Cobalt Poisons ??

[NewbieBottler]

Hi there.....Are these poison bottles? The two largest have
W T & Co on bottom with a 2 on largest & 3 on next largest.
The two smaller have what might be improved pontils.
No other embossing and no labels and no clue for me as to what
these were used for. They all have a blank space where a label
must have been at one point. Any info on their use or value would be
greatly appreciated. []

 

[GuntherHess]

Are these poison bottles?

No, those are really nice poisons.[]

They are made by Whitall Tatum Co. They do not have pontil marks, they are late 19th century.

 

[capsoda]

I agree, really nice poisons.[]

 

[GuntherHess]

The hobnails are a dead givaway , just one of the methods poison bottles allowed customers to tell it was a poison without seeing the label.

 

[Oldtimer]

Dont get upset..but the pic is an aweful nice pic...Have we been "punked"? A PERFECT set of hobnail cobalts...? And He don't know? Lol...I mean no harm if I am wrong...I just wanna toss it out there..Nice bottles![]

 

[YoemeNdee]

Hello and good morning everyone. I'm am really new at this, so forgive me, but were such bottles really used to store poison, or are they called that for any other reason. Thanks for helping me learn more.
Fran

 

[NewbieBottler]

Hi......No, I truly wasn't sure if they were poisons. So nope, no
punking here! Secondly, I'm a she, not a he. [] I'm still in
the learning stages, reading books and trying my hand at selling
my brother's collection dug back in the 60's.

Speaking of selling these poison bottles, would it be better to sell them
individually or as a group? They're all in great condition except the 2nd
biggest which has a small chip on the lip.

I'm still confused about pontil marks...how do you tell on the two
smaller ones if they're pontiled or not? I appreciate all your help!! []

 

[Oldtimer]

Well, then I am sorry! You take extrodinary pictures..and the poisions are sweet! I think they are "english" and not American, am I right?
A true open pontil will be a jagged ring on the bottom, the crude ones will cut you. Later on they used "improved pontils" that left rough but non sharp rings either rust colored or grey colored..and some seem to have been textured like "sand"...It takes some study to ID some of the improved pontils...sometimes people "wash" the iron residue away thinking its dirt..
And, sometimes an Open Pontil was "refired" which melted it into a smoother less dangerous piece. As value runs, generally speaking, the crude jagged busted looking open pontils are the ones collectors want...though some west coast (USA) impoved pontils can be quite valuable..
You won't mistake an open pontil, it's a hard thing to miss.

What else you got?[]

 

[NewbieBottler]

Hi! Thanks for the compliment on the photos, Old Timer! []
As to what else I have, wow! I wish I knew! The embossed ones
are easy....it's the others that I wonder about.

I'll be listing a Congress & Empire Water bottle tonight and the
bottom, to my novice eye, looks like a sand pontil. It has the
slightly bumpy finish & a raised dimple. Can someone confirm my guess...
or set me straight? [8|]

Thanks again! []

 

[Oldtimer]

Need a pic of the CE water from a bit further away...can't tell for certain..