(1929-to date)
(Owens-Illinois, Inc. ~ since 1965)
This corporation is now generally known simply as “O-I”.
Owens-Illinois Glass Company was the result of the 1929 merger between two glass-making giants of the industry: Owens Bottle Company (Toledo, OH – predecessor Toledo Glass Company began operation in 1896) and Illinois Glass Company (based in Alton, Illinois, with glass production dating from 1873). See this page on Illinois’ “I in a diamond” trademark.
Formerly headquartered at Toledo, OH; now based at Perrysburg, OH, Owens-Illinois, Inc. had (and has) many glass manufacturing locations worldwide. (See list of 20 currently operating glass container plants in North America, farther down on this page).
Known as Owens-Illinois, Inc. since 1965, (and officially known as just “O-I” since 2005), this corporation is currently (2022) the largest manufacturer of glass containers in the world.
“DIAMOND & OVAL SUPERIMPOSED WITH AN I INSIDE” MARK
Several trademarks have been used over the years by Owens-Illinois. Shown on this page are pictures of typical trademark variations used on glass containers, especially during the early years. Most of the pics show the first and most widely recognized mark used, beginning in 1929.
As pictured, it can vary slightly from one container to another. This mark consists of a “Diamond and O (oval) entwined, with an I in the center” and dates from 1929 into the middle and late 1950s. (Latest confirmed date code with this older trademark embossed on a bottle is 1966). The mark may not have been, in actual practice, engraved onto all their bottle molds (in their inventory or being used at that time) until sometime in the year 1930, simply because of the time and effort involved in re-tooling/altering large numbers of molds already in use. The mark is sometimes misinterpreted as the representation of an “eye” or of the planet Saturn.
Although author and researcher Julian Toulouse, in his ground-breaking reference work “Bottle Makers and their Marks” (published in 1971) promoted the idea that the diamond and oval trademark was used only up to 1954, implying a neat, clean “cut-off date”, in actual practice many bottles with this mark have been found that date several years after 1954. (More info, below, in the paragraph on the “I inside an O” trademark).
On very small bottles, the mark may be rather indistinct and the “I” may be virtually invisible, or just a tiny dot. It may be misinterpreted as the number “1”.
On the typical bottle, there is usually a number to the left of, to the right of, and below, the trademark. (Note: The above arrangement is the most commonly seen, at least on soda bottles, but some containers, such as liquor flasks, are frequently marked in other ways and thus the codes may be arranged in a different configuration. See the paragraph on this page below, titled “Liquor Bottle Permit Numbers”).
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PLANT LOCATION CODE NUMBERS
Typically, the number on the LEFT of the diamond logo is the plant location code number, the number on the RIGHT is a year date code, and the number below the logo (if present) indicates the mold number (mold identifying number, “mold cavity number” or serial number). NOTE: this arrangement generally applies to Non-Liquor bottles. On many liquor bottles made by Owens-Illinois, the number on the left is a Liquor Bottle Permit Number, not a plant location code. Please see the paragraph farther down for more info on this subject).
For example, plant code #2 stood for the Huntington, WV plant; “3″ indicated the Fairmont, West Virginia plant (that number was used up to 1981, later “3” was used by Muskogee, Oklahoma); “4” was Clarksburg, West Virginia; “7″ indicated Alton, Illinois; “9″, the Streator, Illinois factory; “12″ was Gas City, Indiana; “14″ was the Bridgeton, New Jersey plant, #21 is Portland, Oregon; #22 is Tracy, California; #20 is Oakland, CA; #23 is Los Angeles, CA, etc.
Note: Several of the plant numbers used by O-I were re-used by other plants that opened in later years, so it is important to take into consideration the date code, the bottle style and other characteristics to positively identify which plant location made a particular bottle.
For more info with a more extensive, detailed chart of known Owens-Illinois plant location codes, please check out the article by Bill Lockhart and Russ Hoenig at this URL:
The Bewildering Array of Owens-Illinois Glass Co. Logos and Codes.
DATE CODES
As stated above, a date code usually appears to the right of the Owens-Illinois logo. On many bottles, a single-digit date code along with the “Diamond/Oval/I” mark may indicate the 1930s. From information compiled in Bill Lockhart’s article (link below) on Owens-Illinois’ date code markings, it appears that, on containers with this earliest trademark, if a single digit date code (such as a “1 or “4” placed to the right of the logo) is followed by a period, the chances are very good the bottle in question dates from the 1940s, especially the 1940-1947 period. However, there are some exceptions to this general rule, and single-digit date codes were also used in later decades along with the later “I inside an O” mark (but without a period placed to the right of the code).
Most bottles from the late 1940s into the 1950s and 1960s have two-digit date codes.
NOTE: any bottle which is also marked with the brand name/ trademark DURAGLAS dates from 1940 or after, never before that year. This can help narrow down the production date of some glass containers.
THE “I INSIDE AN O” TRADEMARK
The second primary mark used by Owens-Illinois Glass Company was phased in during the mid- 1950s with the removal of the diamond. Julian Toulouse (Bottle Makers and their Marks, 1971), states this mark was used beginning in the year 1954. However, more research over the years has shown there was actually a gradual changeover from the “old” to the “new” trademark on containers, which occurred over a period of four or five years beginning in 1954 (with a few known exceptions—see note below discussing a bottle made in 1966 which carries the “old” trademark on the base!).
Some bottle molds already in use were not re-engraved until as late as 1957, 1958, 1959, even, as mentioned, in 1966. However, after about 1958 the great majority of O-I containers carried the “new” (second) principal trademark, which merely consists of an I inside an oval, or circle. On some bottles this mark is very tiny or indistinct, often looking like a small “0” (a zero, or the letter O) with the “I” in the center hard to discern.
“OWENS” appears on the base of some clear prescription bottles. Illustrated among the pics on this page is the base of a bottle made at the Columbus, Ohio facility (plant #18) with a date code of “7” which in this case probably stands for 1937. I don’t know how late the word “OWENS” was embossed as a trademark on the base of those medicine bottles.
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LIQUOR BOTTLE PERMIT NUMBERS
IMPORTANT NOTE: Many liquor bottles and flasks made by Owens-Illinois have a DIFFERENT mold code configuration on the base, as compared to the way the numbers are arranged on most other types of bottles they made. Typically, the bottle is marked with a number known as a “Liquor Bottle Permit Number” followed by a dash and a second number which is the date code – indicating the year the bottle was made. Many liquor bottles made by Owens-Illinois have the “Diamond and Oval with an I” logo embossed sideways on the base of the container.
For a list of liquor bottle permit numbers assigned to many glass companies in the United States after 1935, please check out this page I recently added to my site:
Liquor Bottle Permit Numbers – Numerical List.
NOTE: In July of 2013 I received a photo, submitted by Taylor McBurney, showing the base of a Yacht Club Beverages ACL soda bottle, carrying a 1966 date code, but bearing the old logo! This is the very latest instance of use of the “old” O-I mark that I am aware of. Presumably, when this particular mold was pulled out of the storeroom, and used to produce some more bottles (probably for a relatively small order), it wasn’t considered important enough to take the time to re-engrave the trademark. Update: (posted October 1, 2019) – also check out the base photo of a possible 1978 bottle, shown farther down on this page.
“O-I” trademark
The “O-I” mark (being the third major trademark embossed on the company’s glass containers) was officially registered by the United States Patent & Trademark Office on March 20, 2007, under registration #3219434. “First use” of this mark is claimed to have been on December 17, 1997, according to information posted on the justia.com website, here:
https://trademarks.justia.com/785/97/o-78597477.html
This trademark is in current use on most Owens-Illinois glass containers made within the United States (as of 2020).
Other marks include “ILLINOIS”, a brand name apparently used for a line of prescription bottles (similar to their bottles marked “OWENS”); “DURAGLAS” a trademark used after 1940 which is embossed on innumerable bottles of many types; and “LOWEX” another brand name which was used for their borosilicate glass formula employed especially for power line insulators. For more information on the brand name Duraglas, you might want to check out my page here:
Duraglas trademark on bottles.
Although Owens-Illinois has made containers of many different shades of color over the years, the great majority of glass bottles commonly found (especially older containers that show up often at flea markets, antique malls, yard sales, junk shops, ebay, etc) are found in clear (colorless), green (emerald, forest green or “seven up” green) and amber (“beer bottle brown”) glass.
The “Diamond & oval with I” mark is by far the most common identification mark on glass containers found in trash dump sites in the United States from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. (The second most common mark encountered is probably the “Large H over small A” used by Hazel-Atlas Glass Company.)
Electrical Insulators
Owens-Illinois took over operation of the Hemingray Glass Company factory, located in Muncie, Indiana, in 1933. Hemingray was a prolific maker of electrical insulators (of many types and sizes) for power lines, telegraph, telephone and other uses. Within a year or two, most glass insulators produced at Muncie were carrying date codes. Owens-Illinois continued to have the great majority of insulators marked with the “HEMINGRAY” brand name, with very few exceptions in later years. Other brand names used by O-I on insulators include “Lowex” and “Kimble“. Many millions of insulators were made at Muncie, the very last being manufactured in the year 1967. (Please see my webpage on the Hemingray Glass Company for more information on Hemingray insulators.)
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Owens-Illinois Inc. currently [2020] operates 20 glass manufacturing facilities within North America. They are located in: Atlanta, Georgia; Auburn, New York; Brockway, Pennsylvania [2 plants]; Ringgold, Virginia; Lapel, Indiana; Los Angeles, California; Muskogee, Oklahoma; Kalama, Washington (plant acquired in 2015, formerly Bennu Glass); Oakland, California; Portland, Oregon; Streator, Illinois; Toano, Virginia; Tracy, California; Waco, Texas; Zanesville, Ohio; Lexington, North Carolina; Windsor, Colorado; and in Canada: Montreal, Quebec and Brampton, Ontario.
For more detailed discussion on Owens-Illinois Glass Company and their date codes, and a detailed, updated chart of O-I plant location codes, please check out this comprehensive article written by Bill Lockhart and Russ Hoenig: The Bewildering Array of Owens-Illinois Glass Co. Logos and Codes.
Click here for a page from O-I’s official website:
https://www.o-i.com/our-story/how-glass-bottles-and-jars-are-made/
Note: For a webpage on this site with an extensive list of glass companies that made electrical insulators (which are now considered collectible items), please check out this page: Glass Insulator Manufacturers .
Click here to go to the alphabetical listings of trademarks found on bottles, jars, insulators and tableware: Glass Bottle Marks (starting here with Page One).
Please click here to go to my website Home Page.
Please check out my summary page on Sea Glass / Beach Glass. Many older Owens-Illinois bottle and jar bases might be found among so-called “Beach Glass”.
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Here are a couple other webpages on my site that might be of interest, as I included a few pics of Owens-Illinois bottles and bases on them:
“Federal Law Forbids Sale or Reuse of the Bottle” marking on liquor bottles.
Numbers seen on the bases of Glass Bottles and jars.
Hello, what a great informative site you have! I found your site while trying to Id a bottle I found in Micronesia believe it or not. Hopefully the link to the picture works but if not : on the left of the diamond/oval is the number 20, on the right is number 1, and below is number 10. Then below all of that is 4637-GB. This bottle along with many other beer bottles (mostly Japanese) were found on or around the beaches from WWII era. From reading your page Im guessing this bottle was made in the Oakland factory? [url=https://postimages.org/][img]https://i.postimg.cc/J7cWT89t/mb2.jpg[/img][/url]
Hi Eric,
Yes, I was able to view your photo of the bottle base. I am reasonably sure the date code “1” stands for 1941 (as the Oakland plant started production in 1936). Although Owens-Illinois did use the plant code #20 for their earlier glass plant at Brackenridge, Pennsylvania, that factory was only in production for a short time in the early 1930s and I doubt if your bottle was produced there. Many Oakland-produced bottles are found in the Western states, and also occasionally in areas around the Pacific including Hawaii. The 4-digit number is surely a number that identified that particular style of bottle, or mold design. Thanks for writing!
David
I found a bottle while we were dredging out a channel. The markings on the bottom are D9, 56-42, M-899A. Diamond with oval logo.
The front of the bottle has “Federal law forbids sale or reuse of this bottle”. What does the M-899A mean?
Hi Arnulfo,
The “M-889A” is almost certainly an identification number assigned to that particular bottle design (or bottle mold) by Owens-Illinois. The “56” indicates the liquor bottle was made at their Charleston, West Virginia plant. The “42” is a code for the year 1942.
D-9 is a distiller code. Hope this helps!
David
I found a fairly large piece of brown glass with the Duraglas logo (circle inside diamond) the number to the left of the logo is a 6, and there is a 29 under the logo. Any ideas on date/orgin?
Hi Jennie,
The “6” to the left of the diamond logo is a plant location code for Charleston, West Virginia, but if the number that was placed to the right of the logo is missing, I can’t say when it was made since that would have been the date code. The 29 is a mold number.
Best regards,
David
Hi! I found a brown half gallon Clorox Duraglas bottle. It has the diamond with the circle & I on the bottom. There is no number to the left and the number to the right is a 4 with no period. Any idea what date this is from? Found it in a swamp. Thanks!
Hi Stacy,
Can you study your bottle closely and compare with the pictures and information presented on this webpage on the Clorox company site? https://www.thecloroxcompany.com/company/our-story/bottle-guide/
Please let me know if you are able to pin down the date with their chart. I think the “4” may stand for a year ending with 4 (1944 or 1954) but can’t say for sure without seeing the style of bottle you have and the exact code embossing arrangement. The “Duraglas” brand name was introduced in 1940 so we can be sure it doesn’t date before that year.
Take care,
David
I found a small (approx. 6oz) clear bottle made by Owens-Illinois Glass Co. It has the I in the circle but there is only a single digit for the date code. (bottom of bottle) maker’s mark is on top – 3 is on left – 2 is on right – 9_ is on bottom.
Any ideas on the actual date?
Hi Jeff,
This is one of those questions that are hard to answer with certainty! The bottle was made at Fairmont, West Virginia (Owens-Illinois plant number 3). I am reasonably sure the date code “2” would stand for either 1962 or 1972. I am inclined to believe 1962 is more likely, because this is the first year ending with a “2” since the Owens-Illinois trademark was changed to the simple “I inside an O”. However, on some very small bottles it is possible the mold engraver used one digit for the date code simply because of limited space on the mold. So I don’t think we can be 100% sure about this! But I invite any input from others as well.
~David
Hi, I found a beautiful emerald green bottle, similar to Sunsweet juice container I’ve seen elsewhere (but it is not stamped Sunsweet). Instead there is the diamond and oval with an I inside. To the left is the number 3, to the right is also number 3. Below is the number 7 and below that is: PAT. APPLD. FOR. Do you think this might be from 1933?
Hi Kim,
I am assuming you are referring to the emerald green “CANTEEN” shaped Sunsweet bottles. There are a number of them also listed on ebay and I was trying to see some of the base pics (uploaded by sellers) of other examples of that bottle. It appears all of them (that I found, anyway) also have the “PAT APPLIED FOR” marking on the base. I don’t know what the actual patent number is for that bottle design (assuming that a patent was eventually issued). I suppose it is very possible that the “3” could be a date code for 1933 but I can’t verify that with absolute certainty. Perhaps another reader or collector will land on this site and clue us in on the year those bottles were first produced, or have info that helps hone in on the year meant by the “3”! I’m sure it is either 1933 or 1943, but not sure which is correct!
Best regards,
David
This appear to be a 1970 Owens mark, but the bottle and label seem to me to date earlier.
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Hi! Your website is so helpful as I’m finding old bottles around my house. I have an old screw-top Listerine bottle with Owens-Illinois markings. It looks like this:
4 [Diamond I Mark] 9
5.
The 5 is centered and has a period next to it. I know you’ve said on here that a period may indicate the year it was produced, but as you noted, that’s typically to the right of the diamond mark instead of below. Can this be chalked up to a manufacturing difference? I know the 4 means it was produced in Fairmont, WV.
Thank you!
Alicia, I’m glad to hear this website has been helpful. I am not convinced that periods always have something to do with dates. There is conflicting info and theories online about the significance of periods placed to the right of date codes. (For instance, some hold that a period indicates another decade, i.e. the 1940s instead of 1930s). In the case of your Listerine bottle I’m not sure why there is a period next to the mold number, and the “5” is almost certainly a mold number. I don’t remember stating that a period may indicate a year a bottle was produced, so can you let me know where on this website I wrote that. (BTW, periods seen on some glass insulators made by Owens-Illinois, Whitall Tatum, Kerr and Armstrong CAN indicate years, but this is a separate issue from bottles). In any case, I may have been unclear in what I was trying to write, and may need to re-edit my text. Thanks and take care!
David
An odd shaped amber bottle (almost diamond shaped) with the symbol all the way to the right side. A dot on the top and bottom middle and a 5 all the way to the right side. Any idea?
We have a plant in Kalama, Washington.
Hi Jason,
Thank you very much for that information. I didn’t know about that plant. I found info online about Owens-Illinois purchasing the plant in 2015, which was formerly called Bennu Glass. Here is an article about that acquisition: https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2015/03/06/O-I-acquires-Bennu-Glass-renaming-its-plant-O-I-Kalama
Thanks again and take care,
David
Hi. I was making a trail through my property in the UP of Michigan. I dug up multiple old bottles. Having a hard time identifying this one. It’s a brown (amber) bottle. Small, around 3.5/4inches tall. Round. A white cap that says “PD” the bottom is: 7 i in a circle 72 and then 14 under those. Thank you.
Alexandria,
It sounds like the bottle was made by Owens-Illinois in 1972, at their Alton, Illinois factory (plant #7). The “14” is probably the mold number. The “PD” might stand for Parke-Davis, the drug company, but I cannot be sure about that.
~David
Hi David,
I found this bottle in very good condition laying on top of the ground in some old woods in Saratoga Springs NY. https://photos.app.goo.gl/pZqpdxGLBq1z1R5w5
Mfg mark of a Diamond with an “I” surrounded by an “O”. Code to left, “2”. Code to right “5”. Code underneath “3”. I understand the “2” means Huntington, WV, the “3” is a mold number, but is the “5” for 1955 or 1945?
William, this is a problem with many Owens-Illinois bottles from the 1930s and later. We simply can’t be 100% sure of many bottles with a one-digit date code, such as the code on your bottle (assuming there are no other markings that could potentially give evidence or info that might help pin down a year date). It could stand for either 1945 or 1955. I’m sorry I cannot be sure which year is the correct one. BTW, that appears to be some kind of food bottle, perhaps for a condiment of some type.
Take care,
David
I came across an amber colored bottle. On the bottom it states “Duraglas” in cursive. Below it, at center is the Diamond & Oval entwined with I in center. The number to the left is “9”. The number to the right is “5.” (with period) and the number below is “2”.
Based on reading some of this my guess is the bottle was produced in 1945(?). Can you provide any more information, please?
John, The bottle was made at their Streator, Illinois location (plant #9) and the “5” would stand for either 1945 or 1955. I can’t say for sure which year is correct.
David
Hi there! I live in south eastern Pa and came across this Owens Illinois bottle. I’m guessing the 39 is the date, however wasn’t sure what the SB stood for. I haven’t come across any other bottles with the labeling in this order, and hoped you could provide some insight. Thank you for your time, Candice
P.S.
Not sure how to post a photo, but it is a 5” amber medicine style bottle with straight sides and a cork top. The diamond logo within a circle is on the bottom of the bottle. Directly beneath that, all in one line, there is a small 14, then a larger 39SB and then after that a smaller 0.
Hi David, I recently found what I believe is an Owen-Illinois glass liquor bottle. The bottle has the federal warning about the sale or reuse of the bottle. The code on the bottom base is D 23 then below is 62-7. The bottle label for Owen Illinois is side ways on the base as well. I have read that plant # 62 has been recorded by others on liquor bottles but can find no information about the plant itself. Was able to read by an article provided by you above that the plant was most likely closed by 1969 but could find no further information. Was wondering if you had any information regarding plant # 62 including its location. Thank you!
Hi Hannah,
No, I don’t know which O-I plant was assigned #62 as their liquor bottle permit number. I’m sure the information is out there Somewhere, but to my knowledge it is still a mystery at the present time! Perhaps eventually someone will uncover this information and let us know! And I assume you are referring to this extensive article about Owens-Illinois, it’s code numbers, etc, which was written by researcher Bill Lockhart:
https://sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/OwensIllinois2015.pdf
Incidentally, because the date code is “7” I suspect your bottle might date from 1937. (Liquor bottle permit code numbers were required by the US government beginning in 1934). Although this was not always the case, a single digit DATE code was used frequently in the 1930s.
Thanks for writing and take care!
David
[Update ~ edited April 8, 2021] Hannah, the liquor bottle permit number “62” was assigned to Owens-Illinois Glass Company’s plant at Terre Haute, Indiana. This information is from a publication indexed online, at this link: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.$c127996&view=1up&seq=11&q1=LIST%20OF%20GLASS%20MANUFACTURERS%20TO%20WHOM%20PERMITS%20TO%20MANUFACTURE%20LIQUOR%20BOTTLES
Hi!
I have a 5 gallon bottle that has the I in the diamond surrounded by the O marking. It looks like a 7 to the left and 3 to the right. There does not appear to be a period next to the three. Also there is the code of 5250 on below the above line. Any thoughts on how old this is? It came from my grandma.
Thanks!
Hi Rob,
The bottle was made at the Alton, Illinois factory, but I can’t say with certainty what year it was produced. It would have been made in 1933, 1943 or 1953. (However, if the brand name DURAGLAS is embossed anywhere on it, it would have to be from 1943 or 1953).
Take care,
David
I found a 5 gal bottle with the I in the middle of the O and to the right is a 7B. Can you tell me more about it and it has a blue tint to it.
Hello,
I found a small 3 in tall glass bottle. The oval symbol with the diamond is on the bottom but nothing else inside of that. The diamond looks too small to add anything inside of it. To left of the symbol is number 12. On the bottom of the symbol is number 1 to the right of the symbol is number 4 with a dot on the top and bottom of it. The cap looks rusted on But what ever was on inside was white and has settled on one corner and some sand is also inside.
We excavated a 32oz clear jar/bottle, which cleaned up quite nicely! Here are the marks:
1875-C
21 emblem 6
All I figured out was that 21 is the Portland, OR plant. What do you suppose the 1875-C on top is?
Porter,
It’s probably a style or catalog number that was assigned to that particular bottle design or shape. Catalogs, invoices and other company paperwork would have listed that number to identify the bottle type. The “6” is a date code which would have indicated 1936, 1946 or 1956.
Hope this helps,
David
Hello! I dug up outside my house underneath some bricks an intact Duraglas brown bottle possibly a beer bottle. The plant and date code is 20 oi diamond symbol 49, possibly a 7, Duraglas, beneath that says I or 1 way. Side of the bottle says No deposit ☆ No return, Not to be refilled. Bottom rim says 6 GB. If you could help me with any more insight, that would be awesome! In Ogden, Utah.
Hi Dustin,
Yes, it is a beer bottle. Some were marked with the “I WAY” embossing on the base, especially in the 1940s. The “20” is a plant location code that indicates the bottle was made at Oakland, California. The “49” is a date code for 1949.
Best regards, David
Hi David. I have a small brown glass bottle about 2″ tall with these markings. Top line 15 SB – Middle line 4 (OI Diamond) 1 . – Bottom line 9 – The date code has a period following it. From my reading i believe it to be from the late 30’s to early 40’s. What is the meaning of the top line 15 SB?
Hi Garrett,
I honestly don’t know for sure. I think it might have been a code designation for that particular bottle style/design.
Sorry I can’t be sure what it means!
David
Have a smaller bottle. Height is about 2in or so. About like a baby food jar. It has small bumps all over the bottle except around the center of the bottle where the label may have been? It says duraglas in cursive along the lower face of the bottle below where the label would be, on the front and back side of the bottle. The bottom has a balancing scale and of course the usual marking. The I is inside the O To the left is a 4. The right appears to be 3. Looking at the bottom, at the top there’s a marking that looks like maybe a #1? Or maybe an I. Or maybe it’s not supposed to be anything at all? Maybe like some type or error. Please help
Me with this one
Hi Timothy,
You have a jar used for some type of product marketed by McKesson & Robbins. Many of them are labeled “MCKESSON’S” and often there is an embossed image of a scales on the bottom. Check out this google Image search: McKesson & Robbins bottles/jars
I suspect that most of those containers date from the 1930s-1960s but I really don’t know for sure. With a “3” date code and the later “I inside an O” mark, your jar may date from 1963. Hope this helps,
David
I have a large pickle jar, which has Duraglas embossed on the bottle heel. On the bottom of the jar, there is the I in an oval O, but no diamond. To the left is a 0 (I can’t find a plant for this), and to the right is a 2, but no period. It is difficult to figure the date, since everything I have read states that the I inside an O is after 1954. I then read that any dates after 1960 I believe, would be two digit numbers. Any ideas on what date this jar may be from, and which plant ?
Brenda,
There are lots of questions and “anomalies” concerning Owens-Illinois date codes. I do not subscribe to the theory that only 2-digit date codes were used after 1960. I suspect that the number you see to the LEFT of the logo was supposed to be a “10” but with the “1” poorly engraved — i.e. illegible or missing. If (REPEAT: IF) that is true, that would mean Atlanta, Georgia as the factory where the jar was made. The “2” would probably be a date code for 1962 or 1972. The brand name Duraglas was introduced in 1940, so we know the jar cannot date earlier than that year. There is also a VERY slight possibility that the mold for that jar was made in 1952 and the logo was re-tooled but the date code was not updated before that particular jar was manufactured from the mold. That seems very implausible to me, but as I said, sometimes questions remain and no one can be 100% sure about the Correct answer! Perhaps a reader will chime in with other ideas! Thanks for writing,
David
Thanks so much David. I appreciate your input. I was thinking along the same lines as you are. Just wish I knew for certain what year it is.
We have a 4 and a half inch screw lid clear bottle with 3iii on top front panel and in script lettering Duraglas on the bottom in script writing. Duraglas plant 18, (maybe plant in Columbus, Ohio?) to the left of the oval and diamond and the number five to the right (don’t know if that is 1935?) Above the diamond and oval Duraglas in script writing is again stamped on the bottle. All the lettering feels raised. My husband found this bottle in a bottle dump at a County Park in Gloucester County, New Jersey. We are looking to see what the 3iii means?
Hello Lilly,
Your bottle probably dates from 1945, since the “Duraglas” brand name was not introduced until 1940. Yes, the bottle was made by Owens-Illinois at their Columbus, Ohio factory location. The “weird-looking number three” character is an old apothecary sign meaning “Ounce”. The “iii” is the Roman numeral “3”. So your bottle holds 3 ounces of liquid. It is no doubt a druggist bottle. Those types of bottles were made in a wide range of sizes for liquid drug prescriptions. Hope this helps!
David
Does anyone have any ideas what kind of beverage was originally in this bottle? Based on the info above I believe it was made in a plant in WV. It is aqua with ribs 2 diamond pane panels on the front (small on top, large o the bottom) and one small diamond shaped panel on the back. Stamped on the bottom 3 O with I inside 65 (next line) 14 (next line) G-18038 Thanks for any help.
Hi Lynnette,
Judging from the “G-18038” which is a style number used by Owens-Illinois, you have an RC (Royal Crown Cola) bottle. Owens-Illinois marked many of their soda bottles with a “G-number” on the bottom. The number identified a specific shape or style of bottle, irrespective of the exact glass color or markings on the bottle. I did a search on ebay and found a couple listings with that number embedded in their item descriptions.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=Bottle+%22G-18038%22&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=1&_osacat=0&_odkw=Bottle+%22G-18038%22
I am guessing the ACL (Applied Color Label) markings have faded from the bottle which makes it harder to identify. Also, the “65” is a date code for the year 1965 which is when your bottle was manufactured. Hope this helps!
Take care, David
We found the bottom of an Owens medicine bottle on the beach in FL- it has measurement lines up what’s left of the side. Bottom has a sideways 4, Owens, 6, and the O diamond mark. Does this mean the bottle is 1936 from Clarksburg, WV?
Here are my DURAGLAS bottom markings: 7 ,the oval, 5 and at the bottom 11. This is for a large pickle jar. What do I have, what do the # mean?
Hi George,
The “7” on the LEFT of the logo is the plant location code, and number 7 indicates your jar was made at their main plant at Alton, Illinois. The “5” is a date code. I can’t interpret the year with certainty, but it probably stands for 1945 or 1955, assuming the glassmaker logo you see is the “Diamond and Oval with I” which was the first mark used by Owens-Illinois. The “11” is a mold number. Hope this helps,
David
I forgot to ask in my previous comment – I am assuming these amber jars are safe to use as drinking glasses? That was my intention for getting them. Thanks for all of the information you have gathered and shared on this page!
Cassandra, I believe you are right about the 51 date code, although it may not be possible to be 100% sure about the “2” date code on the other jar… it could theoretically stand for 1952. Also, all typical American-made fruit jars are made of ordinary run-of-the-mill container or “bottle glass” which does not contain lead and is perfectly safe to drink from. (Assuming, of course, that there are no sharp edges on the rim, and the jars are nice and clean!)
Hope this helps,
David
Hello! I believe I have two older amber jars. On the side of both jar ls at the base is says Duraglas on one side and on the opposite it says “Duraglas C 2932”.
On the bottom of the first one – it has the symbol with a 9 to the left, 2 to the right (looks like an S honestly) and a 6 under the symbol.
I am assuming this is 1942?
On the bottom of the second it has the symbol with a 9 to the left, 51 to the right and 4 under the symbol. I am assuming this is 1951?
Thanks for your help!
Hello my son found a brown bottle in a mountain top lake- it has the circle over diamond with the I in the middle left number is 20 (Oakland) right is 2. (1940s?)from what I gathered reading your post the number above below the logo is the mold # 8 and above is patent # 4601-CB
Which is where I’m struggling, I looked up that in US patents and had no luck- could you possibly enlighten me please or point me in the right direction? Appreciated this article it was very much the answer I was looking for.
H
Heather, the #4601-CB is not a patent number. It was most likely a catalog or inventory number assigned to that bottle style by the factory. The number would have been used on invoices and other paperwork and communications between the glass company and their customers.
Hope this helps,
David
Hi David,
I believe I have an Owens- Illinois Glass Company liquor bottle from 1941. I looked up the permit number in a document and the permit number wasn’t listed. Here is all the info I have – Base has R-174, Bottom 56-41 and under that “Design Patent applied For,” the Federal Law forbids… statement is also on the shoulder. My questions, do you know where permit 56 was used and I read that the R means Rectifier but what does R- 174 mean? Thanks in advance, Ross Lebo
Hi Ross,
The liquor bottle permit number “56” was used by the Owens-Illinois glass plant at Charleston, West Virginia. The “R-174” is a “rectifier number” and here is an info webpage (.pdf file) someone has put together with a number of distiller code numbers and rectifier numbers. It is not all-inclusive, but the best list I know of, online: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51379b83e4b02119d184b2a2/t/584a336ee4fcb59adb85c48b/1481257838281/User+Permit+numbers.pdf
Hope this helps!!
~David
Hi! I found a green bottle with a screw top lid. There are embossed grid lines at the top of the bottle. Markings on the bottle are 9 0-1 67. Could you tell me a little about it and what the bottle may have been used for? Thanks!
Hi Michaela,
The only info I can pass along would be that your bottle was made at their #9 plant (Streator, IL) and was made in 1967. Owens-Illinois has made thousands of different styles of bottles for every product under the sun (almost) :-), so I can’t come up with ideas on use without seeing the bottle. My email address is listed at the bottom of the website page. Thank you and best regards,
David
Hey David, I found this bottle today on the bottom of the bottle it say
GB-7
9 the I in the circle then an 8 above a 7
29
Duraglas
I have an Owens Illinois Glass Company decanter with the image of a crown and the signature of Kalakaua 7887 above it. The bottom of the decanter shows the circle and diamond intertwined with the I in the middle. To the left is the number 7 (Alton, Il.) to the right is a single number 6 and below the logo is the number 7 which I understand to be the mold number. Since the number to the right of the diamond is a single 6 how would I know which year this is? I am a collector of all things King Kalakaua. I would appreciate your help, mahalo. Len Fergusen
So my grandma has this bottle with the Owens-Illinois label on it..
011
56-41
Des. Pat. 73096.
She thinks it was a whiskey bottle..and it has patriot on the bottle with a few other cool markings like a boat and 4 stars and has one pint under the patriot.. also I believe on the back of the bottle it has at the top.
Federal law forbids sale or re use of this bottle..
it’s a pretty cool bottle would love to send at picture of it.. but any information would help thank you..
Hi Alden,
Your grandma’s bottle was made in 1941 (the “41” is a year date code). The “56” is a liquor bottle permit number assigned to Owens-Illinois Glass Company, indicating their factory at Charleston, West Virginia. The number “011” is probably a mold number. The “73096” is a “Design patent” number and here is a link to the patent information, as listed in the database on the GOOGLE PATENTS site:
https://patents.google.com/patent/USD73096S/en?oq=d73096
I hope this info helps a bit!
David
Hello, second picture of green glass ointment jar attached.
Hi Shannon,
I honestly don’t know. Owens-Illinois Glass Company made huge quantities of “emerald green” salve and ointment jars of many different designs and sizes. I haven’t seen that particular one. It certainly has an attractive design! Thanks for writing, and sorry I don’t have information about it.
David
Hello, I found an Owen’s Illinois green glass ointment jar on our property today. I haven’t found another like it online. Photos included. Any idea what would have been in this jar? Thank you for looking.
Found an antique medicine bottle (with unknown medicine inside) while out on a run through a Missouri River flood area. Still can’t seem to place the date using your page and the Lockhart article.
Bottom engrossment reads “7 0” with a “7.” underneath.
Thanks for compiling this, it’s super interesting!
https://imgur.com/z5z6B7R
Hi Brian,
This is a case where the date code (the “0” to the RIGHT of the logo) could theoretically stand for either 1930, 1940 or 1950. I don’t know of a foolproof way of knowing, at least on that bottle, which date is correct, although my guess would be 1940. If the bottle also carried their brand name “DURAGLAS” (which it doesn’t, I assume) we would know it had to be 1940 or later, since DURAGLAS was introduced in the year 1940. The “7” below the logo is a mold number. The “7” to the left of the logo is the plant code number which stood for Alton, Illinois.
Hope this helps,
David
Des Pat 89237
Hi Cari,
I haven’t done a search but it is likely that the patent can be found on the GOOGLE PATENTS website. Basically, those types of markings mean “Design Patent for this item [bottle] was issued by the US Patent & Trademark Office, and the number assigned to the patent is 89237”.
Best regards,
David
While collecting beach glass, I found a green bottom of a bottle that says filled or re-filled 89 with the I O symbol to the right. Does this mean it’s from 1989 or something else ?
Meredith, exactly which O-I symbol are you referring to? If it is an “I Inside an Oval, or letter O”, then yes, the 89 probably is a date code for 1989. Thanks!
David
I have an Owens-Illinois bottle with the following 4 lines on the bottom:
1 – W5447
2 – 55 9
3 – WINE
4 – DES PATENT 92116.
It appears the date and plant codes are reversed. Have you ever seen this before?
Hi Chris,
I think this is a case where the “55” is actually a liquor bottle permit number, and the “9” is a date code, with the orientation as often seen on their liquor bottles. Even though the bottle is marked “WINE”, the style is very similar to lots of “flat” liquor/whiskey flasks made during that time period. The “55” is a liquor bottle permit number that was assigned to their Huntington, West Virginia plant. The bottle design patent number was actually issued in April of 1934. I suspect your particular bottle was made in 1939. See this page on Google Patents: https://patents.google.com/patent/USD92116
I don’t know what the W5447 indicates, but it may be a code number assigned by Owens-Illinois to that particular bottle mold/style.
Take care,
David
You hit the nail on the head! The patent design looks exactly like the bottle! I found it yesterday while clearing some brush on our very remote property in southern Oregon. Thank you very much!
I have a clear bottle with ribbing, clearly states A Midwest Product on front and back has 6 3/4 fluid ounces on one side and BB 48 on the other and patent Du Quoin Ill pending and 18 the diamond oval I Mark 5 across the bottom and Midwest dairy products co. around the bottom edge. All in raised glass. I know the Illinois abbreviation changed after 1963, but still not sure how old it might be. It’s in perfect condition.
Hi Justin,
The BB48 marking was used on some Owens-Illinois milk bottles for a long time, but I don’t have info on just how late the mark was used. On your bottle, the “5” is probably a date code since it is placed to the right of the logo. That would mean either 1935, 1945 or 1955 but I can’t be sure which year is right. Probably the best way to get a better idea on age is to find old city directories, telephone books or newspaper issues from DuQuoin that might have info on when that dairy was actually in business. Hope this helps a little.
Take care,
David
Hi, I have an old ribbed bottle that has the Owens Illinois mark on the bottom. On either side of the mark there is the number 9. Below all this are the large letters K.B.W. Near the bottom side of the bottle it says “KANKAKEE BOTTLING WORKS”. What does this all mean? Why would it be marked by two different companies?
Hello Paul,
Thank you for your post, as your question actually gives me the opportunity to address this and thus give a bit of background explanation… In the case of your bottle, the “Kankakee Bottling Works” was the name of the company that actually produced the soda or beverage (or, at least combined the basic ingredients, such as flavored syrup, carbonated water, etc) and then filled the bottles with that product. Owens-Illinois Glass Company is, of course, the company who manufactured the glass bottles which were sold TO (purchased BY) the Kankakee Bottling Works to use for their products.
This is the general case with gobs of bottles for many different products…….. There will be a glass company (“glass bottle company” or “bottle company”) AND a “bottling company”, “brewing company” or “packaging company”. They are two entirely separate, unrelated businesses, and sometimes this is confusing to people who might assume that the product as well as the bottle were both made by the same company. In the great majority of cases, the firm who made a bottle is not the same company that made the product, such as a beverage, that is contained IN the bottle. (There are a VERY few cases in which a company makes both bottle and product, but it is not the norm in the business world!)
Now, in your particular case, the “9” to the left of the Owens-Illinois logo indicates the bottle was made at their Streator, Illinois plant, and the “9” on the right is a date code, which would stand for either 1939 or 1949. I am not familiar with the Kankakee Bottling Works, but there have literally been thousands of soda bottling works located around the US and that’s just those that operated within the past century.
I hope this helps,
Take care, David
If it is a 9 w/o a period it was probably made in ’39. If the 9 on the right is followed by a dot or period (9.) than it was probably made in ’49.
http://productmanufacturers.blogspot.com/2012/10/owens-illinois-glass-company.html
Hi Nic, Thanks for the link.
Although most of the material on that page is reasonably accurate, I have doubts if that “rule” always holds true. “Probably” is a good way to put it, as you have done. Also, I disagree with at least one other statement on that page, such as this one: “If the manufacturer’s mark found on the base of the bottle is the diamond IO mark (see Figure 2), then the bottle was produced pre-1954.” This may be so in most instances, but the statement is not really true since many, many Owens-Illinois bottles made after 1954 continued to bear the “old” (Diamond/I/oval) mark. Also, the drawing of the second variation (with the “I” serifs angled) is one I don’t think actually exists. The drawing in which the number below the logo is labeled “unknown code” is rather odd, since it has been known since Toulouse published his “Bottle Makers and their Marks” in 1971 that the number below the logo is usually the mold or “mold cavity” number. Whoever wrote that page has basically copied material from Bill Lockhart’s articles and Bill Lindsey’s site.
Take care,
David
Found a tall green Canada Dry green glass bottle. No labeling, but has diamond embossed ring around neck and “canada dry” . The bottom has large triangle with big “c” inside. Above is the older owens-illinois mark with 9 on left and 5 on right. Also has the number 5 on lower left of the large triangle. The only other marking is at the side near base – C8118. It does have the seam line running all the way to the top of the lip, which is a rounded with band. Could you help me date this find please?
Hi Shelly,
Since in this instance the number to the right of the old Owens-Illinois logo (Diamond and oval with I) is a date code, that indicates the number “5” could stand for either 1935, 1945 or 1955. Sorry I cannot be sure which is correct. You would need to do research on the other clues including the style of graphics or lettering (for Canada Dry). I don’t know enough about the Canada Dry brand and their many bottle variants over the years to make an educated guess on which year is most likely. The “9” on the left does indicate your bottle was manufactured at Owens-Illinois’ Streator, Illinois factory.
Best regards,
David
David,
I found an old clear glass cork top 0.5 oz glass bottle with the oz marking on it along with what appears to be a teardrop impression near the bottom of the bottle. This marking is not on the base itself and there are no other identifying marks. I live near an old farmhouse area with wood and had found another older bottle previously. Can you give me any info. I am near Alton Illinois.
I have a bottle that has a 7 to the left of the diamond I oval mark and a 78 to the right of the mark. How is it 1978 when they stopped using that type of mark in the 60s?
Hi Duncan,
[Readers, Duncan emailed me with a base photo of this mark. It appears to be a “78” date code but with the “old” mark used by Owens-Illinois. I have added his photo to my article here about Owens-Illinois. I am not 100% sure if this is truly a bottle made in 1978, but I do find this very interesting]. Thanks very much, Duncan, for the base pic!!
Take care,
David
I grew up in Brockport NY, where there was an Owens Illinois plant, located on Owens Rd. It had its own railroad spur line. To my knowledge the plant ran until it’s closing in the early 80s. Since then the plant has been torn down, the South Ave ext which dead ended at the plant was opened all the way through, and a park now exists where the factory once stood. I have been finding bottles from the Owens era around the plant I work at in southeast Pa, since there has been a lot of excavation. Most bottles are in good shape and bearing single digit dates, up to the mid 1940s. My finds are mostly small bottles what look like medication or perfume bottles but I have found several Coke bottles dating 1945-47, and others what appear to be liquor bottles, that most have the single numbers after the OI logo. Thank You.
Hi Rich,
Thanks very much for your post! I enjoy receiving comments with interesting background info like this~
And good luck on finding more bottles!
Take care,
David
I have a medical vial? 7 (I inside a oval) 5 and 12 underneath. Any info? The label is gone and there is no other markings
Tiffany,
Owens-Illinois has probably made millions of small glass vials or “serum bottles” over many years. (Although, I think the most prolific maker of those types of vials is Wheaton, using their “W in a circle” or “T. C. W. & CO.” marks). Judging
from your description, the “7” to the left of the logo is the plant location code, which in that case stood for their main plant (at the time) located in Alton, Illinois. The “5” is a date code, and would probably stand for either 1965, 1975 or 1985. I don’t know which year would be correct. The “12” is a mold number. Hope this helps,
David
Ill Be Specific. Columbus Ohio Found Bottom jar As Presented..
12 ( io) 4
3.
Duraglas
E1644
P.s. (io) Is the Symbol Owens Illinois.
Hello,
I have a blue Shell oil bottle. It has 7 on the left of the Logo, and a 1 on the right side. I know the 7 is the factory but what is the 1.
SHELL-PENN GLASS 1 QT MOTOR OIL BOTTLE, its 14 1/2″ tall.
Chris, the “1” is a year date code but we can’t be sure what year it would mean. It could stand for 1931, 1941 or 1951, assuming the logo is the “Diamond/Oval/I” logo used from 1929 to the mid-late 1950s. If I had to guess, I would say 1931, but I may be wrong!
David
Hey David, glad i found your site! Wondering if you could help me with some info. Found a Green base of a bottle with G- 94 (what does this stand for?) on top “duraglas” in cursive below plant code #3, i inside of O, single digit date code of 5 (no dot) and then mold number of 15. Maybe 1955? Also, was green typically used as soda or alcohol? Thanks!
-T.J.
Hello T.J.,
The “G-94”, from all the evidence, just stands for a specific mold shape/style of bottle made by Owens-Illinois Glass Company (regardless of glass color, brand name or markings on the side). This is a common shape of soda bottle. Other “G-numbers” are out there (used by Owens-Illinois for various other mold styles of soda bottles), but this seems to be one of the most common ones they used, especially in the 1940s and 1950s. Most of the bottles seen with this code on the bottom are emerald green 7-UP bottles. Sometimes a bottle in clear glass (of the same profile and measurements) is seen. Yes, I believe the “5” date code in this instance does stand for 1955.
I did a keyword search on ebay, using a search string looking for soda bottles within their “Collectibles” category, and checking both title and description on their Advanced Search page. Any of the auction descriptions that contained the “G-94” will come up in the listings. I see a number of different 7-UP bottles as well as a very few bottles in clear, of some other brands of soda. I also used an URL shortener, as the resulting link was quite long: https://ebay.to/2OIVM2e
Bright emerald green glass has been used for a very wide variety of bottles, both soda and beer as well as other beverages. However, green is more common for soda, and amber is more common for beer, just in a very general sense. Such beer brands as Heineken are bottled in green glass.
Hope this helps!
David
Hey David,
I’m sorry I couldn’t figure out how to ask a new question so it’s attached to this as a reply. Anyway I have a 1969 Coke Bottle Bank that has the Owens- Illinois trade mark on bottom. These were made for Coke executives as gifts. Is there any way to find how many were produced and the where?
Again thanks for all your insight and information.
John
Hi John,
Honestly, I don’t know. Perhaps a reader can help!
Take care,
David
I found a bottle (I assume it’s for liquor because it says “Federal Law Forbids Sale or Reuse of this Bottle,” and it also follows the liquor marking laws I’ve found online). On the other side of the bottle it says “One Quart”. It has the I inside the O and Diamond logo on the bottom rotated 90°, and “R 377” on one line in the center and “56-6” on the second line. I know 56 is the permit code, but I can’t find out for which factory! I found this at the bottom of a lake in wisconsin!
Hi Matt,
Very good question! I don’t know which Owens-Illinois plant was given the number 56 as their liquor bottle permit number. I also have noticed that the number “56” is not in the list of liquor bottle permit numbers posted online (and that info was copied from papers published many years ago), so I suspect it was a relatively short-lived bottle making location and for some reason was not producing bottles during the time period the bottle permit lists were produced. But I could be wrong! Sorry I do not know. Perhaps someone out there will have better info and can chime in on this question!
Thanks for writing,
David
[Update ~ Edited April 7, 2021: Matt, I need to add corrections to this reply. The liquor bottle permit number “56” was assigned to Owens-Illinois’ glass plant located at Charleston, West Virginia. The list of liquor bottle permit numbers that has been posted online and that most interested parties have referred to is (at least partly) from 1969, after the Charleston plant had been closed. The Charleston plant was operating from 1929 to about 1964, so many bottles are out there with the “56” LBPN on the base! Here is another online publication with more lists of liquor bottle permit numbers: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.$c127996&view=1up&seq=19&q1=LIST%20OF%20GLASS%20MANUFACTURERS%20TO%20WHOM%20PERMITS%20TO%20MANUFACTURE%20LIQUOR%20BOTTLES
Hello. I have a tall clear glass candle holder with beautiful gold floral art work surrounded by solid satin green, finished by a one inch band of delicate scroll work in the same satin green about an inch below the rim. The markings on the center of the base are “Duraglas” with a lone “I” centered directly beneath “Duraglas”. The following also appears around the edge of the base,”PROPERTY OF VALLEY CANDLE CO.” and “PAT APP FOR”. Any help that you could provide in dating this candleholder would be appreciated. Thank you.
I found a small 1oz. Bottle in a load of dirt from 4th st Chickasha, Ok. It’s a clear thick glass for a prescription bottle. On front side bottom Duraglas. Bottom of bottle is 6 emblem 2. Can you tell me when made and is there any value?
Hi Patrick,
Owens-Illinois made large quantities of these kinds of clear glass prescription/medicine bottles, in a wide range of sizes. They are often quite old, but have relatively little collectible value since they are typically marked only on the base, and were made in such large quantities that the ‘supply and demand’ rule has kicked in.
The “6” is a plant location code for Charleston, West Virginia. The “2” is a date code and would stand for 1942 or 1952. I cannot say which year is correct. (Duraglas brand name was introduced about 1940, so we can be sure it isn’t from 1932).
Best regards,
David
I could not figure out how to post a conversation. I have an Owens-Illinois 1941 bottle from Huntington WV casting 1 with crackled print in the glass, with a sailboat at the top.
Laura, I sent an email to you directly and it was returned with a Mailer Daemon notice. I think the email address you left with your comment has a typo. Can you post your query again or send me an email directly (my email address is listed under CONTACT INFO / NOTES near the bottom of the page). I was interested in seeing a photo of the bottle you describe. Unfortunately my site is not set up to accept photos uploaded directly by readers.
Thank you and best regards,
David
Ya my son just found a bottle about 6 in tall that looks like a small clear wine bottle possibly . It has what looks like the older symbol with a O and diamond and i and also a 2 on the left and a 0 on the right . And that’s on the very bottom but I also found on the sides towards the bottom a number 2 with a dot and A211B
I have a Duraglas bottle-quart size-with the Duraglass logo on the bottom along with – 17 – top left- 51 top right- a capital A in the middle left. I’m having a hard time making out the center of the trademark though it does have the diamond and oval. Any ideas? Any help is appreciated.
Hi Mary,
To be honest, it doesn’t really matter much what can be discerned in the center of the diamond and oval mark, since on MANY bottles the “I” (which is “supposed’ to be there) is frequently absent, smeared, distorted or just halfway visible! Sometimes just a tiny dot is discernible! In any case, from the info you provided, the bottle was made in 1951 at their plant #17 which was Clarion, Pennsylvania.
Hope this helps,
David
HI David,
I have a clear bottle, 11.5″ tall and 4″ across. It has an art deco design. On the bottom, there is the diamond logo. The middle of the diamond is messy, similar to the the green bottle photo above. To the left of the logo is the number 4, to the right, the number 6 and the on the bottom, the number 6. There are no periods after the number. There is a seam up to the top, but a large, messy pontil on the bottom. On the bottom is also Des. Patent 90023. Any information about this bottle would be very appreciated. Many thanks,
Randy Jansen
Hi Randy,
I did a search of the patent number on Google Patents. The “Design patent number” 90023 was issued in 1933, but I cannot say with absolute certainty when your bottle was made. I think, however, that the date code “6” on the right of the logo indicates 1936. The “messy pontil” is not really a true pontil mark, but what is called an “Owens Scar”, as seen on machine-made bottles. Pontil marks are only seen on handmade bottles. Here is a link to the patent page:
https://patents.google.com/patent/USD90023S/en?oq=d90023
I would assume this bottle was made in a range of sizes, and was produced for a number of years.
Hope this helps,
David
Hi, I found a similar bottle, patent# D86565, a 7 on each side of the diamond logo. Same designer as D90023! How can I find out what the bottle was used for? And I would like to learn more about the designer.
I have an Owens-Illinois liquor bottle with a “3” and a “55-51” code on it, as well as the federal law statement. Based on the articles I found the “3” refers to the manufacturing plant (Fairmont, WV) and the “55” refers to the liquor permit (Huntington, WV). Is it common for the manufacturing plant and the permit to be different locations? Also, does the “51” mean 1951? Is there any way I can identify what brand of liquor the bottle was used for? It has no labels left. Thanks. -Mark O., North Carolina
Hi Mark,
In your case I suspect the “3” is a mold number, not a plant code. The “55” liquor bottle permit number indicates the bottle was made at O-I’s Huntington, West Virginia glass plant. From all evidence it appears that each liquor bottle permit number is always assigned to just one specific manufacturing location (glass plant).
Also, if there is no “Distiller number” it may be difficult to identify what product or distilling company was involved. Many of those kinds of liquor bottles, especially the common flasks, were virtually “generic” and might have held a number of different brands. Then again, there were many brands that were bottled in distinctive containers with identifiable trademarks or graphics on them.
David
I just found 2 bottles in Okinawa. One is a coke bottle with 68 on the left…the I inside the oval/diamond (Owens-Illinois)…and 45 on the right. This is on the side of the bottle, near the bottom. The other bottle is dark green in color. It has a big 0 with a line through it and a capital L next to it…..and a small 3 under both (one 3, just under the 0L. Any help with the year and manufacture would be appreciated!
Hi Mark,
Your first bottle was made in 1945 (45 date code) and the mold number is “68”. I am not sure about the other bottle you describe. It may be a bottle from Scandinavia (Denmark or Norway?) as they use the “slashed O” letter (Ø ) as part of their alphabet.
David
What if the date code is on the left?
Amelia, although there are some occasional exceptions, the date codes on Owens-Illinois bottles are usually placed to the right of the logo. One notable exception is a period of time when some Coke bottles made by Owens-Illinois had the date codes on the LEFT, and the mold number on the right. Exactly what type of bottle are you referring to? Also, on the bottom of many O-I liquor bottles, a liquor bottle permit code number was placed on the left, separated by a dash, and then with the date code on the right.
David
Hello,
My bottle is green and has G-94 duraglas then 3 the O and diamond symbol with an I in it, 49 and at the bottom 15. Can you help me date it? I think it was manufactured in Oklahoma. We found this bottle embedded in wet sand on our beach. It has been turned into sea glass. It is quite a rare find for that itself. It would be cool to know it was very old as well.
Thank you
Samanda Peak
Hi Samanda,
I tried sending you an email directly, but you typed in your email address incorrectly so I received a “Mailer Daemon” notice. In any case, that is a soda bottle, and the “G-94” is a code number that Owens-Illinois used to identify that particular shape/style of bottle. A number of different sodas were bottled in that particular shape. Many of them have the code “G-94” embossed on the bottom along with the Owens-Illinois Glass Company trademark and a date code. In your case, the “3” means it was made at their Fairmont, West Virginia glass plant, and the “49” is a date code for the year it was made…….1949. The “15” is a mold number.
Just for a bit of info, check out this eBay keyword search I just did……….these are various bottles in which the sellers mention (in their item description) as having a “G-94” on the bottom. You will notice they appear to be the same shape, even though the glass color may be clear or green, and some are different brands. I am guessing your bottle may have had the brand name graphics wear off, since it was on the beach for some unknown time. Can you see any faint residue of a name such as 7-up?
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=soda+bottle+%22g-94%22&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=1&LH_TitleDesc=1&_osacat=0&_odkw=bottle+%22g-94%22&LH_TitleDesc=1
I hope this helps,
David
Hello David,
I love the site! It has helped greatly with bottle identification.
I do have an interesting liquor bottle that I would like to just make sure I decoded correctly. It’s clear and embossed with a heart design. a large heart on one side, and a smaller one on the other side with what appear to be leafy vines in between. The side at the bottom is marked “4/5 quart” which I know equals “a fifth” in slang terms. the bottom of the bottle is stamped as follows from top to bottom and reading left to right. “Liquor Bottle”, The I inside the O logo on the left, “55-70” in the center with a “4” on the right raised just a bit above the 55-70. Finally, on the bottom “M258270”. I know, thanks to you, that 55-70 is the liquor stamp and it was made in 1970. I’m guessing the number 4 indicates the plant in Clarksburg, W.V., the one that interests me is the M258270. Any clue what that may indicate? Also any clue what brand of liquor bottle this is? I can send pictures is you would like.
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!
John Sunyog
Hi John,
As you know, the bottle was made by Owens-Illinois Glass Company (as shown by the “I inside an O” mark.) You are right that the “70” is a date code for 1970. The “55” is a liquor bottle permit number, and by checking a list of liquor codes online (here is a pdf file – https://sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/LiquorBottlePermits.pdf
we find that the permit number “55” actually was assigned to their Huntington, West Virginia glass plant. The “4” in this case may be just a mold number. I am under the impression that on most, if not all, liquor bottles, when the liquor bottle permit number is present, (and is placed to the left of the date code, as they usually are), the actual plant code number is not used. Of course, this embossing configuration is somewhat different than what is seen on most other types of containers (i.e. non-liquor bottles) by Owens-Illinois.
Honestly, I’m not sure what the “M258270” indicates. Perhaps an inventory or catalog number assigned to that particular bottle design?
Also, I don’t know what brand of liquor your bottle contained.
Best regards, David
My bottle is clear with the symbol that looks like Saturn, the numbers say 7 before the symbol, 4 below the symbol, and 3 after the symbol. Also I can’t figure out what is on the symbol but it looks as if the Saturn symbol is like the second photo down.
John, As you know, the bottle was made by Owens-Illinois. From your info, I can only say that the bottle was made at their Alton, Illinois location (plant #7), the “4” is a mold number, and the date code is the “3”. The date code might indicate 1933, 1943 or 1953. I can’t tell you with certainty which year is meant. Also, since the logo was usually hand-engraved into the inside of bottle molds, there are many very slightly different “looks” of the logo. But they are all meant to convey the same meaning…….merely the trademark standing for Owens-Illinois Glass Co. Although it is sometimes compared to the “look” of the planet Saturn, there was no real connection or intentional likeness, just a coincidental similarity.
David
Hi Today I found the bottom of a clear bottle. Front and rear say half pint. The bottom has 0-1 54-51 and a diamond with an oval. If you could guide me in the right direction. It’s fun trying to identify my finds. Thank you Kim W.
Hi Kim,
Here’s the only info I can be reasonably certain about: It’s a liquor bottle, and the numbers “54-51” are: Liquor bottle permit number #54 (which is the number issued to Owens-Illinois Glass Co. plant located at Fairmont, West Virginia) and the “51” is a date code for 1951, the year your bottle was made. Many liquor bottles are marked in this way, with a pair of two-digit numbers being the liquor bottle permit number and the date code. Keep in mind this is NOT the same way that many other types of Owens-Illinois bottles are marked. You can find an online list of “liquor bottle permit numbers” by doing a google search with those four words.
Hope this helps,
David
Hello,
I just got this glass – I would call it a liquor decanter – it’s stamped Des Pat Pndg, 7 oval sign with an I followed by a 4. Under seems to be either an one or I. Would that place it in 1954?
Helen,
It is hard to say for certain. I would guess either 1954 or 1964. But I’m sorry I cannot be sure!
David
Hey David!
What a fantastic website you have! Extremely informative with a great forum. My hat is off to you good sir! I was wondering if you could help me date an Owens-Illinois glass jar I recently found. It appears to be a packer jar (clear glass), possibly for preserves. There are no other markings aside from the maker’s mark, although there is a thin, faint seam on either side of the jar. Additionally, the jar lacks shoulders and is a screw-top. In regards to the makers mark, it is an “I” inside of an “O”, with a “7” to the left, a “2” to the right, and a “15” on the bottom. Any information you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!
Hi Shay,
As with many Owens-Illinois Glass Company containers, it can be difficult to assign a specific year, especially when the date code (as in your case) is a single digit. In those cases, there may be more than one possible interpretation. In the case of your jar, the “I inside an O” trademark dates AFTER 1954. The “2” is the date code, and most likely would stand for either 1962 or 1972. The “7” is the plant code for their Alton, Illinois glass plant. The “15” is the mold number.
Take care,
David
Thank you so much for your response David. The only issue I have with a post-1954 date is that the jar is actually collected from a historic site that is only depicted on an 1885 plat map. Of course, the jar could have certainly been discarded on site subsequent to the removal of the original structure (as there is a nearby active farmstead). But is there any chance the bottle could be older than 1954? Perhaps early 1930’s? Based on my review of aerial images of the location, there is no indication of a structure or disturbance of the site post-1937 (i.e. earliest available aerial). I sincerely appreciate all of your time and consideration!
Hello Shay,
It is generally agreed by researchers that the “I inside an O” mark used by Owens-Illinois was instituted beginning in 1954, and no earlier. As I tried to explain in my main text of this page, there was actually some period of time beginning in 1954 when many of the molds then in use were re-tooled with their second mark (eliminating the diamond). So, any bottle with the “I inside an O” may date from several years AFTER 1954, but not before. My suspicion is that it’s from 1962. I am assuming the jar was just a random “late-throw”, as is sometimes found at sites where virtually everything else is much, much older. Do you know how deeply this was buried, if buried at all?
I have noticed this….. Nearly anywhere and everywhere throughout our country, “modern era” trash can be found, even in the “middle of nowhere” where there seems to be no logical reason for it being there. Some possibilities for random items include hunters, fishermen, hikers, surveyors, farmers, nearby landowners, vagrants, ATV riders, or just teens or children out “exploring the neighborhood” and leaving litter!
Just some thoughts!
Take care, David
I have an old glass demijohn with the diamond and a circle within that the letter I. T the left is a 7 and the right side is a 5. Left bottom is ICC-10. Then directly beside that is marked 61/2 GAL. At the top it says 1951. And Finally M.C.A.STO. Does this information help. Because it doesnt in Google. Please I would love some info.
Craig,
The large water bottle was made by Owens-Illinois Glass Company at their Alton, Illinois location. The “7” is a plant location code for Alton. The right side number “5” is a date code, perhaps for 1955. I think the “1951” is the year the mold itself was manufactured, but I am not 100% sure of that. I don’t have definite info on the other markings.
David
I just purchased an apothecary bottle from an antique store with a lot of wonderful markings, and decided to start with the makers mark first because I thought it would be easiest. According to your very helpful site, it is from the Owens-Illinois, Inc. merger and it seems to fit all the requirements as the picture you have of the clear Owens medicine bottle though it is missing a few things. I wish I could post my picture but it has ‘OWENS’ just like yours, but in the middle of the bottom of the bottle, the rest of the mark is the – 6 and there is a little dot inside the circle. The label is flaking off and more fragile then a butterfly wing, but who knows if it is original and it is only 15% there anyway. What exactly do I have on my hands?
Im just curious if you are able to help me determine when my jar was made. I dont see all the numbers described in your post. The jar says Presto supreme mason with “manufactured by owens – illinois glass company” on the back. The bottom of the jar looks only to have a large O with a sideways diamond and MAYBE a tiny I in the middle though hard to see.
The ONLY number is a 2 to the left of the O/Diamond.
Id appreciate any help at all, thank you so much.
Hi Tifanni,
If there is no date code, I can’t tell how old a particular Presto Supreme Mason is, but in general those jars were made in the 1920s-1950s by Owens-Illinois. Sorry I don’t have more info to pass along.
David
I have a small green bottle with an I in a circle. 17 is on the left and 82 on the right. Could you tell me more about it?
Hi Rachel,
It’s a bottle made by Owens-Illinois Glass Company (I in a circle) in 1982. The “17” (in this case) stands for their Clarion, Pennsylvania glass factory where your bottle was made. Without seeing the bottle, I’m not sure what it was used for, but if you can, send me a pic to my email listed at the right bottom corner of the page. (I’m sorry but this site is not set up to accept pictures uploaded by readers).
Best regards,
David
I found a clear seamed glass seven ounce pry-off cap style “soda” bottle embedded in a bank on a wayward beach on the Hawaiian island of Moloka’i and have been unable to find a conclusive identification for it. It’s rather thicker than average and has the following raised markings in a circle around the bottom: I.A BOTTLED.BY M.E.CO. 20 (I) 62 (The I being in a circle rather than parenthesis). In the center it’s marked: NET CONT. 7 FLU.OZ. 359-G (Each group as a separate line).
Any ideas?
Hi Norman,
I don’t know anything about an “M.E.CO.” but I would assume it stands for the name of the unidentified beverage bottling company. The bottle itself was made by Owens-Illinois at their Oakland, CA plant (plant code # 20) in the year 1962 (the year date code “62” to right of the logo). “359-G” is probably a code number for that particular style/shape bottle.
Hope this helps a bit,
David
Thanks so very much, as that was far more than I could find.
Hi there,
There is an area I hunt where I have found the remnants of an old homestead, hasn’t been touched in goodness knows how long. Near the foundations of two log cabins I have previously found a tobacco tin dating to 1910 and a half pint milk jug from the 1930’s.
Most recently I found a glass gallon jug, and I have been doing research but am having a hard time dating it. It is Owens-Illinois, with the O-I diamond logo. On the left side of the diamond is 23, which should be from LA according to what I have read. However, the right side is 4 without a period – which would mean 1934? However the LA plant did not open until 1949? It also has a ‘W’ which, if I understand correctly is a liquor code, but after 1934 there were requirements for other codes, which my bottle does not have.
Details: the bottom of the jug has the O-I diamond, 23 on the right side and 4 on the left. It also says 4 directly below that. Further down it says 5755 W. Along the base of the jug it says Duraglass, and at the top it says one gallon. It looks like it was a twist-top style lid and there is still a rusted metal band around the bottom of where the lid was. It also still has a brown sludge inside that I am fairly certain I could get drunk off just from sniffing it!
Any information you might be able to share about this piece, and any ideas about its age would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!!
Ali, there is a lot of confusion on the date codes, as you have realized. I don’t believe that the presence or absence of a period after a date code can give absolute evidence on which decade is meant. Since the DURAGLAS brand was introduced in 1940 by Owens-Illinois Glass Company, we know it must date sometime after that year. The “5755” is probably a code number for that particular mold or style jug. I don’t know what the “W” means but perhaps someone else has figured that out on another website. The “23” plant code does stand for Los Angeles, and since that plant was started around 1948/1949, the bottle must date afterward. The single-digit codes were used, in some instances, on various bottles and jars of different sizes and shapes over a range of decades.
I think the jug would date from either 1954, 1964 or 1974. Sorry I can’t pin it down for sure, but my best guess is that it stands for 1954. Gallon jugs of slightly different types were made by many glass companies in large quantities for a number of products, including vinegar, apple cider, soda syrups (such as Coke syrup to be used to make soda by mixing with carbonated water) and other liquids/beverages. Hope this helps a little.
David
“I don’t believe that the presence or absence of a period after a date code can give absolute evidence on which decade is meant.”
I’ve been collecting soda bottles for 40 years, and I can tell you every single O-I soda bottle I have ever seen with a period behind the date is from the 1940s. I’ve yet to see one that wasn’t.
Hello Ken,
Thanks very much for your info. I will accept that, so consider myself corrected. However, the original question from Ali might bring up other, related questions: 1) Were single digit date codes used in ALL decades? 2) If a date code does NOT have a period after the number, that still leaves room for error because it could potentially stand for any decade, right? 3) What about other types of bottles besides soda bottles…. were any made in the 1940s that does not carry a period? 4) Do all soda bottles made in the 1940s carry a period after the number, or just some percentage of them? Thanks again! David
David: Very nice site full of use full information. I have a ABM pattern molded amber swirled 1 gallon and a 1/2 globular bottles the mark on the bottom is a I in a diamond with oval 4 on the left side Clarksburg,WV? 9 on the right side 1939? 1 below mold cavity number? Also has the number E1152 On the heel rim at the bottom of the bottle? Don’t Know what this stands for? This is not a screw top it has a friction fit metal cap that says on it pry off with a Table Knife to reseal press on, it has glass lug around the top that you set the knife on and pry up. Also Metal Cap says keep in refrigerator after opening and serve chilled. No product name, this is what I am trying to figure out what was in the container. Apple juice? Any Idea! Beautiful Amber Swirled bottles, when seen through a sunny window they look like they have a double swirl bright and clean, probably two of the nicer ABM bottles I have ever seen outside of the cobalt Carter ABM cathedrals. Any Information would be appreciated! Thanks Jim Roth
Jim, I’m not familiar with your bottle, but yes you are correct on the plant code, and the date code “9” is probably for 1939. The “E1152” is possibly a mold number (mold design number) assigned by Owens-Illinois to that particular bottle style. That number would probably have been used in invoices, catalogs, etc. Although, mold design numbers were usually on the base, not the heel, so I can’t be 100% sure about that.
Best regards,
David
Hello! I picked up a bottle of peppermint oil from an antique store, the bottle says its from Halgren & Pettit Druggists in Ithaca Michigan (The Rexall Store) I’m inquiring about a date of the bottle. The bottom says “OWENS” and the right below is the diamond oval and on the left side of the diamond oval is a 7 and on the right is a 5, with no other marks prevant, the label look fairly old and has a plastic screw cap it still has oil in it which i thought was interesting based on the state of the bottle itself. Im guessing it might be from late 50’s early 60’s based on label and structure of the glass but i just want to know based on the markings on the bottom of the glass, thank you!
Hi Jason, with the “Diamond and oval” mark on the bottom, we can assume it dates from sometime between 1930 to the mid-1950s. With the date code being “5”, that would indicate either 1935, 1945 or 1955. I would guess 1935 (since single digit date codes were more common during the 1930s although there are later exceptions) but I can’t be 100% sure! The “7” is a plant code for the Alton, Illinois factory.
Hope this helps,
David
I have found an old Owens Bottle Co. ‘Want book and Price List’ dated 1929. Does anyone have information on this book? Thank you.
Hi. I found an amber jar with the I in an O (no diamond) from plant 14, but the date code is just a 0 (no period). So would this indicate 60’s? I’m confused cause mostly what I have found says most everything after the 50’s had double digit date codes.
Vicki, single digit date codes were still used in the 1960s and afterward. Not nearly as often as double-digit date codes, but they were used occasionally, especially on smaller containers. I would guess your jar was made in either 1960 or 1970.
Best regards,
David
Hi! I found a 1 gallon bottle that has 14 and I in and O then 0 and a 4 under the I/O symbol. Since there is no period behind the 0 I assumed it was the 1930s but it also has raised letting on the foot of the bottle saying Duraglas. So would this have been made in the 1940s at the Bridgeton, NJ plant?
Hi,
Yes, since DURAGLAS brand name was instituted in 1940, the bottle is from the 1940s, made at plant #14 which was Bridgeton, New Jersey. I suspect it would be from 1940, although it might stand for 1950. (I do NOT subscribe to the theory that ALL date codes without a dot to the right of the number necessarily means it is from the 1930s, and all date codes WITH dots are from the 1940s or later, but that seems to be true in quite a few cases).
~David
How long did owen illinois use the I inside an O mark. I have a bottle with the I inside an O mark with a date code of 1982.
Hi Xavier, I’m not sure when the “I inside an O” mark was discontinued. If anyone who lands on this site has better information on the changeover, please contact me and I will update the page.
~David
Hi David,
First, Thank you so much for establishing this website. I have gathered so much information already. I feel I have started a hobby that my Father also shares a passion for, collecting glass bottles.
I recently acquired a large 5 gallon glass jar/jug/bottle? Not exactly sure what It should be labeled as.
It is clear in color and has a metal screw on type lid along with a wooden rotating handle fitted to a metal bracket attached along the base of the neck. The bottom of the jug is not smooth, has a very textured finish. I have located the large markings of the “I” inside of the diamond with an oval around them on the top of the base. I have a 7 on the left, a 7 on the right, and a 1 below with no numbers above. The bottom of the base has a large 5232 below the other numbers.
I’m hoping you might have information as to the use of such a large container. I gathered from the articles you’ve posted it is an Illinois made container dating possibly 37 or 47. Any information is greatly appreciated. Thank you again for the great website.
Adam, from your description it would be either a water bottle (carboys and demijohns are terms used in older glass factory literature for very large bottles) or a pickle jar, depending on the width/type of closure. I would suggest you search Google Images with those keywords and see if a similar container shows up in the results.
David
I found an old looking bottle under my house when I was digging a fire pit. It has an odd texture and 2 vertical seems running up the sides. I cleaned it off and was able to make out the diamond with an I and O in the middle. Above that it says John Morgan, it also says it is a 1 Pint bottle, below that it has a g178 and it says New York, N.Y.
would love it if you could help me figure out anything about it, thanks.
Hi! I found the bottom of a jar washed up on the shore of lake Michigan. The logo is the I in an oval and a diamond. Left is 7, right is 5, bottom is 5. Im just curious which year the 5 stands for. Thanks!! (It’s about 5 1/2 inch in diameter, maybe a gallon jug?)
Sarah, it could stand for 1935, 1945, or 1955. My guess would be PROBABLY 1935, (because single digit date codes were used on most of their 1930s-era bottles) but there seems to be no way to be 100% sure on many O-I bottles.
David
Thank you!!!
I have acquired a large 2 1/2 gallon jug with 1/2 gal increments on 2 sides and very detailed decorative molding on opposing sides side panels at the half gallon areas. It has a finger loop at the neck and the Owens Illinois diamond on the bottom. It has a 1 over a 190 on the bottom as well as 1932 impressed on the bottom with considerable wrinkles in the glass from manufacturing of the jug (possibly straw marks as I am not sure). My question is what was this jug used for? Was it a fuel jug or could it have been sold as a multi-purpose container for other products?
Mike, yes, it is a multi-purpose container. Those jugs were used for various liquids, such as vinegar, soda syrup, apple cider, etc. There is no way to be sure what was in it unless there is an intact label. The “1932”, in this case, probably indicates the year the mold was made, or perhaps the jug itself.
Best regards,
David
Thank you,
Mike this is so cool… believe it or not today I purchased at a garage sale the same exact jug with the same markings on the bottom except mine has 1931! I was going to ask the same questions you did so thanks for doing all the work for me! lol
I found several bottles. The first one has a 7 than the circle with the I in it and then a 9 all in one row. Below that is a single 9. Below that is the word duraglas. And below that is E – 2143. Can you help me identify it?
One other thing. The circle with the I doesn’t have the diamond. It’s just a circle with an I in it. Don’t know if that helps identifying it.
I found a clear jar. Approx 8oz. It has the logo (I inside o with diamond) to the left is a 4, to the right is a 6, underneath is an I or a 1. And it has 7 rings around it. It says duraglas on 2 sides… with a c2993. Can you tell me what year it was made? Thank you in advance.
Stephanie, the “6” is a date code, and since the brand name DURAGLAS was instituted in 1940, we can narrow down the possibilities to 1946 or 1956. That’s the best I can do.
Take care,
David
Hi David! I found an old brown glass gallon jug with this “diamond and oval with an I inside” symbol on the bottom of it. It has the number 7 to the left of the symbol, 6 to the right, and a 3 below it. It also has an X in the middle of the jug. I was hoping you could give me some information and history about this jug. Thanks in advance!
Patricia,
The only info I can provide with reasonable certainty is that the jug was made at their Alton, IL plant, and the “6” would stand for either 1936 or 1946 (probably 1936). The “3” is a mold number. I’m guessing it would be a generic gallon jug used for liquids such as bleach or other cleaning / chemical products. Or it might have been used for edible products such as Cola syrup, vinegar or apple cider.
Best regards,
David
Great website! I was able to identify my bottle with ease. You have put a lot of work into it and I appreciate it. Look forward to using your site again as I find more cool bottles.
Thanks Samantha, I appreciate your kind words.
David
Anyone ever see an IP for factory code? Bottle dated 1944. I’m finding some odd bottles out here where the date code is gown 6 years after the factory closed example – 1945 bottle from Evansville IL.
Eric, there are examples out there that seem to make no sense, according to what information is known on the factory location and date codes. However, I would submit (my guess) that in some of these instances, the bottle mold might have been moved to another plant but the engravings were not all updated (retooled) correctly on the molds. Thus, a plant code “11” (used at the Evansville plant) may have been left ‘as-is’ for some period of time after the mold was moved, and might have been correctly later, but the date code was retooled. Just an idea!
~David
I found 4 bottles 2″h x maybe 1/2″ w cyclinder with a ever so slight green tint and bubbles in the glass. They have a circle inside a square on the bottom. I also found 4 simalar bottles one in which is 2.5″h and is a screw top with a oval diamond symbol on the bottom. Another is 2″ and has only an 18 on the front bottom as opposed to the actual “heel”. Lastly the others (both 2″) have a circle in a square on one and just 3 bumpson the other but otherwise seam identical. The last 4 do not have the green tint or bubbles in the glass but the shape seems to be almost indentical. Thoughts?
Jonathan, the bottles with the “O in a square” were made by Owens Bottle Company and date from about 1919-1929. (See my page on that mark). They are probably medicine bottles of some sort. Owens Bottle Company (and it’s successor Owens-Illinois Glass Company) made tremendous numbers of bottles of many styles including lots of small medicine bottles and vials such as for products including aspirin, merthiolate, iodine and many others.
David
I couldn’t figure out how to just post a question so hopefully this gets to you. I have found something that looks like a rare bottle that Edwin W Fluerst patented with 87834. I have found one bottle on the internet that is plain with no shield or the “Federal law forbids sale or re-use of this bottle. The bottom of the bottle has DES PAT 87834 then below that is a circle with D8 on top then 64-8 below that. Then below the circle is the diamond with circle that has the “I” in the center. I believe that means it is an Owens bottle.
The sides of the bottle has sort of a decorative look. The front of the bottle says ONE GALLON but on top of that has like a capital “D” with a 0 or o in the middle.
Like I said it looks like the patented bottle but then it has the additions to it. Can you give me any information about it?
Wendy, in many instances, the patent illustrations or model will not be EXACTLY like the bottle(s) that are actually produced. There may be a close similarity, but don’t be surprised if you see something just a bit ‘different’ in the finished product.
David