Posted 8 years ago
AnnaB
(85 items)
This one came from an antique store in Southwest, most likely Arizona. It's been years since that trip, so i forgot. It's one of the first old bottles i purchased, and i probably waaay overpaid for it ($30!) but i really liked it and wanted it. I couldn't find any info on the maker anywhere. It's just marked SP. My closest guess was Peter Schiller (the purple bottle next to it) but i have a feeling i'm wrong. All and any ideas are appreciated.
Love the colors.
Thank you! Me too! =)
Ah, JSP. I for one site solved the mystery on what was really bottled in it even though people told me that until I found original documentation, I was not correct (I found original documentation, of course. LOL.)
Joseph S. Pedersen (JSP monogram) of New York took control of a company in 1869 and produced his "Beer of health," which was some sort of malt. This was very successful and continued for a few decades, but as is typical of the day... someone began stealing his bottles and slapping their own labels over them! This caused confusion among collectors and made them think JP was somehow a sauce when these later-labeled pieces turned up. But it wasn't a sauce; it was an alcohol.
They came in many colours, teal-green being most common. The JSP small monogram is earlier. Yours is the larger monogram, putting it into the 1880s or 1890s.
Your purple bottle should be circa-1899. The REGISTERED statement was made mandatory in that year. Your purple bottle was also artificially irradiated. Manganese in the glass, when exposed to sun over time, will turn to a light purple or pink. Increased radiation, hazardous to life, such as from food- and mail-sterilizing equipment, makes it dark purple.
Although crown-tops (purple bottle's top, or mouth) came out in 1891, they didn't take off till about 1905. They didn't replace the blob style of bottle in popularity until near Prohibition. If the seams on the bottle go all the way up the lip, it's likely 1915+ (not always, though.) If they stop before the lip, it could still be up to 1920.
Another note: I cannot verify, but I believe it was after the Food and Drug Act of 1906 (separate, maybe something like the Goldie Act? [been too long]) that the ounces of liquid meant to be in the bottle were made mandatory on a bottle (as in the glass-maker had to emboss it in.) As some were doing that earlier, and some tried not listening, I find it an irrelevant "dating-tool." Your purple bottle, in my opinion, is 1905-1915 as I think it will be tooled, not fully ABM (Automatic Bottle Machine.)
Just more ramblings from someone who got too absorbed into the hobby.
SpiritBear, i was hoping you'd stop by. Wow...I wish i had a story like this to go with each of my bottles...Your knowledge is astounding!
So how did i do paying $30 for it?
Question on purple bottles...it sounds like they are not very desirable since they are artificially irradiated...? I actually really like purple bottles, i got one so deep purple that it's almost black...I'll post it later, would be curious to learn about it, too. Many thanks, Spirit, i learn so much from you!
Thank you all for the loves, very much appreciate it!
Just keep posting your bottles. I barely noticed as it was not on the first page of posts but will look at your profile occasionally to catch them.
I paid $10 for mine, which is the earlier style.
Sold listings on e-Bay:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=JSP+bottle&_in_kw=1&_ex_kw=&_sacat=0&LH_Sold=1&_udlo=&_udhi=&_samilow=&_samihi=&_sadis=15&_stpos=49441&_sargn=-1%26saslc%3D1&_salic=1&_sop=12&_dmd=1&_ipg=200&LH_Complete=1
AKA, price is all over from $10 shipped to $30 shipped. Yours appears to be in good condition, and teal almost always sells (when not completely over-priced.)
Many people seek out irradiated glass. Unembossed/unlabeled bottles are often irradiated so they'll sell. A worthless clear bottle might sell for $10 when irradiated.
But some of us refuse to buy irradiated bottles, as that is not original. I'll buy sun-coloured Amethyst (SCA) bottles (you've seen mine) as that is natural and to me appealing.
But if a seller is selling an irradiated bottle and does not alert the buyer that it's artificially irradiated, he is pretty much lying as sellers often tout it as a "rare" colour or natural from the sun (some, of course, have no idea.)
Bottles can go other colours, too. Such as hobble-skirt (classic shape) Coca-Cola bottles can go brown, in some cases.
Heating it up, which is not recommended, to a high temp will-- interestingly-- often undo the purpling but leave the glass in a straw colour. I've not tried it.
Thanks again, SpiritBear, your comments are very enlightening and inspiring! Yes, please do check my profile for bottles occasionally, it would be great to hear from you.