# Real or Reproduction?



## donalddarneille (Sep 22, 2010)

My sister picked this one up at an antique store for me while on vacation. Not knowing much about fruit jars I have no idea as to the age or value. What I do know is that it is a pint,  embossed crown over the word "CROWN", machine made in Canada, and the most interesting shade of "Smokey Amber" I have ever seen on a jar. The zinc ring has been painted flat black and still has the original and matching glass liner. Any help with information for this one? Thanks, DD.


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## donalddarneille (Sep 22, 2010)

Photo of the zinc lid and glass liner.....


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## donalddarneille (Sep 22, 2010)

One more shot.....


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## LC (Sep 22, 2010)

Looks like a real McCoy to me . There must be several varieties of these Canada jars . I have them in aqua and clear .


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## jimsears (Sep 22, 2010)

Well, it's certainly a real jar, but the color doesn't look original.  When selenium is used to manufacture glass that is clear instead of aqua, then irradiation will turn the glass smokey amber.  This one looks "nuked" to me.

 Jim Sears


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## LC (Sep 22, 2010)

Could have been I guess , But I never saw a nuked bottle or jar turn amber before .


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## donalddarneille (Sep 22, 2010)

Nuked jar turning amber? New to me also, but just because I havn't seen it doesn't mean it is not possible. I'll try to get a good shot of the color in the daylight tomorrow so you can see if we are referring to the same shade of amber.


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## donalddarneille (Sep 23, 2010)

Did some checking around, and was told that selenium containing glass will turn murkey amber when irradiated, but not with UV radiation. They have to be actually "NUKED"! Can any one confirm this or what ever the actuall process is? Also would like to know when these jars were made, and if being "nuked" affects the value. My little sister paid $16.50 for the jar..... Did she get hosed?


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## LC (Sep 23, 2010)

I wonder if you jar could have been from starting a different batch of glass and there was still some amber ingredients or the opposite still in the kiln ?? That sounds kind of silly to me now that I have read what I wrote ! Anyway , just a thought . My jars have a 48 on them , not sure if that is a batch run or possibly the year they were made . I posted one of mine on here and was told that it was commom running around four bucks or so . If yours is a real amber , I  would think it would be worth more . I am sure someone will chime in with more info for you as time goes on .


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## dygger60 (Sep 23, 2010)

I have seen this discussed  in other forums....LOTS of opinions.   There are jars that do turn this shade of brown ( amber ) when nuked...they almost have the color of tobacco juice.

  They can be found on eBay at times...

  I agree with Jim....the earlier jars that have the selenium will turn an intense purple color... Ball jars I have seen around the same time period as this Crown do turn the amber shade.  

  The SKO Queen jars turn the very intense purple....

  If you like it that is what counts.....real or nuked.

  David


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## BillinMo (Sep 23, 2010)

I don't know about this particular jar... it's hard to tell from the photos.  

 Just on the general topic of irradiation being discussed...  

 Selenium in glass will turn it brown or amber, and manganese turns purple. Radiation heightens the effect to levels you'd never see with ordinary sunlight.  

 Irradiated glass is getting to be a big problem in a lot of collecting circles.  Often it's sold on eBay, but it turns up in flea markets, too.  When I was at Brimfield this summer, I saw a table full of irradiated purple bottles.  

 I've heard from a guy who's done it, so here's the general idea.  Usually it's done at a plant where fruit (typically bananas) are entering the US and they're irradiated to destroy any potential bacterial infestation.  Someone makes friends with an employee at the plant, slips him some money and gives him a box of glass to put on the conveyor belt.  Employee runs the box through the machine when the boss isn't looking, then fetches the irradiated glass from the other end.

 You probably know this from high school science, but the radiation doesn't leave a "residue" and it doesn't make glass (or fruit) radioactive.


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## donalddarneille (Sep 23, 2010)

Great info BillinMo! Nice to know this jar wont glow in the dark.


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## donalddarneille (Sep 23, 2010)

A couple shots of the jar in natural daylight. I think the best descriptor for the color is "light motor oil".


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## donalddarneille (Sep 23, 2010)

Another shot with standard blue and green aqua jars for contrast.


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## dygger60 (Sep 24, 2010)

Yeah....now that I see that picture...I would say it has been "enhanced".

    Nice input BillinMo....and as you say all too many of these are making their way to eBay and such....

    Although I do like the sun colored jars...those dark purple ones are just hidious looking...but ya know what folks pay some big money for them on eBay.  

    And the thing about it is some sellers have offered them as "naturally" sun colored....and believe me they do at times get VERY upset when you tell them they have been nuked....but there are those that do change there descriptions....

    .....trying to get eBay off their dead arses is to do anything is another story.

     David


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