# Curious find



## dmckee (Dec 27, 2017)

Story: In the late 1970's my Dad and I would go on metal detecting day trips around central Alabama where we lived, he would detect and me being a kid would dig targets, play or explore. This particular day we were at a road intersection in Pickens county at a dilapidated two story wood building supposed to be a stagecoach stop. The building was on stone pillars which put the floor at my eye level, he was detecting and I was perusing around the building. I pulled some loose hanging boards off at floor level and found this curious mortar brick with tiny bottles within it. I've been holding it as a keepsake for the last 40 years or so, we talk about every few years and how he wished we would have kept pulling boards to see what else was there. The site has long been gone and now a busy intersection. What date would you guess? any value? Leave intact or try and separate them?


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## nhpharm (Dec 27, 2017)

1840's pontiled puffs.  I would definitely keep it intact and as-is...bottles are common and not worth much but intact it is pretty neat!


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## JustGlass (Dec 27, 2017)

Cool find. Very uncommon and something you don't see very often. Bet there is a few empty opium bottles in there. I love it.


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## hemihampton (Dec 27, 2017)

I see a open pontiled bottom. Can't tell if Puff, puffs are very thin glass like a light bulb but with what looks like a thin flared lip on the one they could be. Most likely unembossed that would then have little value, but for me I'd  carefully separate them because I would be curious if any were embossed. Dates probably 1840's to early 1860's. Nice finds. Congrats. LEON.


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## sandchip (Dec 28, 2017)

I agree with Leon, because there may be a rare embossed med hiding in there.  You never know.  You're gonna have to be very patient and careful though.  If it's lime mortar, it may not put up a real big fight.  I'd pick at a few places and see if it crumbles off fairly easily.  If you can get them separated and picked fairly clean, I'd finish with a muriatic acid bath and gentle scrubbing with a stainless scouring pad. Such a neat and unique find that rocks just the way it is.  Part of me wants to see what's in there, but the other part would want to put it on display just the way it is.  I beat myself up too for not checking out sites in younger days that are long gone now.


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## botlguy (Dec 28, 2017)

Keep it the way it is. That is HISTORY. One can always acquire bottles, you'll NEVER replace it if you take it apart. There are things more valuable than money.
Jim S


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## CanadianBottles (Dec 28, 2017)

I agree, keep it as it is.  Pontilled puffs are not uncommon, but I've never heard of another brick with whole bottles in it, especially of that age.  It's unlikely that any are embossed anyway, since they're all so small and likely came from the same source.


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## Tony AZ (Dec 29, 2017)

really neat find there Tony Az....


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## sandchip (Dec 29, 2017)

Okay, I've quit waffling and I agree with the last few posters that it should be left alone.  I love old bricks and I'll bet nobody has another one like this!  I'd have that thing in a special spot on the mantle or bookshelf.  I can't help but to keep wondering what else was under that old building, in the attic, walls, etc...


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## dmckee (Dec 29, 2017)

The glass is "light bulb" thin and I've sorta always doubted if they could be extracted without destroying at least some of them. I'm surprised that me as a kid didn't break them just because I could. My Dad and I also wonder why they got put there? Just a 175 year old mystery I guess.


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## Bixby Bill (Dec 31, 2017)

It looks like they used the bottles as filler in the cement, like we use small stones back here in the east. To me this is worth more historically than what the bottles would be worth, leave it as it is! It doesn`t appear to be any valuable bottles in there anyways. Great piece!


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## dsimms (Jan 3, 2018)

Montgomery, AL here.  I would try to find a photo of the old building to frame and put with this.  You might be able to find it with a Google image search.  Interesting that they would have used bottles as mortar or brick filler. I've been to plenty of bottle shows and haven't seen anything like this before.


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## American (Jan 3, 2018)

Bricks with pontiled bottle fillers!  Awesome find - I wouldn't touch it.


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## LolaInSF (Jan 3, 2018)

That is SO cool! My cousin, who works for a 125-year-old brick making company, says "Wow, that is a rare find. Back in the day they sometimes fabricated a kiln on the construction site due to not having a brick plant close enough. If that was case, they would often use glass as fill ( since glass already vitrified, made it usable for this)."

He also said it might be that the kiln operator had a drug/drinking problem and was hiding the bottles... .


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## GABatGH (Jan 3, 2018)

For those that don't know what a puff is...
https://www.antique-bottles.net/showthread.php?51922-Pontil-puff


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## bandsdean (Jan 3, 2018)

That is a way cool find. Definitely a mantel piece!


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## willong (Jan 3, 2018)

Just to chime in and hopefully help make your decision to preserve that interesting piece: Keep it as is!

Sites I used to dig never produced pontiled bottles (too recent  history); so that was the first thing caught my eye. Still, as multiple  members have pointed out, the individual bottles are likely slicks of  little value; while the aggregate is special, perhaps even unique.

As to why the builders might have embedded the bottles in the clay to begin with, I don't see need of any reason beyond whimsy. Now, if clay was scarce--unlikely since they opted to build with brick anyway--the bottles might have been used as filler simply because they were available. Were there more in that structure? Alas, we'll never know.


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## JOETHECROW (Jan 3, 2018)

I logged on for the first time in years to say that I would leave it! it is waaay unusual and what a cool keepsake! Plus you found it with your dad!


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## slickfinish (Jan 3, 2018)

*that is an open pontil on the bottom. Looks like an utility bottle. 1820-40's*



dmckee said:


> Story: In the late 1970's my Dad and I would go on metal detecting day trips around central Alabama where we lived, he would detect and me being a kid would dig targets, play or explore. This particular day we were at a road intersection in Pickens county at a dilapidated two story wood building supposed to be a stagecoach stop. The building was on stone pillars which put the floor at my eye level, he was detecting and I was perusing around the building. I pulled some loose hanging boards off at floor level and found this curious mortar brick with tiny bottles within it. I've been holding it as a keepsake for the last 40 years or so, we talk about every few years and how he wished we would have kept pulling boards to see what else was there. The site has long been gone and now a busy intersection. What date would you guess? any value? Leave intact or try and separate them?
> View attachment 180830 View attachment 180831[/QTUOTE]


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## slickfinish (Jan 3, 2018)

I would not do anything with it. beautiful


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## logueb (Jan 3, 2018)

Awesome find.   I would leave it as is. I Tried to remove a small bim from a rusted layer as hard as cement.  The bottle didn't make it, because the glass was so thin. Thanks for sharing. Buster


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## Bass Assassin (Jan 11, 2018)

I would break it down. Can’t really admire the bottles as they are and for me personally, I would rather be able to see the glass than have in the condition it is now. Everyone has their own taste. You do what feels right for you


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## Sam (Feb 5, 2018)

I would say to slowly chisel them out.


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## Sam (Feb 5, 2018)

See if you can get a couple out, if one breaks, leave as is.


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