# Civil War era ale?



## Screwtop (Aug 3, 2019)

I bought this beauty of a black glass ale bottle today. It is three piece mold, and has a very drippy G K embossed on the bottom. Is this pre war, or Civil War era? (1861-1865)


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## nhpharm (Aug 4, 2019)

In my experience, these post-date the Civil war by about 5-10 years.  I usually find them in 1870's-1910's context, and they don't seem to have changed much in those 40 years except the later ones are mostly 2-piece rather than 3-piece molds.  This is an earlier example but I don't think it dates as early as Civil War.  Just my opinion based on my digging experience though!


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## CanadianBottles (Aug 4, 2019)

Nhpharm, do you know if these were ever manufactured in the US?  I've always assumed these to be British, we find them by the bucketload in turn of the 20th century sites in Canada, especially out west.


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## Screwtop (Aug 4, 2019)

CanadianBottles said:


> Nhpharm, do you know if these were ever manufactured in the US?  I've always assumed these to be British, we find them by the bucketload in turn of the 20th century sites in Canada, especially out west.




I'm sure these were made in the U.S. BUT like I said, I don't know much about them. It is old, not turn of the century, I DO know that. If you look at the neck, there is no turning like post  1880s stuff.


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## Harry Pristis (Aug 4, 2019)

*
I recall some speculation that the "K" version was made at the Kentucky Glass Works. *


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## Screwtop (Aug 4, 2019)

Don't forget the G in front of the K.


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## nhpharm (Aug 4, 2019)

I am pretty much 100% certain that these were not made in the US.  I dig them by the dozens in trash pits in Galveston, Texas and some of them still have the pigment attached from the labels, and they have all been British.


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## saratogadriver (Aug 5, 2019)

nhpharm said:


> I am pretty much 100% certain that these were not made in the US.  I dig them by the dozens in trash pits in Galveston, Texas and some of them still have the pigment attached from the labels, and they have all been British.






I don't have your evidence to support them being British, but nothing about the form speaks to me as American.   Just not quite right.  I think they show up commonly for sale on the east coast generally.  I've seen them many times here in New England.

Jim G


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## sunrunner (Aug 5, 2019)

they are English export ale. mad on a rickets three piece mold 1870, 80s, 90s, some times embossed on the bottom .


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## Screwtop (Aug 5, 2019)

That's a little bit of a let down, but I'm happy with it. Black glass is black glass! Sunrunner, what does mad on rickets mean?


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## saratogadriver (Aug 6, 2019)

Rickets (Ricketts?) was a major English glassmaker.   Some of their bottles had their name embossed on the base.   A three piece mold is just that, a bottle mold that was comprised of 3 pieces, a one part base that joined around about the shoulder with the other two parts of the mold.


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## Harry Pristis (Aug 6, 2019)

*Right you are.  Henry Ricketts of Bristol in 1821 was granted a patent on a 3-piece mold machine.  That machine changed the industry. 

*


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## willong (Aug 7, 2019)

I hope you do not mind this question. In the 1970's, I dug a number of similar examples of black glass ale, and other, bottles in western Washington State. Also dug a few in SE British Columbia mining country very close to the WA border. Since you state that you bought the bottle, would you mind saying what the purchase price was?

If other diggers and collector want to toss their opinions on value into the discussion I'd be interested in reading those too.


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## Mr. Hemingray (Aug 7, 2019)

He intended to say "Made on a rickets 3 piece mold".


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## Screwtop (Aug 7, 2019)

willong said:


> I hope you do not mind this question. In the 1970's, I dug a number of similar examples of black glass ale, and other, bottles in western Washington State. Also dug a few in SE British Columbia mining country very close to the WA border. Since you state that you bought the bottle, would you mind saying what the purchase price was?
> 
> If other diggers and collector want to toss their opinions on value into the discussion I'd be interested in reading those too.



I  got it for about $10, plus tax.


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## CanadianBottles (Aug 7, 2019)

willong said:


> I hope you do not mind this question. In the 1970's, I dug a number of similar examples of black glass ale, and other, bottles in western Washington State. Also dug a few in SE British Columbia mining country very close to the WA border. Since you state that you bought the bottle, would you mind saying what the purchase price was?
> 
> If other diggers and collector want to toss their opinions on value into the discussion I'd be interested in reading those too.



I imagine it depends a lot on location.  I remember trying to sell these in BC for $1 each a decade or so ago.  I never managed to sell a single one.  You used to be able to pick them up for pennies at our local recycle resale store, bottle diggers would drop boxes full of them off.  They seem to be much less common in the States though.  In BC these and similar bottles would make up about 50-75% of intact bottles in a typical turn of the 20th century dump.


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## nhpharm (Aug 7, 2019)

I sell them for $1 each at the bottle shows...and definitely don't manage to sell them all.  Depending on my mood a lot of them just go back in the hole.


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## sandchip (Aug 8, 2019)

Not to change the subject, but that's a good looking bottle, Harry.  Killer embossing around that pontil scar.


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## Harry Pristis (Aug 8, 2019)

sandchip said:


> Not to change the subject, but that's a good looking bottle, Harry.  Killer embossing around that pontil scar.



*Thanks for the feedback, sandchip.  I acquired that bottle in Guyana a good while ago.  I had been picking out 1700s bottles from a dealer.  I finished with a few dollars still in my pocket.  I was out on the street when the dealer chased after me with this bottle in his hand.  I was reluctant because the 3pm bottle was too recent, but he talked me into buying it for $15 USD.  I'm glad I did.*


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## sandchip (Aug 8, 2019)

Man, I wish somebody would chase me down with a bottle like that!


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