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 Antique Bottle Types
These are a combination of top
types, and design features that allow for quick field
classification.
 Screw top
Some early glass blowers made screw tops during the
1860’s, but the standard thread screw top was not common
until 1924. The vast majority of screw tops found will
be these common 20th century versions and do not have
much value. Early screw tops can be distinguished from
automatic machine made screw top bottles because they
will have a rough ground lip and will not have a mold
seam that runs through the lip.
 Painted Bottles
Applied color labels or lettering (ACL) replaced
embossing on most soda and milk bottles. Painted bottles
were developed during the early 1930’s. They were more
cost effective to produce and the bright colors enhanced
point of sale marketing efforts. These bottles are most
often machine made crown tops, screw tops or milk
bottles.
 Crown top
Crown tops were invented by William Painter in 1892.
These bottle tops require a bottle opener to open. Crown
Tops can be found as both applied tops, which can date
to just after 1892 or machine made. By 1915 most
manufacturers had switched to this style top. Crown tops
lasted through the 1960’s when screw tops began to
replace them. Crown tops are most often seen in soda and
beer bottles. The most collectible of these will be the
older heavily embossed applied crown tops and some ACL
bottles.
 Blob top
These bottles have a blob of glass applied as the top.
The blob was applied after the bottle was removed from
the mold, and then hand =tooled to form the top. Most
often found on soda and beer bottles some are highly
collectable. Their value ranges depending on color,
condition and how elaborate the embossing. Blob top BIM
bottles date from 1840-1890.
 Hutchinson
These soda bottles had a metal hook and rubber gasket
sealer. They were designed to contain the pressure of
carbonated drinks. Hutchinson bottles date from 1879 to
1912. These bottles are very collectable. Colored
versions, highly embossed and bottles from certain areas
are more valuable. As a general rule East coast bottles
are more common and less valuable than those produced
further to the West.
Lightning type
These bottles have a porcelain or hard stopper which is
latched with wire over the lip of the bottle. These were
produced just after the Hutchinson style. 1880-1900
mostly commonly used for beer bottles.
 Bromo Seltzer & Milk of Magnesia
These cobalt blue glass bottles are very common, and
have little value. That said they still look good on the
shelf. Note the barnacles left attached to bottle adds a
little character and makes it immediately identifiable
as being recovered from the marine environment.
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These
basics can be enhanced and modified as model
builders become more proficient. Capt. Dan has
included a showcase of ship in bottle images
from some of the best master model builders in
the world. Often the best way to improve skills
and technique is to examine the exquisite work
and detail of these masters.
Hunting
Antique Bottles in the
Marine Environment.
He
also uses over 10 unique 3D diagrams designed to
give a better understanding as to the time line
of glass blowing and bottle manufacturing. These
3D mold images are combined with drawings of the
bottles they produced and highlight the distinct
mold seam marks each created. This informative
text tells all the tricks of the trade that
until now have only been learned through years
of experience. Bottle collectors, scuba divers
and anyone interested in exploring the marine
environment for these historic treasurers will
reference this text often as they search for and
collect antique bottles.
