soda, approximately 9 to 10" in height and approximately 2 1/2 to 2 3/4" in diameter. We collectors of this type of bottle call that top an applied(you got that part right -on) Blob top. I'm wondering about the thre rings...do they go completely around the circumference? or are they partially around? They could be remnants of the embossing almost completely worn off. So, much of your ideas about this bottle is pretty square on... but the applied blob lip is indicating an earlier than 1900 fabrication for most of the USA.
> Fun post thank you for sharing!
> ~Fred


The concentric rings go completely around the bottle.  Very faint so difficult to see in the image, but i can feel the rings as I slide my finger along the side of the bottle.  First ring is 4 cm from the base, second ring is 3 cm above the first, and the third ring is 2.5 cm above the second ring.  There may be more rings, but too faint to see or feel.  I do not think it is embossing worn off because the three rings are visible completely around the bottle..


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## treeguyfred (May 20, 2020)

Well then Terry, that means to me that sandchip is precisely right...
~Fred


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## BajaTerry55 (May 20, 2020)

treeguyfred said:


> So Terry, just for clarification, in the bottle collecting world these two bottles show what is considered applied tapered tops...View attachment 207487


I attached a close up photo of the top. I thought it was tapered because the mouth of the top is narrower than the base of the top which is unevenly applied, like a drip edge.


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## BajaTerry55 (May 20, 2020)

sandchip said:


> If there are no mold lines or "seams" and you're seeing faint horizontal lines, then it was most likely blown in at turn mold and would probably date 1880-1890.  More than likely a beer.


Thank you very much.  Anything you can tell me about the base?


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## sandchip (May 20, 2020)

BajaTerry55 said:


> Thank you very much.  Anything you can tell me about the base?



Nothing much to add other than it being a smooth base, where the hot bottle was held by a snap or sabot while the top was finished.


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## treeguyfred (May 20, 2020)

BajaTerry55 said:


> I thought it was tapered because the mouth of the top is narrower than the base of the top which is unevenly applied, like a drip edge.


Yeah, it's cool Terry, I understood what you thought, no prob... but that's why I posted the tapered lips pic for you to see the difference. After you see a bunch of blob tops you will end up seeing the vast array of differing styles of blob tops. There are soooo many slight differences in the earlier hand formed blob tops- which is why there was an improved design where the tops were added to the bottle mold eventually.
~Fred


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