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botlguy

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That, my friend, is a PREMIUM bottle. Value it HIGHLY. It's worth a LOT of money. I am quite familiar with that sort of bottle though I have never collected them. (Too rich for my blood). John Thomas , Western Whiskey bottle guru, values it, I believe, in 3 figures. Please give me some time to do some research in my reference books, I'm not at my best this evening. Just know you have a WINNER, hold on to it until you know just how good.
 

Macaco

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botlguy said:
That, my friend, is a PREMIUM bottle. Value it HIGHLY. It's worth a LOT of money. I am quite familiar with that sort of bottle though I have never collected them. (Too rich for my blood). John Thomas , Western Whiskey bottle guru, values it, I believe, in 3 figures. Please give me some time to do some research in my reference books, I'm not at my best this evening. Just know you have a WINNER, hold on to it until you know just how good.
Hi Jim,

You helped me identify the little whiskey top Owl I dug about a year ago. Thanks again for that. I'm looking at it right now on my desk. It has been my favorite bottle. I think the new one takes top spot now. I have a copy of the John Thomas book "A choice list of the most desired older whiskey bottles". I picked up a copy at a used book store a while back. Excellent information on the 'Gold Dust' bottles is in there. There are some good online resources for info on it too. The 'Western Whiskey Gazette' has a good picture of one. I did a search on the newspaper archive site and found out the Van Bergen company was over on Clay St. in San Francisco so it's a true Western Whiskey. I would highly value any more information you can find in your other books. I have dug a bunch more Owls. I'll post some pics soon because I know you like those. Thanks again,Steve
 

CurbdiggerCarl

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I had to search my computer for my password just so I could post this response.I recently dug a Denver whiskey/wine crock that although I'm loving, pales in comparison to your find.Being out here in Denver where, frankly they don't have older whiskeys anywhere near the beauty of that piece.Clarke and Walker, and a couple others, but nothing in that color.You managed to dig a single, individual item that is an actual work of art.Cherish that Puppy!I'd be staring at that bottle, at every angle, and in every type of illumination, for hours on end.I'd come in late to work.Compliments aside, can you give us a date range and brief history of that bottle?When you're done staring?Carl
 

andy volkerts

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You done better than good, that is worth several thousand dollars, the line is a crudity that lots of western whiskey advocates like. That is quite a great bottle to get out of the bay mud. Hang onto it!........
 

botlguy

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I don't have time today to completely go through Thomas' full description but will just add there are 4 versions of the Gold Dust bottles, yours being one of the last two. Check the "PROPS" word looking for the word "AGENTS" being slugged out, the slugged out version is 3rd, non-slugged being 4th and slightly more valuable. These come in Aqua and Clear, the earlier versions also in amber shades but not clear. BTW, my reference is: WHISKEY BOTTLES OF THE OLD WEST, published in 2002 after John's death in 2000.
 

Macaco

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CurbdiggerCarl said:
I had to search my computer for my password just so I could post this response.I recently dug a Denver whiskey/wine crock that although I'm loving, pales in comparison to your find.Being out here in Denver where, frankly they don't have older whiskeys anywhere near the beauty of that piece.Clarke and Walker, and a couple others, but nothing in that color.You managed to dig a single, individual item that is an actual work of art.Cherish that Puppy!I'd be staring at that bottle, at every angle, and in every type of illumination, for hours on end.I'd come in late to work.Compliments aside, can you give us a date range and brief history of that bottle?When you're done staring?Carl
Thanks Carl,It is a nice looking bottle. The neck and the top have a glossy, bluish-aqua, hard candy look. No doubt they sold a lot of bourbon based on the eye appeal of the bottles back then. Here is what John Thomas says about the history of the bottle in his book "A Choice Listing of The Most Desired Older Whiskey Bottles" (1969): 125. GOLD DUST (SOLE PROPS.-SLUGGED)-(ca. early 1880's) A rather
unique bottle because of so many changes in the original John Van
Bergen mold (see No. 123). ”Barkhouse Bros.” was slugged out and
replaced by “N. Van Bergen”. In the area below the circle, “John”
was slugged out and replaced by “N” (see No. 124), and “Agents”
was slugged out and replaced by “Props.” The Van Bergen Company
certainly got very good use out of their original mold. It lasted
at least l5 years. Finally it must have gave out because a new
mold was made. The new mold incorporated some of the new features
in bottle manufacture as it produced bottles that were air vented
at the shoulder and were not very crude. The picture of the horse
on the new bottles was slightly smaller and had longer legs. Only
bottles made with the old mold are covered here. The bottles pro-
duced in the old mold have the glop tops, and come in clear glass,
that will not turn amethyst, or in various light shades of aqua..
There are no slugged out areas on the newer mold; the embossing
is sharp, and bottles from this mold were made in clear glass that
will turn amethyst. The tops are neatly applied. All the bottles
produced in the old mold that say “Sole Props.” seem to occur along
the California coast from Monterey to Trinidad. One was found in
Eureka, California, underneath an old house on Harris Street.
There are about 10 to 15 of the old aqua ones in western collect-
ions, and about 10 of the older clear Version. The clear ones are
usually etched because of reaction with the soil. Aqua-1OO-150-
322-250-300. Clear (older version)-35-45-100-150-175. I gather that mine was blown in the modified mold. Mr. Thomas refers to "Sole Props." embossed at the bottom. Mine is embossed "SOLE PROPTS.". Maybe there are variations. 'N Van Bergen & Co' were on Clay Street in San Francisco. Steve
 

Macaco

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andy volkerts said:
You done better than good, that is worth several thousand dollars, the line is a crudity that lots of western whiskey advocates like. That is quite a great bottle to get out of the bay mud. Hang onto it!........
Thanks Andy.
 

Macaco

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botlguy said:
I don't have time today to completely go through Thomas' full description but will just add there are 4 versions of the Gold Dust bottles, yours being one of the last two. Check the "PROPS" word looking for the word "AGENTS" being slugged out, the slugged out version is 3rd, non-slugged being 4th and slightly more valuable. These come in Aqua and Clear, the earlier versions also in amber shades but not clear. BTW, my reference is: WHISKEY BOTTLES OF THE OLD WEST, published in 2002 after John's death in 2000.

Thanks Jim,"PROPTS." doesn't appear slugged out. Perhaps mine didn't come from a modified mold. Interesting. That would make it the "non-slugged" "4th and slightly more valuable" version. Sounds good to me. Mr. Thomas refers to "Props" and shows it drawn that way in the "Choice Listing" book but mine is embossed "PROPTS." instead. Steve
 

2find4me

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I guess you've probably seen this: EBAYIt is a highly sought after Western Whisky, they are something you only dream of owning, much less digging it out of the ground in that condition!!!!
 

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