Hi, I'm new to the forum (and antique bottle collecting). I recently acquired a few antique bottles from my mother. I never really paid too much attention to them, but I was helping her go through some stuff to give to Goodwill and pitch out, and she was going to actually throw some bottles away. I decided to keep them and do some research, because I had recently read an article about a guy who digs up antique bottles out of old outhouses. Some can have value to collector's, so it seemed stupid to just throw them away. I did a little digging online, but I couldn't find much information. I really know absolutely nothing about bottle collecting, so it has been kind of frustrating. I guess that is why I came here to ask for some help.
The biggest bottle had a cork that disintegrated, but it still has some of it's original contents. It is some sort of a white flaky substance, almost pearlescent. My mother said that this one came out of an old collapsed mine shaft in Sparland, IL. I had been out there when I was younger, but I never looked for or collected bottles. I guess after it rains, old botles and such wash out of the shaft. When she found it (I think maybe 11 years ago) the cork was still intact, and the contents inside were actually fluid. The cork has since disintegrated and the fluid inside dried up. It says 877 followed by a 3 further down on the bottom.
The other one with a cork, she can't remember, but she thinks it came from the mine as well. It doesn't have any contents, but it does have an old gnarly cork that is actually inside the bottle. She doesn't remember if the cork was properly in it or not. From what I can tell, I'm guessing it probably was, but after years of sitting in a bin, it probably dried and fell in. It says Larkin Co Inc on the bottle, and on the very bottom it says 805 I believe (the 0 is inside a square).
The last one I'm guessing came from the mine as well (it looks in about the same condition as the bigger bottle) and maybe has some of the prior contents dried inside. My mom has no idea where it came from. I'm guessing it was a medicine bottle because it has cc measurments on it. On the other side of the bottle are measurements in some format that I'm not familiar with. There is a weird symbol on that side that I took a closer picture of. On the bottom it has an N above a 3.
Anyway, I could be absolutely wrong about the other two bottles. I know for sure that the bigger bottle came out of the mine. I have no idea on the age of the bottles, so I apologize if I placed them in the wrong forum. I'm assuming they are from before the turn of the century because that mine-shaft is really, really old.
Thanks for any help in advance! [
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The biggest bottle had a cork that disintegrated, but it still has some of it's original contents. It is some sort of a white flaky substance, almost pearlescent. My mother said that this one came out of an old collapsed mine shaft in Sparland, IL. I had been out there when I was younger, but I never looked for or collected bottles. I guess after it rains, old botles and such wash out of the shaft. When she found it (I think maybe 11 years ago) the cork was still intact, and the contents inside were actually fluid. The cork has since disintegrated and the fluid inside dried up. It says 877 followed by a 3 further down on the bottom.
The other one with a cork, she can't remember, but she thinks it came from the mine as well. It doesn't have any contents, but it does have an old gnarly cork that is actually inside the bottle. She doesn't remember if the cork was properly in it or not. From what I can tell, I'm guessing it probably was, but after years of sitting in a bin, it probably dried and fell in. It says Larkin Co Inc on the bottle, and on the very bottom it says 805 I believe (the 0 is inside a square).
The last one I'm guessing came from the mine as well (it looks in about the same condition as the bigger bottle) and maybe has some of the prior contents dried inside. My mom has no idea where it came from. I'm guessing it was a medicine bottle because it has cc measurments on it. On the other side of the bottle are measurements in some format that I'm not familiar with. There is a weird symbol on that side that I took a closer picture of. On the bottom it has an N above a 3.
Anyway, I could be absolutely wrong about the other two bottles. I know for sure that the bigger bottle came out of the mine. I have no idea on the age of the bottles, so I apologize if I placed them in the wrong forum. I'm assuming they are from before the turn of the century because that mine-shaft is really, really old.
Thanks for any help in advance! [
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