There are three keys to help with dating most bottles: Side seams: None: bottle may be free blown , in which case it has a very uneven shape and dates before 1860. Or the bottle may have a nice even shape, but was spun in the mold to smooth out the seams; a practice common around 1900-1920.
How do you date glass?
In most cases, one- or two-digit numbers are actually mold numbers that indicate the specific bottle mold or section in an automatic bottle machine. If numerous molds were identical, each one received its own number. Base numbers also indicate bottle styles or shapes, manufacturing dates, or factory location codes.
How can you tell if a glass bottle is valuable?
While not all old bottles are valuable, an older bottle is more likely to be worth more than a newer one. Seams and pontil marks are two of the ways you can determine a bottle's age. The pontil mark is the mark at the bottom of the bottle where it was attached to the glass blower's pontil rod.
What do the numbers on the bottom of glass jars mean?
Many bottles carry only a number (or numbers) on the base. These marks often served as some type of mold identification , indicating a particular mold used by a glass factory. If a number of identical molds were produced for making a certain type of bottle, they would often be serially numbered (such as 1 to 12).
How can you tell how old a glass bottle is?
If the bottle seam goes to the lip's top, the bottle is likely a machine-produced bottle from 1910 to the modern era . If the seam goes to the neck's top but stops before the lip, the bottle was likely produced from 1880 to 1910.
Does old glass have seams?
If you examine a piece of pressed glass you will always find either two, three or four seams running through the glass , although sometimes the seams were well hidden in the pattern. ... When manufacturers began producing pressed glass (1850-1910); patterns ranged from very plain to very elaborate cut glass imitations.
Is blue glass worth money?
Moderately priced vintage selections in cobalt blue vary widely in variety and price. You can still find a single Chevron milk pitcher or violin-shaped bottle in this color for well under 30 dollars. Authentic Shirley Temple pieces from the Depression-era can still be found for under 50 dollars apiece.
Is antique glass valuable?
Crystal produced during this era is considered antique by collectors , while those created after World War I are generally regarded as vintage glassware. ... The value of older and more highly decorated crystal glassware can range between $1,000 and $4,000—sometimes even more, depending on its condition and design.
How can you tell 18th century glass?
- Trademark.
- Logo.
- Symbol.
- Signature.
How do you date old Coke bottles?
The letters and numbers on the bottom of every Coke mean little to anyone ... except to those of us who know the value of traceability. That collection of characters allows us to know everything about that bottle or can of Coke. Read on to learn more.
What is the rarest color of Depression glass?
Pink glass is most valuable, followed by blue and green. Rare colors such as tangerine and lavender are also worth more than common colors like yellow and amber.
How do you tell the difference between cut glass and pressed glass?
Cut glass will have sharper detail with a more defined pattern, whereas pressed glass will be smoother and worn to the touch. Look for mold marks . Cut glass will not have any mold marks and most pressed pieces do unless they are upper end pieces where someone took the time to remove them.
Does real depression glass have seams?
Authentic depression glass comes in many colors and raised patterns. ... Raised seams were common during the manufacturing process for depression glass. Most reproduction depression glass does not have seams .
What is the rarest color of carnival glass?
- Fenton Ambergina – a deep orange-red tone.
- Northwood Marigold – a warm-toned deep yellow.
- Fenton Cherry Red – a dark, glowing red.
- Northwood Black Amethyst – a very dark purple that appears almost black.
What is vintage blue glass called?
Cobalt glass —known as “smalt” when ground as a pigment—is a deep blue coloured glass prepared by including a cobalt compound, typically cobalt oxide or cobalt carbonate, in a glass melt. Cobalt is a very intense colouring agent and very little is required to show a noticeable amount of colour.
What kind of glass is worth money?
Pink, green and blue are the most valuable colors of depression glass. Pink tends to be the most valuable because it is more rare. Yellow and amber colored depression glass is more common and therefore less valuable.
