Ball Special Mason Jar #13 anybody?

[Thebeggarscrow]

I was super excited when I realized the extra jars I acquired were not all that common and maybe a little rare

Would love to go dig somewhere new.
Ah but who has time?

 

[Step Back In Time]

They look nice!

 

[jarsnstuff]

The logo on your jar tells me it was made between 1933 and 1962. The #13 mold number has little significance for collectors. The ones people seem to be willing to pay big bucks for are the blue Ball Perfect Masons. "Special" is what they called their wide mouth line, and there are Ball Special Mason jars that are quite a bit older than the one you show. The shoulder seal version is the oldest.

 

[jarsnstuff]

Want to learn as much as I can about mason jars in general.

Did Ball manufacture out of one single facility?
Surely not… the codes are not logistical or I missed a spreadsheet along the way lol

The best resource for the history of jars is The Standard Reference by Dick Roller. Or, if you can find a copy of the Fruit Jar Annual by Jerry McCann, it contains much of the information in the Roller book. Any year will do.
Ball started manufacturing jars in Buffalo, NY, then moved to Muncie, IN. in the early 20th century, they were predatory in buying out other glass houses, altering their molds, and making jars there for a year or two. Then, they would shut down the plant, therefore eliminating the competition. Ball had plants in El Monte, CA and Ashville, NC as well.