# Blue ball jar with a cross on it



## chall103 (Jun 24, 2012)

I went garage selling the other day just outside of Toledo. I came across an old ball jar with a cross on it. I also believe it said patent 1858. It was only ten dollars, but I passes it up. Should I have bought it at that price? Does anyone know when it could have been actually made.


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## RIBottleguy (Jun 24, 2012)

Hey Chris,
 It's a common but fairly appealing jar.  Depending on the size, it's worth $5-10.  No harm done leaving it there unless you could talk the seller down.


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## surfaceone (Jun 24, 2012)

Hello Chris,

 Welcome to the Jar Department, and thanks for the questions.

 There's several Possibilities & Variations.





From.


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## jarsnstuff (Jun 24, 2012)

When is a Ball jar not a Ball jar?  Where's the cross - on the base or the side?  Is it a Hero cross - then it's not a Ball jar.... Tammy


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## chall103 (Jun 24, 2012)

If a tree falls in the forest and noone is around, does it still make a noise? lol. I guess if the symbol above is a hero cross then it was not a ball jar. The cross was at the top of the jar. I must have been confused because there were some other blue balls there that were marked patent 1858.


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## epackage (Jun 25, 2012)

It's very possible you saw a Cross AND 1858...[]


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## chall103 (Jun 26, 2012)

I recognize that bottle. That would be the one. So that bottle is about 10 dollars. Do you know exactly when it was made. Thanks for the pic.


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## epackage (Jun 26, 2012)

> ORIGINAL:  chall103
> 
> I recognize that bottle. That would be the one. So that bottle is about 10 dollars. Do you know exactly when it was made. Thanks for the pic.


 There's a possible 60 year window I think Chris, there are different factors to look at to try and determine age. Here's some info regarding the jars..


*History*

 These jars take their name from John Landis Mason. Mason was a young inventor who came up with the concept of a metal screw-on lid in 1858. The threaded neck on glass jars that we take for granted today was once a major innovation. Mason's developments made preserving food at home much easier and made the jars reusable. Despite the fact that Mason sold five of his glass canning jar patents in 1859, his name had staying power. The mason jar is the common name for glass home canning jars to this day.


*Types*

 Mason canning jars come in a variety of sizes from the large half gallon size to the tiny one cup size. The quart size mason jar is the most common, but the pint sized jar is popular as well. Jars may be standard or wide mouthed and were once made in a variety of colors, although modern mason jars are manufactured using clear glass. Colors include emerald green, rare cobalt blue, amber, milk glass and aqua. The thinking behind producing jars in various colors was that the colors would help to protect food from spoiling. Closures vary as well and include screw on metal lids or E-Z seals. E-Z seals were glass lids with rubber gaskets and a metal sealing device attached to the jar. Companies that manufactured mason jars included Jarden Home, Atlas, Kerr, Ball and Mason.


*Value*

 While many jars carry an embossed date of 1858, most do not date back that far. Jars that carry this date may have actually been manufactured as late as 1920. Before 1915 mason jars were made from blown rather than molded glass. Blown glass jars have a round raised area, or pontil scar, on the bottom while molded glass exhibits telltale mold seams. Blown glass jars are more valuable than molded ones. Values of collectible mason jars may range from around $6 to $10 all the way up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Having the original lid with the jar can increase the value by as much as 50 percent. The best way to determine value of an individual jar is to consult a collecting reference such as "The Redbook of Fruit Jars" by Doug Leybourne.


*Reproductions*

 Reproductions of some of the most valuable mason jars date back almost 40 years. The base mold numbers on these jars often read 1171, 851 or 971. These fakes were created as poor impersonations of some of the more valuable mason jars in colors such as cobalt blue, lime green and milk glass. Ironically, many of these reproductions have become popular with collectors and may sell for $70 or more. Potential buyers should be aware that the technology of altering the color of glass through irradiation has allowed unscrupulous sellers to change the appearance of mason jars that were originally clear glass.



 Read more: Collectors Guide to Mason Jars | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/way_5206997_collectors-guide-mason-jars.html#ixzz1yrrE8wwK


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## chall103 (Jun 29, 2012)

Thanks for the cool facts epackage, they are much appreciated.


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