They are not particularly rare. There is an almost identical bottle which has “Fred Bruno Successor to” added just above the script. It comes in a light green color which is pretty scarce.
Dug in Jersey City for years. Harsimus Cove was a great early dump location for about 3 years (now inaccessible). Dug some nice privies in older parts of the town but they were few and far between. Lots of empty (cleaned) holes.
Newark was easier to dig and usually had better bottles. There...
The one on ebay is definately a reproduction. They have a crudely tooled lip (the real ones either have a rolled lip or a more typical 19th century tooled lip), they have a terrible fake pontil (the real ones are either open pontil or smooth base) and the genuine examples usually don't have the...
Make absolutely sure you know whose property you are on and that you have permission. Much of that area is now part of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and is actively patrolled by Department of the Interior law enforcement rangers. Do not !!!!! get caught digging bottles on Federal Refuge...
It's actually a New Jersey water bottle. I remember the farm and spring were located very close to where New Brunswick Road, RT 22 and I-78 meet. I think it's either Pohatcong or Lopatcong Township just east of Alpha NJ.
Neat piece, if you ever want to sell it, let me know. (PS look for the other half, it's got to be out there somewhere). These soapstone molds were used during the late 18th-early 19th century. Yours has cavities for several different sizes of ammunition including buck shot. I have seen many...
The opalization adhering to the bottle is harmless but once it seperates into flakes or dust and is inhaled into the lungs it can be harmful over a long period of time. Simple Chronic Silicosis is definately not something you ever want to get. It comes from prolonged exposure to silica dust...