# Smooth lip midget



## georgeoj (Feb 16, 2013)

Columbus was a good show and look what it produced. At first, I could not believe it. My brain went yukk another repro. But then [8D][8D][8D] it is real. These are very hard to find. Few were made since the small mouth pint lost popularity at about the same time that the switch to bottle/jar machines took place. I will just post one picture tonight and will get a good one up when the sun come back above the horizon. The back of the jar first drew my attention. It is a bit crinkled. George


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## georgeoj (Feb 17, 2013)

The Red Book number is 1875-6.
 I think that the jar is early machine made and not hand blown as stated in the book.
 This jar was dug in Pittsburgh. I purchased it from the digger at Columbus.
 Any opinions as to the making or scarcity would be welcome.
 There are many jars that I have not seen. However, I did specialize in Midgets many years ago with a fairly large collection. I never saw one of these.  George


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## georgeoj (Feb 17, 2013)

The back


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## georgeoj (Feb 17, 2013)

Base


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## georgeoj (Feb 17, 2013)

Lip.


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## zecritr (Feb 17, 2013)

can't wait till i can afford the red book  lol
 that is very sweet looking Jar.
 thanks for showing it [sm=tongue.gif][sm=thumbup.gif]


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## jarhead67 (Feb 17, 2013)

Very nice jar! I'm not up on the scarcity of the smooth lips, but I do enjoy the look of that jar in the light.


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## jarhead67 (Feb 17, 2013)

Hi zecritr,

 I just purchased the #10 book right from the author for $40 shipped. He even signed it! I was very surprised at the price as I was searching for a used one at first and found them to be priced fairly high. My first reference book in years and it was well worth it.


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## georgeoj (Feb 17, 2013)

With a new hat and in the sunlight. The base is not pushed up. The picture is taken thru one of the distortions in the jar and there is a magnified/distorted view of the base.


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## zecritr (Feb 17, 2013)

yeah seen that page and got it bookmarked but getting 40 up is a bit hard at the moment oh well lots of great info here


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## deenodean (Feb 17, 2013)

Nice jar. What does B.C.R. stand for ?


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## georgeoj (Feb 17, 2013)

There does not seem to be any information available. My first thought was that it is the maker's initials. It could just be an identification mark (mold number).  George


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## georgeoj (Feb 24, 2013)

The jar is in the Standard Fruit Jar Reference 2011. I did not find it earlier because it has been placed in the reverse embossing section by mistake. Note that the listing says a report of a 'heavy midget pint'. SFJR#894.2
 George


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## MNJars (Feb 26, 2013)

George, I have been gone for a while so I did not see this post until just now.  I have a jar VERY similar to this and have always wondered about it.  It has a smooth lip, same embossing and size.  From my memory it has similar base markings.  The lip is smooth but slightly uneven on mine, almost like it was melted at some point.  The glass is slightly wavy and distorted just as your pictures show.  The glass also feels a little thicker and slightly heavier than a typical midget.
 I have always suspected this jar to be a reproduction, but have no basis for that thought besides that it just feels different.  It seems odd for someone to want to reproduce an aqua jar.
 I'll try to post pictures of it later if I can for comparison to yours.


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## georgeoj (Feb 26, 2013)

I am looking forward to your pictures. The jar is definitely not a reproduction. It was likely produced on one of the early bottle machines at about the same time that the small mouth jars were losing popularity. George


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## MNJars (Feb 26, 2013)

George, I looked at my jar and it is strikingly similar to yours!  I'll try to post some pictures below.  Have you learned anything more about it?  I don't have the Standard Fruit Jar Reference, but I'm very curious as this must be somewhat rare?


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## MNJars (Feb 26, 2013)

Another pic


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## MNJars (Feb 26, 2013)

Smooth lip


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## MNJars (Feb 26, 2013)

Base embossing (last pic)


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## georgeoj (Feb 27, 2013)

I am certain that the jars are quite scarce. Both the Red Book and the SFJR have this jar listed in the wrong place with very little/no information. SFJR says that the jar was reported by Vivian Kath. The only other information that it has is that the jar is a light green, smooth lip, heavy, machine made, midget pint with an unknown maker.  The fact that both reference books seem to have a listing that is based on someone saying that there is a jar, and little else, would tend to indicate that there are very few to be found. The only other thing that I have learned is from your posting. The markings on the bottom are mold numbers and I will quit looking for a maker based on them. My curiosity is up even more now with the different base lettering on your jar. The last letter seems to be the variable. I wonder if they started with A and went thru the alphabet. If so, that could indicate that there are more to find. I intend to keep digging for information but do not expect to find much. George


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## RICKJJ59W (Feb 27, 2013)

Sorry had to do it lol

 Smooth lip Midget.[]


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## mackle (Feb 27, 2013)

Where's the "like" button on this forum?
 lol


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## MNJars (Feb 27, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  georgeoj
> 
> I am certain that the jars are quite scarce. Both the Red Book and the SFJR have this jar listed in the wrong place with very little/no information. SFJR says that the jar was reported by Vivian Kath. The only other information that it has is that the jar is a light green, smooth lip, heavy, machine made, midget pint with an unknown maker.  The fact that both reference books seem to have a listing that is based on someone saying that there is a jar, and little else, would tend to indicate that there are very few to be found. The only other thing that I have learned is from your posting. The markings on the bottom are mold numbers and I will quit looking for a maker based on them. My curiosity is up even more now with the different base lettering on your jar. The last letter seems to be the variable. I wonder if they started with A and went thru the alphabet. If so, that could indicate that there are more to find. I intend to keep digging for information but do not expect to find much. George


 
 I got my jar when I purchased a collection that included a handful of older midget pints.  I always wondered if it was a reproduction, but now that I see another example with a differing mold number and hear accounts of it referenced in books, it can't be.  To be thorough I'll add a little more description:
 The jar is definately heavier than typical midget pints with thicker glass.
 The aqua color is very slightly on the green side of aqua, but for sure aqua.
 The glass is distorted, sort of wavy, with a few bubbles.
 The glass feels more smooth when compared to older jars - I'm not sure why.  Maybe it was cleaned by a previous owner?
 A typical old midget pint lid fits and tightens just fine.
 I have never seen or heard of another one besides in this thread.  Any other midget pint collectors out there that have seen any?


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## jimsears (Feb 28, 2013)

I have owned examples of this jar with mold numbers B6R and B9M and also one with an unmarked base.  The B9L is a new one too me, but I doubt there were too many more molds because the jars really do seem quite scarce.  I know one was dug in Alexandria, VA, but I have never found any information about who made them.  I will see if I can get Doug Leybourne to change the misleading BCR listing in the next Red Book.

 Jim Sears


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## georgeoj (Mar 5, 2013)

I LOOKED for information on these jars and could find very little. 

  Today, I decided to take some time to just sit down and read the copy of "The Standard Fruit Jar Reference 2011" that I bought last summer. ..In Chapter II on page 9, Dick Roller gives some history on the earliest jar machines that were used by many different glass houses. These machines created a jar in a two step process that involved creating the threads, mouth and smooth lip by pressing the glass into a shaping mold. The jar body then was blown by compressed air in a finish mold. The amount of glass used was not yet machine measured and had to be judged by eye as with a fully hand made jar. This would answer the question about the heavy weight of these jars. 

 George


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## ajohn (Mar 15, 2013)

Hey George!
  Interesting post. I'm nobody when it comes to research, I suffer from CRS.
 However, when I look at your jar, and the lip,color, my gut says Aussie.


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## georgeoj (Mar 15, 2013)

Hi Anthony, Welcome back!
 As far as I know, there have not been any reported in Australia. The one that I have was dug in Pittsburgh. The lip is quite different but that is due to the two step process in which the top is formed by pressing. 
 George


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## myersdiggers1998 (Mar 17, 2013)

Nice jars for sure, I have a ground lip version. Now i'll be looking for this type also.


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