If you are just visiting and found the information you were looking for please contribute to the running costs by making a donation.	Forums : : Register : : Log In : : Log Out : : Help : : Calendar : : Search
	My Setup : : Member List : : Contact Admin : : Today's Posts

All Forums >> [Bottle Forums] >> What is it? BEFORE 1900 >> Drake Bitters Bottle - Help, again. :)

Page: [1]

Login Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>

Drake Bitters Bottle - Help, again. :) - 7/30/2003 5:34:13 PM    Guest Greetings, Many thanks for the help with the other flasks. I have a bitters bottle and am curious as to it' s history, maker and any collectable value. It reads, " S T Drake, 1860, Plantation, X Bitters" , and on the back it reads, " Patented 1862" . Also, unfortunately, as you can see in the pics, there is a crack in the back, and a small piece missing. I' ve tried to include the pic(s) here, but if it doesn' t go through, or if you' d like to see addditonal pics, please see the Shutterfly.com website below. http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b324b4d12560 Many thanks for all your help. Please feel free to e-mail me directly at timchick@hotmail.com. Regards, Tim Chick Boston, MA Attachment (1)   Post #: 1

RE: Drake Bitters Bottle - Help, again. :) - 7/30/2003 9:17:01 PM    Harry Pristis   Posts: 495 Joined: 7/24/2003 From: Northcentral Florida Status: offline Drake' s 1860 Plantation Bitters in the average amber color sell for between $50 and $100 depending on color, character and condition. This same bottle in an unusual color can be much more desireable, that is, more expensive. Assuming that your bottle is medium amber (color photography is tricky), with its damage it would be worth less than $20 in my estimation. -------------Harry Pristis _____________________________ ______________________________________________ Visit The Demijohn Page at: http://members.aol.com/pristis/index.html (in reply to Guest) Post #: 2

RE: Drake Bitters Bottle - Help, again. :) - 7/30/2003 10:04:43 PM    BottlesandMore   Posts: 44 Joined: 7/10/2003 Status: offline Tim, I can help you out on a bit of the history. The Drakes were around from about 1860. Artumus Ward wrote the following in 1864. Plantation Bitters appeared in 1860, and every wall and fence and vacant place in the United States was placarded with the legend, " S. T. 1880 X." For several months everybody was guessing what the sign meant. It was in the newspapers. It was distributed in handbills on the street. It was seen at every turn, " S. T. 1860 X." After the world had long grown tired of guessing, there appeared the complete legend, " Plantation Bitters, S. T. 1860 X." Plantation Bitters became the bottled liquor of the age. It was made out of alcohol, water and flavoring, and was really very attractive as to taste and results. The Hostetter and the Log Cabin followed closely behind in popularity. The Log Cabin got into sutler tents all over the district which the army occupied. Its principal advertisement was the strange glass bottle made in the shape of a log cabin. At about the time I speak of, all three of these liquors were on sale at Boyer' s. The legend of the Plantation Bitters was that it meant " Sure thing in ten years from 1860." That is, when the inventor had made the decoction, and submitted it to a friend as an invention and marketable article, the friend, so the story goes, told him that it was a sure thing for a fortune in ten years. So, acting on this thought, he had billed the United States, " S. T. 1860 X.," and spent half a million advertising " S. T. 1860 X.," before anybody knew what it was all about. The bottle in damaged condition has very little value. I agree with the $20 estimate. If the picture is correct it would have been a nice topaz color. Your bottle is a 6 log. They also come with 5 logs and 4 logs. The 6 logs offered the widest availability of color. Probably made by Whitney Glassworks NJ. Hope this helps with the history part. _____________________________ BottlesandMore (in reply to Guest) Post #: 3

All Forums >> [Bottle Forums] >> What is it? BEFORE 1900 >> Drake Bitters Bottle - Help, again. :)

Page: [1]

New Messages No New Messages Hot Topic w/ New Messages Hot Topic w/o New Messages Locked w/ New Messages Locked w/o New Messages

Post New Thread  Reply to Message  Post New Poll  Submit Vote  Delete My Own Post  Delete My Own Thread  Rate Posts