NUMBERS ON THE BOTTOMS OF GLASS BOTTLES. I frequently receive inquiries about the interpretation of various numbers seen on the bases of glass bottles. Collectors and others are interested in understanding what the number markings on the bottoms of glass containers mean. Unfortunately, there is no “one answer fits all” to this question!!
(NOTE: the article on this page is pertaining to GLASS containers, and does not apply to the subject of modern / recent PLASTIC containers, which is an entirely separate field of study, and is discussed on many other websites. The number (within a triangle with rounded corners) found on the bottom of plastic bottles is a code indicating the type of plastic the bottle is made from, and pertains to the subject of recycling) .
Always look very closely over the entire glass bottle or other container to see if there is a logo (emblem, trademark, initials, or just a letter) visible that might be a mark that identifies the actual glass manufacturer. Often, a trademark or other marking is embossed on the very bottom of the bottle, or along the lower “heel” of the bottle.
On many bottles, there is no such mark, with only a number or numbers to be seen. In these cases, the general style, shape, glass color and other characteristics may help narrow down the possible age range of a particular specimen.
A large percentage of bottles are marked with only a number, or numbers, on the base (or the heel), and the truth is that, in many cases, it is very difficult, if not impossible to assign a specific glass manufacturer to a bottle if there is no other information embossed in the glass.
Most commonly, single or double-digit numbers embossed on the bottom of a glass item are mold numbers – those numbers served to identify a particular mold (or mold section/mold cavity in use on an automatic bottle-manufacturing machine).
If several identical glass molds were being used simultaneously, each mold would have been assigned a number (a number between 1 and 10, or 1 and 12, etc). If problems occurred with the finished product, it could be easily ascertained which mold is at fault.
Many, many types of commonly-seen glass products have been marked with these types of mold numbers on the base, including bottles, fruit jars, jugs, flasks, candle holders, candlesticks, ashtrays, canisters, dishes, mugs, sugar bowls, salt and pepper shakers, sugar shakers, syrup pitchers, tumblers, tea glasses, punch cups, etc.
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Numbers also serve other purposes, depending on the exact item or container and/or company being discussed. Some numbers are “year/date of manufacture” codes. Some numbers (for instance, 3- or 4-digit numbers on the base of many British bottles) are catalog, inventory, style or design numbers assigned to a particular bottle shape. (Hazel Atlas Glass Company, Anchor Hocking Glass Corporation, Knox Glass Bottle Company and other bottle manufacturers made a wide variety of glass containers with those types of numbers on the base, sometimes a letter/number combination.)
Those numbers would serve to identify a particular bottle style in communications/orders between the glass manufacturer and their customers ……. that is, the companies that ordered the bottles to package its products. Some numbers were factory location codes. (See my page on Owens-Illinois Glass Company, that used, and uses, location codes on many of their bottles).
Many Ball fruit jars (and other brands) carry mold numbers on the base, such as the underlined “2” illustrated here. They identified the particular mold (or “mold cavity” on the jar-making machine). For more information, see my web page on the Ball Perfect Mason jars.
Many Owens-Illinois Glass Company soda bottles, for a period of time, used “G-numbers” on the bottom (numerals before or after a G), which were codes for a specific bottle shape (design), irrespective of the soda brand name or glass color of the bottle.
Large numbers of American-made whiskey and other spirits bottles (dating between 1935 and the 1970s or later) carry a “Liquor Bottle Permit Number” on the base along with a glass manufacturer trademark and a date code. For more information please check out my page here with a list of those liquor bottle permit numbers: Glass Industry Liquor Bottle Permit Numbers .
Here’s my page about the “FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS SALE OR REUSE OF THIS BOTTLE” marking seen on liquor bottles.
Many liquor bottles are seen with “D-numbers” on the bottom which are distillery identification codes. Someone has put together a list of various distiller code numbers and R-numbers (Rectifier numbers) seen on a wide variety of liquor bottles, with some info on attribution. Here is a link to that page, which is a PDF file: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51379b83e4b02119d184b2a2/t/584a336ee4fcb59adb85c48b/1481257838281/User+Permit+numbers.pdf
Date codes are often seen, especially on soda bottles from the 1930s to date, and many of these codes are embossed on the base of the bottle, placed to the right of the glassmaker’s logo. This is true on the products of some manufacturers, but not all.
Most modern glass bottles carry date codes, which are often on the heel of the bottle. These date codes are not always obvious, or easy to distinguish from mold numbers. It also depends on exactly which glass company produced the container, as all firms did not / do not use the same system of markings.
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DOTS or BUMPS around the lower heel of bottles.
In many cases (especially within the last couple of decades), mold data information is now preserved through the use of small embossed “dots”, “bumps” or raised periods arranged horizontally around the lower heel of the container. More information on this invention (which is rather involved!) and how it works can be found by doing an internet search (Google, Bing, Yahoo or other search engine), using the keyword search terms “EP 0256804 B1 ” , “code reader”, and “Emhart”.
Here are a few photos showing typical bottle bases with numbers on the bottoms. There are numerous ways in which the base of a bottle may be marked, but here are some of the more commonly seen “layouts” of the modern era. You can also see several relatively modern bottle bases on my pages about Owens-Illinois Glass Company and Brockway Glass Company.
NOTE: Please click here to go to the alphabetical list of Glass Bottle Marks , this link points to “page one”. If there is an identifiable mark on the bottom of a bottle, the mark might be listed there. These pages list many commonly seen glass makers’ marks such as “B inside a circle”, “Diamond and oval with an I”, “I inside a diamond”, “O in a square”, as well as initials such as “S B & G CO”, “R & CO”, “A B CO”, “F C G CO”, “I. G. CO.” and many others.
Please click here to go to my website HOME (Welcome) page.
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I have a decanter that I have been able to identify from a near duplicate offered on Ebay. It is an Old Mr. Boston whiskey decanter, and the heel markings read “Old Mr. Boston Fine Liquours” in a circle; then inside the circular text it reads: BRAND PAT. APP FOR I D 1 12 A 51 (with a circle around the A). The decanter offered on Ebay reads the same except the number after the encircled A is 50 rather than 51. Does this mean my bottle was manufactured in 1951?
Hi Nina,
Yes, your decanter was made in 1951, by Armstrong Cork Company (their Glass Division). They used the “A in a circle” mark for many years…..circa 1938-1969. This shows the decanter mold was re-tooled slightly for the year 1951 and so was used for at least that period of time (1950-1951), and possibly much longer. (The “0” engraving in the metal bottle mold was filled in, and then a new digit was engraved in the same spot). Ebay can be a great tool for researching bottles, merely by studying other pieces put up for sale by sellers. Even though oftentimes the sellers are not sure what they have, comparing posted photos of the markings on various glass bottles and other items can be a very useful learning tool. Best regards,
David
Thank you!
I have a bottle of green liquid. It has a white, rusty cap and has two lowercase cursive ‘f’s in a circle on the bottom. To the left of the two ‘f’s is ‘3’, and to the right is ‘186’. It was found on a property that was first built on in 1947, but has remained uninhabited since 1980. Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Hi Drew,
The only information I can give you offhand is that the bottle was made by Foster-Forbes Glass Company. The “186” would be a number assigned to the particular bottle mold, or the bottle design or catalog/style number. Please see my “FF” entry in the alphabetical listings of glass manufacturer markings on this site.
~David
I found a brown, hour glass shaped bottle with a rusty metal screw on cap. The only markings are on the bottom. S at the top 15 below and to the left of the S, 69 below and to the right of the S. Straight across from the S is the number 4. Between the S and 4 is an arc of letters and numbers, PAT.DES.187 302. There are concentric raised rings from the center to the outer double ring of raised dots. No labels. Two seams are on opposite sides and run the length of the bottle. Any idea what was sold in the bottle or how old is the bottle? Thanks, Bobby
Bobby, Searching “Google Patents” page, using D187302, we find it is an early Windex bottle, patented by the US Patent & Trademark Office, in 1960 (design submitted in 1958). Term of Design Patent was for 14 years, so that particular bottle was presumably made sometime between 1960 and 1974.
http://www.google.com/patents/USD187302
Most bottles found with a marking such as “DES PAT” (plus number) can be researched by going to google and typing in “D” (for design) immediately followed by the full multi-digit number. Hope this helps,
David
Thanks David. An old glass Windex bottle. WOW.
I did more research and discovered that it is an old CRISCO cooking oil bottle.
I recently found a small rectangular bottle with a metal lid, it has bumps/dots on the bottom, in the center of the bottom is has a 9, an encircled 1, and a 7. Above these numbers is says 1 1/2 OZ, and below the numbers it has a 6. It also has a circle around the previously stated characters, but the circle is indented and may have been added later. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Claire
Claire, I think the “1 in a circle” is actually supposed to be a I inside an oval (one of the glass manufacturer marks used by Owens-Illinois Glass Company). Please see my webpage on that company for some pics of their marks. The “9” is a plant code number for their Streator, Illinois glass plant, the “7” is a year date code (uncertain year, possibly standing for 1957 or 1967), and the ‘6″ is a mold number. Sorry I have no other information.
David
I have an old ten gallon glass jug, with a slight cobalt blue hue to it. The only markings on it are a capital ‘i’ in a circle on the bottom. Beside that is the number 73. And there is also the number 11 off towards the edge. The bottom of the jug also has a veiny, or mosaic look about it. I’ve look all over and can’t find a thing. Any ideas? I could mail you pictures.
Has anyone heard of larvatox? I found about ten crates filled with these bottles never opened and sealed by a cork. Its made by dean manufacturing co chicago. It says it is a moth proofing chemical. I’m just trying to figure out if it is worth anything or just any information on it as I can get. The bottem has a diamond with a upper case I in the center and a number 4 underneath it so any help will be much appreciated.
I have found a bunch of wooden crates filled with bottles of larvatox 1 gallon jugs. I have looked all over Google and other websites trying to figure anything out about them and can find nothing. It was made by dean manufacturing co chicago and is a moth proofing chemical. They are all full of a clear liquid and have never been opened. There is a symbol of a diamond with a upper case I in thecenter and the number 4 under that. Can anyone tell me what this is a little about it if it’s worth anything. Thank you.
Hi Joe,
From a quick google search, Larvatox was evidently a very short-lived product, presumably one of countless numbers of U.S. products of every description that saw poor sales, or failed to “catch on” for some reason or other. (I searched Google along with other keywords such as “bottle”, “jug”, “moth” etc, to help weed out unrelated hits).
Apparently Larvatox was first sold in the mid-1920s and the sales office was in Pittsburgh, although I’m not certain how accurate that information is. You might be interested to know that the diamond/oval/I mark is the earliest logo used by Owens-Illinois Glass Company, (used from 1929 through the mid-1950s and sometimes later) and you can find more info on that company on my webpage here: Owens Illinois Glass Company.
Owens-Illinois has made containers for a tremendous number of businesses since 1929. I have no info on value, but in my opinion there is not much collector demand for chemical/cleaning agents/pesticide and similar product bottles/jars/jugs by antique bottle collectors at the present time. But since it was a very obscure product and evidently was not sold for very long, the containers might have a little value just as a “curiosity” or to someone who is interested in the local history of particular businesses. I am assuming that the bottles are of a “generic” type with the glassmaker symbol on the bottom, and the only identification of the company name and brand name is from labels on the side. (Correct?)
In any case, concerning value, I can only suggest you might try selling a jug online (auction site) and see what happens.
Hope this helps,
David
Thank You David
Hello I have a large mason jar. I am trying to get some info on if you can help me. It stands 19 inches high , 28 inches around.It says mason then a star under that then patent nov,30th 1858. The other side has an eagle with it’s wings spread The bottom there is a 2 thank you
Hi Autumn,
I don’t know much about those huge jars, but I understand that some were made as “conversation pieces” or gift items, and some of the same (or very similar) design jars were made to serve as large-size (institutional size, restaurant size) pickle jars. I think they are usually 4 or 5 gallon in capacity. I understand that some were made during the same period of time that the original smaller ones were made, but nearly all of these jars now encountered are much, much more recent……. not sure on exact age, but I thought they were made over a considerable period of time, perhaps 1960s, 1970s into the 1980s or later.
They are often saved and used to hold coins or other items.
They are basically imitating the “look” of the older normal-size quart and half-gallon glass “MASON’S PATENT NOV 30TH 1858” jars which were made for a very long time in huge numbers by many, many glass companies……from c.1858 up to the 1910s.
Hope this helps, sorry I don’t have more info.
Best regards, David
HI David I was woundering if you new anything about my jar ?Its a pint jar BallPerfectMason and Number 2 at bottom little air bubbles all around jar lines incraved all around jar they swirl .A glass cover with ball written on it with a number5 rite below The B and a silver lid with ahole shaped like a bow no dates
Hi Rhonda,
You have a “mix” or “marriage” of items that didn’t quite go together originally. The earliest BALL PERFECT MASON jars had metal (zinc-coated steel) lids that are lettered “BALL” in cursive lettering on the top. Some types of Ball jars (including some of the later variants of the Ball Perfect Mason) but also the “Ball Improved” and the “Ball Special” jars, have a separate glass lid used along with the metal screw band. But the metal band on your jar is from a different brand of lid used with some of the old PRESTO fruit jars (search Google Images with “presto lid”) as it has that bow or bannerstone-shaped slot or “cut out’ hole in the center. The PRESTO jars were made by Owens-Illinois Glass Company.
~David
I have a small pink or rose colored bowl, (possibly a fruit bowl?) with a unique design I haven’t been able to find online yet. it has plain leaf pattern with a line in the center of each leaf and frosted oval shapes with flat bottoms around the circumference. It does not have a star pattern on the bottom like most I’ve seen. It has the only the word France and the number 14 stamped on the bottom. Does anyone know the maker of this bowl and if it’s valuable?
I need help! I have an Arcorac Lance tumbler. Along the bottom is says Arcorac France 33. Can someone tell me what the 33 means? I’m assuming the France means that it was made in their French factory, not the American one? I’ve tried EVERYWHERE. I even e-mailed the company, to no avail. Thank you!
Hi Whitney,
I am happy to tell you I was able to contact a representative at Arc International. Vanessa Thompson in the marketing department has kindly replied to my query and she wrote “The 33 on the bottom of the glass is the mold number. Arcoroc is the glass line and it is made in France.”
Searching sites such as ebay, and reading some of the auction listing descriptions, it is apparent that many different numbers (mold numbers) can and do appear on the bases of various types of glassware made by Arc International.
I hope this helps! Take care, David
i have a MARTELL MEDAILLON COGNAC, green bottle it has:BG.SG S, with 4 dots around botom of the S
I found a very small glass bottle maybe an inch and half tall. It has 3-2 on the bottom along with an H and a small H symbol inside of that one. It has a clear liquid and Ann orangish liquid which separate in the bottle. Anyone know what this is?
Brittany, your bottle was made by Hazel Atlas Glass Company. That “H” over a smaller “a” was their trademark, seen on the bottom of a lot of their containers. From your description it might be an ink bottle. Best regards,
David
Hello, please could someone help me out , because i have spent my whole day trying to find out what this dating code means, a friend of mine brought me an empty bottle of coca cola from Morocco 24,5 cm tall with the red colour included on the label ( label includes Arabic and the word marques et modele desposes) now on the lower heel there is embroidery with 35,5 cl ( the cl very calligraphic) and then on the other side it starts with the number 16 after smal space there is the S in circle and small space again and there is number 9 with 7 code script ( or dots if you like ) in the shape of C covering the right side of number 9.. i tried but i didnt found something similar article .. pls help me
Hi Zack,
Your bottle has the maker’s mark of a “S inside a circle” which, according to Emhart’s punt mark database, is the mark used by a glass company in Morocco, the exact name of which (in the French language) is “Societe D’ Exploitation De Verreries Au Maroc S.A”, located in Casablanca, Morocco. I do not have any info on the code markings. The 9 with dots is probably the date code, but I cannot be sure since I am not familiar with that glass company or the way they code-date their bottles. The “16” is probably a mold number. Perhaps a reader can supply more info (not very likely, to be honest with you) or you can try contacting them directly through their website. Incidentally, I should mention that the mark “S in a circle” has been used by various companies in the United States as well as in several other countries around the world, but in this case we can be absolutely certain on the identity of the glass manufacturer since it is a bottle from Morocco. Just guessing, I would imagine your bottle was made sometime within the last 20 to 30 years or less, but I really don’t know.
Hope this helps a bit,
David
Would anyone know what an old glass jar (about 3 inches tall) would be used for? When right side up, you see markings on side noting 1, 2, 3 ounces…. but the ounces start with one on the top and go down to 3 at the bottom, seems backwards if you filled it up with something… and words are upright with the jar…. Only other marking is a number 17 with an roof (<17)
Pictures would help but maybe a baby bottle of some sort are what I have come across with this description.
My guess would be an old medicine bottle. Measurements make sense. You would take one ounce at a time.
Can anyone tell me about a Nov 30th embossed 1858 Mason Jar that has a base marking of a triangle and the numbers 3 and what appears to be a 9 or a Z? Thanks so much.
I strongly doubt that anyone can be sure what glass company made any particular NOV 30TH 1858 variant (That is, assuming there are no recognizable glass manufacturers’ marks or logos on the jar). Gobs of different molds were used by hundreds of glassmakers in the US that made that style jar, and many of them were marked on the bottom with various numbers, letters, as well as geometric shapes and other marks. It would be wonderful to find out for sure if a certain mold was used by a certain glass company, but it would be very, VERY difficult to prove. One very slim possibility……….it might be possible, for instance, if someone was able to excavate where an an old glass company used to stand, and IF they were to find considerable quantities of a particular jar base with a unique appearance (for instance, an unusually shaped number or letter) it might be possible to assign an origin to that mold……………but don’t hold your breath! (And sometimes molds were sold to other glass companies, after shutdowns /buyouts of failing companies). ~David
recently bought a decanter-type bottle from a local flea market store. the bottom is marked
55(either an i or a 1, inside of a 0 or O)69
0-369
3
any ideas?
The “I inside an O” is one of the trademarks used by OWENS ILLINOIS GLASS COMPANY, the largest, “longest-lived” glass company in the United States, and one of their glass bottle marks I get tons of questions about. Please see my page on Owens-Illinois for more info. The ’55” in this case is a liquor permit number assigned to the Owens-Illinois Glass Company and their Huntington, West Virginia glass plant in particular.
http://www.sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/LiquorBottlePermits.pdf The “69” is a date code for 1969. The “0-369” is probably a code number for that style bottle.( Or is it a “D-369”?) The “3” might be a mold identifier number. Hope this helps.
Hello. I believe I have a owens bottle Co tiny glass bottle with a brass lid. It has an O or 0 Inside of a square. What I can’t figure out is on either side of this mark there is a number 4
So we have (4 O inside square 4)
What do these numbers mean?
Hi Justin,
The bottle was made by Owens Bottle Company (“O in a Square” mark). One of the “4” digits is a mold number, but I’m not sure about the other “4”. Best regards, David
PS. I answered your query several days ago via direct email with no reply from you, please check your SPAM / TRASH / JUNK folders.
I have a Diet Rite which was an RC brand, with the number 73 on the bottom. According to Collections (collections@drpeppermuseum.com) my bottle was made in 1973. Maybe the web site mentioned would be able to help you.
I have an vintage rc bottle with the marks lg 67 below that it has 928 15. Can you tell me who made it please?
Tara, the Royal Crown bottle was evidently made by Liberty Glass Company, Sapulpa, Oklahoma. See my entries concerning the “L G” listings on the “Glass Bottle Marks” series of pages (links pointing to the articles are located in alphabetical order along the right-hand side of any page on this site). The “67” is a date code for 1967.
Hope this helps,
~David
Hello,
I have a clear floral vase 10 inches in height with an E.O. Brody marked on the bottom of the vase. It has C 928 mark. What can you tell me about this vase? When it was made? Rarity and the possible value it .
Hello Aneesa, The only info I have on Brody is what is already written on my webpage concerning E. O. Brody.
Sorry about that. Take care,
David
E.O. Brody company makes floral vases today and the C928 is the model number.
Hi Brad,
Although I am sure you are right (the “C928” is a style or model number assigned to a particular design), there is conflicting information on E. O. Brody and what they are producing presently (if anything), and where it is being made. Can you provide specific background sources for your statement (i.e. they are making floral vases “today”). Most of the information on Brody that has been posted online dates from 2007 or 2008 and before. Anchor Glass acquired the Brody Company in 2007. (Please see my webpage on Brody here). Brody apparently didn’t make the glass themselves, but distributed glass and ceramic products (the glass being made by Indiana Glass Company) for the floral industry.
Best regards,
David
hi i was wondering if someone could help me i live in a small remote community and iv found a brown bottle that has matilday bay australia on it and at the bottom it reads( a not to refilled) underneth the bottle the number are15530 what kind of beer is this and how old could it be?
hello david ,,,i have a old rawleigh’s bottle it is rectangle it says trademark under rawleighs and bottle made in the usa and on the bottom is a circle with a P and a 2 underlined ,,,the bottle is greenish tint and has quite a few air bubbles in the glass there is also three rings around the neck of the bottle what are you thoughts ?
Hello Dana,
I’m sorry but the only “solid” info I can provide is that the bottle was actually made by Pierce Glass Company (the ‘P in a circle’ was their makers’ mark). Most of the bottles with the “P in a circle” on the bottom seem to date from the 1920s-1950s (in general) but I’m afraid I can’t be more specific than that very general range of years.
David
I found a old small bottle that is brown and says W. T. CO D USA on the bottom. It is sealed with a cork, and it has a very fine white powder in it. Any ideas what it could be or how old it is?
Hi Rachel, it’s probably a medicine, druggist or chemical bottle. (Don’t know what the white powder could be, any of a number of different substances. DON’T TASTE IT! 🙂 The bottle was made by Whitall Tatum Company (see my webpage on that company) and dates to sometime between 1901 up to the early 1930s. Whitall Tatum made gobs of different style of bottles……that type could have been used to hold any of many different products. There would have originally been a contents label pasted on the side which is now gone.
~David
Hi David, recently in the eastern goldfields of western australia I found a small jar embossed with the trade mark – Vaseline – chesebrough – new york and on the bottom was the number 38. This old minesite operated from 1896 to 1910. Eric.
Hi Eric,
Please check out my webpage on the Vaseline jars. There are a few pics there showing various types. They are very plentiful, and were made for many years, with many slightly different lettering variations found. The “38” on your jar would be a mold identifier number.
Best regards,
David
David,
Here in Jacksonville FL today 6/9/15 I found a small glass jar, out near the road where they happen to be digging it up to do some repairs. I am sure this is an old Vaseline bottle as well from the information I found on your page, but on my clear glass bottle it does not say Vaseline. And like Eric Morey it is only written on the bottom but unlike Eric I could not see a number. Mine reads
” Chesebrough
MFG
CO.CD
NEW YORK”
The glass bottle or jar is small, it is clear in color, it does have a rainbow looking effect to the glass but I am guessing that it is either something it was made with or because it has been buried for years. The sides of the bottle are all intact but the top has a couple of pieces broken on it. But you can tell that it looks like it had a screw on top. And I can see little lines that look like it was not as old as I hoped it was it looks like it was made from a mold and put together. But since I love bottles I will keep it no matter what but I did find your page very interesting and I look forward to learning more. Thanks,
Dalla Roberts
Hi Dalla,
Thanks for your post! Yes, there were many slight variations in the embossed wording on the Vaseline jars. Some carry mold numbers on the bottom, and others don’t. Since the glass Vaseline jars were made over such a long period of time, by a number of different glass companies, there were no doubt many different molds used for their manufacture. Some glassmakers would have used several molds at once, and each mold might have carried a number to identify it if any problems arose with the finished product.
The “rainbow” look you see is a result of long burial in the ground. The jar would have been an ordinary colorless / clear glass when brand new. The lines you see are vertical mold seams. There is a lot of misunderstanding of the process by which most typical jars and bottles are made, but to describe it in a VERY VERY simplified manner, basically the molten glass is blown into a hollow metal mold which is typically made of two halves (sometimes more). Those two halves are shut (somewhat like closing up a book momentarily), the glass (hot syrup) is blown into the mold, and after a very short time (seconds), the glass hardens sufficiently and then the parts of the mold are opened back up and the finished glass bottle or jar is removed from the mold. This was done by hand until the first fully automatic bottle machine was put into production in 1904. The mold seams you see along the sides are where the two halves of the mold came together, and the molten glass was “pushed against” (by compressed air) the crevice to create a visible raised line. Your jar would be a later type made by machine, as I believe all of the “threaded closure” Vaseline jars were.
Here is a webpage that has more info on various bottle bases and mold types: http://www.sha.org/bottle/bases.htm
Hope this helps, and take care,
David
I have an old glass bottle with DuBouchett Many Blanc written on it. At the bottom of the front it says federal law forbids sale of re-use of this bottle. Underneath the bottle the numbers read R-798. Do you have any idea or information you can provide me. Thanks
I have a glass bottle that has a serial number etched in it just above the dots at bottom of glass, this glass bottle has a cobblestone body and what looks like a seem , it also has the number 43 in center as well as other numbers around base of bottle. I can’t seem to find anything on serialized bottles, can anyone help ?
Go to sha.org. They have a lot of good information on glass.
Hello, we have 2 one-gallon glass jugs. One says Duraglas and has what looks like E-1841 on the heel. The other only has the numbers 120 and 30 on the bottom. Any thoughts on the years of these?
Thanks.
Hello Mary,
Well, we can be sure the jug marked “DURAGLAS” was made after 1940, the year of introduction of that brand name by Owens-Illinois. However, I really can’t offer info on a specific year it was made. The “E-1841” would probably be a catalog number or style number assigned by Owens-Illinois Glass Company to that particular type jug. I don’t have information on when that was used. It is theoretically possible, if you could find an older Owens-Illinois catalog, to estimate the date range IF this style container was listed in a catalog of, perhaps, the 1940s, ’50s or ’60s, but I don’t know if any are available. Concerning the other jug with just “120” and “30” on the base, I’m afraid I really have no info to pass along. In general, I think both of your jugs probably date from sometime in the 1940-1970 period, (and, sorry, I realize that is a wide year date range), but pinning down an exact year may be close to impossible.
Best regards, David
I found a beer bottle with 3 sets of numbers. The first set is on the bottom around the outside which is 01 95 ws-4. The next is near that and is simply 22. The last number is on the underside of the bottle and is an underlined 71. They beer is still inside with a rusted cap so I don’t know what it is.
Hello Eva,
This bottle was made in 1995. The “95” (along the lower heel of the bottle) is a date code. I believe this may be a product of Owens-Illinois, Inc.
Best regards,
David
Thank you very much. They are very nice but I’m getting the notion they may be foreign made.
I have some Cobalt Blue bowls that have only numbers on the bottom. One is 34, another 23, etc..; there is a different number on each bowl. These numbers are about 1/8 of an inch tall. I was wondering if a manufacturer could be located with these numbers?
Hello Dennis, I am sorry but they are merely mold numbers. The mold numbers CANNOT help identify the name of the company that produced the glass. Most glass companies have used mold numbers at some time or other on their products.
Best regards,
David
I can think of one instance where the mold number can identify the glass manufacturer. On the mason’s patent 1858 fruit jars the ones produced by hemingray have a very distinctive mold number style.
Hi Justin,
Yes, you are absolutely right. As with any general rule, there is usually an exception here or there. In an attempt to be concise, and not “muddy the waters” more than necessary, I didn’t mention that exception in my article.
So, to expound a bit on that here: on early handmade ground-lip “MASON’S PATENT NOV 30th 1858” fruit jars with a mold number on the center of the base, if the number is VERY, VERY LARGE, BOLD and “Ornate”, the jar can generally be attributed to Hemingray Glass Company. Most were probably made at their earlier Covington, KY factory, and perhaps some were made at Muncie also– presumably dating in the 1870s-1880s.
Thanks Justin,
~David
I’m sorry yes the are on the bottom of the bottle.
I have a tonic bitters medicinal wine bottle that has a star with a 2 in the middle..what does that mean?
Tam, I suppose you mean the markings are on the bottom, or is this on the front / side? The 2 is probably a mold number. The star could be a trademark used by the wine company, or a decorative design motif / emblem with no specific meaning.
~David
Hi David,
We moved into a house in Stinson Beach last year that is on a double parcel and is built over the footprint of a cabin that was torn down in the late seventies. As far as we can tell the occupants of the cabin (the last of whom were notorious partiers including Janis Joplin) would toss their bottles from the house into the bushes in the lower parcel – there is about a 30 sq ft. patch that is literally coughing up glass. Today I found the 2″ wide oval base of a bottle inscribed with the Owens-Illinois logo, and the Duraglas logo. To the left of the Owens circle/diamond/i logo is the number 23, to the right is the numeral 4. Below the Duraglas logo is the num/alpha 536-B, and to the left of everything is inscribed 4 A. I assume it was made in LA, but am not sure what date the numeral 4 refers to or the other numbers. Thanks!
Hello Jeb,
As you realized, the “23” on the left of the logo indicates the bottle was made at Owens-Illinois’ Los Angeles glass plant. The “4” on the right is a year date code (last digit of a year) and stands for 1954 (since their Duraglas trademark was issued c. 1940, the year 1934 can safely be excluded as a possibility, and the Los Angeles plant (#23) was started circa 1948, eliminating 1944 as a possibility). “536-B” is almost certainly a code number for that style of bottle (i.e. a catalog, inventory or design number assigned to that shape). “4 A” is a mold identifier. Since the bottle is machine-made, (Automatic Bottle Machine or “ABM”) and there would have been several molds (or “mold cavities”) arranged in a circular configuration on the assembly, with many identical bottles being produced each minute. Each individual mold was numbered (engraved), and “4 A” is the designation for the particular mold that specific bottle was made from.
I hope this makes sense. Thanks for writing!
David
I have 3 bottles, one is a clear cylinder threaded on top, circle on bottom with A inside, a line under the circle and a 3 under that. Second is I believe a Heinz ketchup bottle but would like to date it if possible- has anH-257 with a B in a circle under that. The 3rd has numerous markings,maybe a soda bottle. Looks like lattice on the bottom 2/3 of the bottle, with a capital I on the bottom along with 250z above it, an S to the left and 48 to the right.also has symbol below that looks like T with a 4 on left side and odd shaped c on the right. Anyone have anything?
My boyfriend found varies types of bottle bottoms with writing or numbers. First is cobalt blue with a 5 and m with a 3/4 circle around the m. Second is brown with S G . Third is brown with 75 with 3 slashes on bottom. Fourth is brown has 649 NW. Fifth is white with symbol of an arrow with flat bottom and J L on each side. Sixth is white with 4869. Seventh is brown with TIREG. I guess you already know this is authentic beach glass. I understand your statement on tumbling but as a beginner I can already tell the difference,especially when you have seen some aging on pieces or another.
Hi Valerie,
Yes, I totally understand. Btw, the only piece I can positively identify as to glassmaker source is your cobalt blue piece, which has the “M in a circle” used by Maryland Glass Corporation.
Thanks for writing and have a great weekend!
David
Thanks David for your prompt response. My boyfriend has been combing the beach in Moss Landing for a few years, taking the dog for a walk. I think he has over 10,000 pieces from white, blue, amber, aquamarine, pink, purple, green. I can go on but is this profitable? We have so much glass (not including rocks and shells) but I did see some sites that have festival’s. What is your opinion?
I have a tall, rectangular bottle (possibly a decanter) with a square stopper. On one side, there are 4 embossed, vertical circles, each with a different picture. The top one appears to be a crest or shield of some sort; the second one is a man and a woman; the third is a silhouette of a woman’s face (like on a coin); and the fourth is a man. On the other side, there’s a large circle with nothing in it. The bottom of the bottle reads (clockwise): D-9, 65, 8, 67. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Meagan
Hi Meagan,
I can’t tell you much in particular about your specific bottle, but it is typical of tons of decorative glass decanters made from the 1930s into the 1970s and even later. They were made as containers for whiskies and other alcoholic beverages, and were made in many, many different artistic, attractive designs to help sell the product. They were often saved and re-used as decanters, vases, etc, so lots of them are still around. In your particular case, I am assuming that the date code is either “65” or “67” (made in 1965 or 1967). Sorry, not sure which year would be correct. Although I am not an appraiser, people often do ask about their value. In general these types of decanters are, at the present time, not high in value….perhaps a typical one will sell for anywhere from 50 cents to 5 dollars, depending on exact style. They often show up at yard sales and thrift stores. A good percentage of the were made by Owens-Illinois Glass Company. They are ususally in ordinary clear glass (shows off the golden/amber color of whiskey), which does limit their appeal to collectors of colored glass bottles. I’m sure there are collectors out there that specialize in studying and collecting these decanters. Perhaps as time goes on, they will gain in value and interest to a wider group of glass collectors. Hope this helps a bit.
David
I have a 2oz bottle with numbers where there should be a makers mark. The number 3 is in the center with X721 above. Any comments?
Hi Sue,
The “3” is a mold number, and the “X721” is probably a bottle style number or inventory/catalog number assigned to that particular bottle type by the glass manufacturer. Other than that, there isn’t really much else I can pass along. If there is no maker’s mark, it is difficult or impossible to know who made the bottle.
~David
I have just found a similar bottle. Did you ever get yours identified?
Thanks Lucy
I’ve found similar! Except, mine has an additional “4” beneath the “3”. So, X721 at the top (bottom of bottle) with a 3 in center, and a 4 directly below. I found mine while hunting arrowheads, I came across this among other “settler” trash. Definitely has age, and is not a screw top. It’s been decades since a road was even close to this place. Oh, and mine is about 4-5 inches tall.
Hm, I followed the advice given. However, I could not fiind out, HOW to decipher these “dot codes”. E.g. what “form” does a code *****__*_*_** refer to? (The stars are the dots and the underlines are the empty spaces on the bottle)?
Hello Jörg! Ok, you got me. I honestly don’t know. Unless this is something “top secret” (not accessible by mere mortals who don’t have the proper “glass-industry security clearances” ;-o) perhaps someone can chime in and reveal exactly how these dot codes are interpreted.
Readers?
Hi, all I can tell you is that your bottle was made by Consumers Glass Company, Montreal, Canada, later in Toronto, as shown by the “C inside a triangle”. I would guess the bottle was made by Consumers FOR Heinz and contained some type of sauce or condiment. The “233” is probably a code number for that particular bottle style, or a mold identification number.
David