Green Union Flask

Welcome to our Antique Bottle community

Be a part of something great, join today!

sandchip

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2008
Messages
5,295
Reaction score
1,161
Points
113
Location
Georgia
No cracks or chips. Other than that, I wouldn't know much about grading a bottle.

It's smaller than the quart.

You'd want to look for things like any haze (doesn't appear to have any staining), open bubbles, high-point wear. Although you mentioned there are no chips, feel of the bottle all over, especially top, base edges, embossing, etc. for any roughness which might be small flakes/chips or open bubbles. It's amazing how little spots of damage can hide from the eyes, mine at least.

Don't have much to judge from but it looks like a half-pint.

Really nice looking flask.
 

sandchip

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2008
Messages
5,295
Reaction score
1,161
Points
113
Location
Georgia
Looked at the charts and I'm pretty sure yours is a GXII-33.
 

wcubed

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2019
Messages
48
Reaction score
1
Points
7
Beautiful bottle! How is the condition?

Here are some hopefully better pictures.

4 closed bubbles, 3 on the right shoulder with the biggest one looking like it goes up into the neck (it's possible the one which is lower than the others and really just above the stars is slightly open on the inside of the bottle but I have no way to tell), and one on the left shoulder above the stars, and one closed bubble below a wing.
1103191931.jpg
1103191931a.jpg
1103191932.jpg

Then there appears to be a v shaped open bubble on the inside of the neck (as evidenced by a little storage grime in the crevices)
1103191932a.jpg
1103191933.jpg

I can't see any other condition issues.
 
Last edited:

saratogadriver

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
Messages
1,406
Reaction score
250
Points
83
Location
Vermont
None of those appear to me to be condition issues. In the fussy world of higher end bottles open bubbles on the outside of the bottle are now considered a defect, despite the fact that the dude who blew the bottle clearly felt they passed quality control. And that color is definitely better than a $200 bottle. Nice green. can you confirm if it's pint or half pint? My experience (I mostly collect inks so use salt shaker here) is that the half pints are rarer and therefore worth more than the pints. My guess with that color is that you are looking at value of $400 or more, but again not my area of collecting. Put that up on ebay and someone looking to make a color run is going to want that light but distinct green very badly. Get two bidding and it could go much higher.

Jim G
 

saratogadriver

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
Messages
1,406
Reaction score
250
Points
83
Location
Vermont
Looked at the charts and I'm pretty sure yours is a GXII-33.

That would be the McKearin and Wilson system of classifying flasks. GXII is that particular style of Union flask, and 33 is the specific type that matches. Look for American Bottles and Flasks by McKearin and Wilson and you will find the tables that classify different flasks by form. If you are going to collect the book is an absolute bible of American bottle blowing history that you should own.

Jim G
 

sandchip

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2008
Messages
5,295
Reaction score
1,161
Points
113
Location
Georgia
The 33 is listed as a half-pint. Don't have my charts with me right now, but I don't recall seeing another listing in the Clasped Hands that had the weird shaped little shield near the bottom on the eagle side.
 

wcubed

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2019
Messages
48
Reaction score
1
Points
7
None of those appear to me to be condition issues. In the fussy world of higher end bottles open bubbles on the outside of the bottle are now considered a defect, despite the fact that the dude who blew the bottle clearly felt they passed quality control. And that color is definitely better than a $200 bottle. Nice green. can you confirm if it's pint or half pint? My experience (I mostly collect inks so use salt shaker here) is that the half pints are rarer and therefore worth more than the pints. My guess with that color is that you are looking at value of $400 or more, but again not my area of collecting. Put that up on ebay and someone looking to make a color run is going to want that light but distinct green very badly. Get two bidding and it could go much higher.

Jim G

Yes, it is a half pint.
 

Members online

Latest threads

Forum statistics

Threads
83,216
Messages
742,899
Members
24,229
Latest member
TracyPecora
Top