# Widemouth Case Gin



## Ye Olde Prospector (Dec 25, 2005)

This is one of my favorite bottles I dug here in Bath,Maine a few years ago. I posted a photo when I first joined the forums but took some better pictures since. Thought some of the newer members would like to see them. From what I have been able to find out this bottle is probably Dutch and dates from 1770-1800 and they were sometimes used to ship apothecary goods or even certain food items. Surprisingly a large stoneware crock was  completely crushed lying beside this bottle yet this bottle survived in nearly mint condition. There is a little wear on the base and the edges of the shoulders but not a chip or scratch anywhere. I have yet to see any of these bottles at bottle shows but have heard of a couple in glass museums. I don't plan to part with it any time soon, unless I dig up something better. Enjoy.

 Cliff


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## Ye Olde Prospector (Dec 25, 2005)

Here's another view.


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## Ye Olde Prospector (Dec 25, 2005)

Here's the pontil base.


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## Ye Olde Prospector (Dec 25, 2005)

Nice flared lip. Bottle is 9 1/2 in tall and 4 in. square at the shoulder. Must have been good quality glass as only needed to wash it with soap an water after digging it.


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## Gunsmoke47 (Dec 25, 2005)

Hey Cliff, that's a wonderful bottle. Isn't it amazing how something with that fragile of a lip could survive even the toss to the pit much less everything on top of it including the dirt!  I believe I would put that in my keeper stash as it would be hard to dig another one like it. []  Great dig!!  Kelley


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## Mainepontil (Dec 25, 2005)

That bottle is a legend Cliff.  I've heard the story of you digging it from several different people, some that don't even know you.  It's great to see it again.  

 Joel


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## Ye Olde Prospector (Dec 25, 2005)

Hi Joel,

 Think it will be a while before I dig any better bottles than that one. Amazing how it ever survived damage. Just about as likely as winning the lottery. Just gotta keep on diggin.

 Cliff


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## capsoda (Dec 25, 2005)

Hey Cliff, that is an extraordinary case bottle you got there. I've only seen pieces of those. We used to call them case gin gone wild when we dug up those odd tops. Check the local museum, sometimes they have a picture catologue of old bottle types.


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## bearswede (Dec 26, 2005)

That's one fine bottle, my friend... And an incredible story, to boot!!!

 Thanks for sharing, Cliff...

 Ron


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## Miles (Dec 27, 2005)

That's a wonderful bottle! 
 Did you dig that in the town?


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## Ye Olde Prospector (Dec 27, 2005)

My son and a friend found a cobalt poison and pieces of old glass in a small brook. I went back with them looking for the source. Found a portion of the original Bath dump was there and had been capped over with topsoil in the early 1900's. The first hole I dug about 4 feet straight down I pulled out the widemouth case gin. We did find a few other pontied bottles later.The property owner was very friendly and let us dig there. We gave him some colorful bottles and sometimes he would bring sandwiches and cold lemonade down and we would explain what a lot of the bottles were and contained. We couldn't get him interested in digging but he told us to keep anything we wanted. Can't ask for better deal than that.

 Cliff


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## capsoda (Dec 27, 2005)

Hey Cliff, The next time you go to Heaven, CAN I GO?[]


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## madman (Dec 27, 2005)

that is a beautiful bottle and story  yes heaven!!!   mike


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## atticmint (Dec 27, 2005)

Thats a real beauty you have there Cliff


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## southern Maine diver (Dec 31, 2005)

Hey Cliff...

 I was away on vacation when you dragged that widemouth out... It was truly great to see (and hold!!!) at Bram's Bottleshow in Sommersworth last April... I can't wait until the weather warms up a bit...


 I just got back from Fla and the weather was great... too much wind and zero visibility, so my two days of dive charters were canceled... oh well[X(]

 I'll just have to go to the Kennebec to do some cold water diving[&:]

 Take care and tell Paul I said hello... Is he on the forum?

 Wayne


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## Ye Olde Prospector (Dec 31, 2005)

Hi Wayne,

 Paul checks the forums now and then, but doesn't post very often. See ya again one of these days.

 Cliff


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## Tony14 (Jan 1, 2006)

awesoem bottle cliff....its amazing it survived.


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## poisons4me (Jan 1, 2006)

That is amazing,what a great find,would have heard me for 3 states !!!congrats.


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## card (Jan 2, 2006)

What a great find!!  Can't get better than that!


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## tuppence (Jun 3, 2006)

Hi Cliff
 I'm on one of my rare surfs on the forum,and I come across this magnificent bottle.
 The date you quote is about right, however it is not a wide mouthed case gin, but a so called seed bottle.  Once in a while, on very rare occasions you might come across one in Holland
 Apparently they were used to store precious seeds from one season to the other.
 You might get some more specific information if you were to get in touch with somebody from the Dutch bottleclub  http://www.deoudeflesch.nl/
 Anyway, congratulations on a magnificent specimen.
 Keep digging.
 Mike


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