# Ball Ketchup bottle?



## jimboball (May 1, 2006)

While mushroom hunting the other day I came across an old bottle.  Stuck it in my pocket and cleand it when I got home.  It Looks like a old Ketchup bottle  whit out threads and it has the_* Ball * _ logo on the botom along with the number above it 239-12 and H to the left of it a $ just under the Ball logo and to the right  and IA below the logo.  I assume the IA is Iowa.  Any help on my new fine?[]


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## bobclay (May 1, 2006)

Hi jimbo,

 I worked for Ball and we made containers for thousands of different customers. Kraft, Pace, French's, Gerber, Blue Plate, Wesson, and many, many others, even whiskey and wine bottlers. The number 239 refers to the job number and would tell who the bottle was produced for. The 12 beside it would be the capacity in fluid ounces. The H and IA (possibly1A) would refer to the blank and mould set used to produce the bottle. (mould equipment needed to be marked to all stay together for optimum production - rings, blanks, plungers and moulds) 

 Usually (on consumer packer containers) just below and to the right of the Ball logo is a small number, which indicated the plant which produced the container. Check and see if the $ sign might be a number. I used to know all of the plant number codes, but have forgotten many of them. 4 was El Monte, CA. 8 was Okmulgee, OK (where I worked for 20 years). 9 was Asheville, NC.

 Hope this helps!  )

 bobclay


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## jimboball (May 2, 2006)

Bob
 Thanks for the info yes was very  helpful.   It is a 4 belo and to the right of t he Ball logo.  So it make it way to Missouri from Ca.  now for the 100,000 how rare of a find was it and is there any value to the the bottle?


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## bobclay (May 2, 2006)

Hi jimbo,

 Wish I could give you a $100,000 answer. However, not many people collect what is called "consumer ware", ie glass containers meant for holding a consumer product. Some are collectible, but usually have to have their original labels and lids for any value. Many collectors that collect only Ball jars still don't mess with the other Ball made packer containers simply because there are so many different ones.

 Lack of threads would mean it had to have a "press down" or vacuum closure of some sort, which makes it difficult for me to figure out whom it may have been made for or what it may have contained. It isn't a real old container, likely 50s or 60s as Ball began using their customer number/capacity number after WWII. 

 But, the price was right, ya gotta admit that!  )

 bobclay


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