What cities are known to have pontiled druggist bottles?

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DruggistBottles

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I am curious what places had pontiled druggist bottles. I know the major cities had them but what others? How many states have at least one? I have some from NY, NJ, PA, VA, WVA, OH, IL, MO, KY, AL as part of my 50 state druggist collection. I will start posting some pictures. Feel free to post pictures of ones you have or have seen.
 

AntiqueMeds

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Most of the states that were states at the time had some.
You probably wont find ones from places like WV since it would have been VA at the time.
For instance I think there were only 33 states in 1860 around the time the use of punty rods was coming to an end.
If you have a particular state in mind I may be able to tell you if there were pontil age medicines from there.
 

AntiqueMeds

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off the top of my head I cant think of any from states like Florida, Texas, Minnesota.
Probably some others if I think harder.
 

DruggistBottles

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Yes, my "WV" is actually embossed VA. I have a pontiled Laughlins & Bushfield Druggist from Wheeling, VA. Since Wheeling is in present day West Virginia I group it there. I wonder what the earliest druggist is actually embossed with West Virginia? I would love to learn more about any druggist from Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida or Mississippi. I imagine all states east of those should have some. I know west of the Mississippi, Missouri has many from St. Louis. I suppose California might have some. Are there any other states West of the Mississippi that have any?
 

AntiqueMeds

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There actually is at least one pontil medicine from Wis. An UNCLE SAMS COUGH SYRUP from OCONOMOWOC, WIS. ...jeez what a town name.. Not a druggist though.
 

AntiqueMeds

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All the Wheeling meds I can think of are embossed VA if they are pontil marked and WVA if they are smooth based. Since WVA was separated in 1863 that gives of a good indication of when empontilling was discontinued on medicines for those glass factories (probably Pittsburgh)

I can think of at least a few pontilled meds embossed Miss ...
DR L C GLOVER & BRO LIVER MEDICINE MEMPHIS TENN ABERDEEN MISS.
LIMCRICK'S GREAT MASTER OF PAIN RODNEY MISS
There are probably a few druggists but I mostly track patent medicines.
 

druggistnut

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Can it be from a known druggist, with only his name embossed? Does it need to say druggist/pharmacist/chemist/apothecary, etc...?
Bill
 

AntiqueMeds

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DR OWENS LONDON HORSE LINAMENT is from CLARKSTON MICHIGAN. Michigan pontils are rare.
Not many from California either , some from Sacramento and SF if I remember right.

There was probably plenty of label only western pontil meds but not a lot of embossed ones.
If they were going to ship a bottle west it might as well be full to start with I guess.
 

andy volkerts

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Drs Mcdonald & Levy Liquid extract of Manzanita Sacramento city California, all onna flat oval shaped bottle smaller than a Jake witha cool small blowpipe pontil.......
 

DruggistBottles

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That is a good question. It seems many collectors like to categorize what they collect further than the main categories. Personally, I like to try to acquire druggist embossed with druggist/pharmacist/chemist/apothecary, etc... AND have a city and state. I also prefer that they be ones that are either: having a graphic, in color or are older (territory, smooth base or pontiled). I tend to avoid obvious medicines a druggist made unless they have druggist etc embossed. Therefore I do collect Wilder Bitters. I also mostly avoid drug company bottle as to me they tend to be more medicines. This may be an odd distinction as a regular druggist carried a medicine too. I also collect pontiled sodas so love when one has druggist on it.

For my original question on pontiled druggist I leave to open as far as the embossing. If not marked “druggist†it should come from a known druggist or is in a typical druggist shape (that is harder with bottles of this age). I still count my pontiled GEORGE COSTER MOBILE bottle as a Druggist as this was an early Mobile druggist located on Dauphin street.

Mainly I wanted to see some of the excellent pontiled druggist that must be floating around and make sure my pontiled druggist wish list is accurate. If there are no known Arkansas pontiled druggist, no need to keep looking for one. Then again one never knows what some digger will turn up…

Oh, I forgot about bottles embossed "Dr.". Sometimes those tend to be prescription medicine type bottles, other times more patent medicine. Go ahead and include them.
 

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