DATING ACL SODA BOTTLES ... (PART I)

[SODAPOPBOB]

NOTE : In the event you happen to be online as I am creating this thread, please hold off posting replies until it is done. It may include as many as a dozen pages initionally, and I would like for them to follow in sequence if possible. I will indicate on the last page when I'm done. And please bare with me as the edit feature may mess me up from time to time, which I will not be able to correct without posting a separate page regarding it. The toughest part of a project like this is the editing, and promise again to do my best. When editing I only have about five minutes per page to make corrections.

Thank you,

SODAPOPBOB



~ DATING ACL (Applied Color Label) SODA BOTTLES ~


Recently I noticed a number of new members coming on board and thought some dating information may be of help to them. Whenever possible I will include an accompaning photo to better explain the oftentimes difficult text. Plus I wish to say right from the start that what follows is based on my own personal experiences as I know it, and openly admit that some of it may be subject to interpretation and debate. Thus I will try my best to keep with the basics. I sub-titled it "Part I" because I feel it will eventually be followed up with a more complete and comprehensive "Part II."

For starters here are a few words (see attachment below) about the hobby of collecting acls, plus a brief explaination of the ACL process itself ...

The process of applying an adhesive paint to soda bottles was first introduced around 1934. But it did not become immediately popular until a few years later when bottlers were finally able to switch over to the necessary equipment to accomplish this new invention. Plus it took a while to gain in popularity. The Coca Cola Company did not start using it until around 1957. Which I suspect one reason was because they had so many thousands upon thousands of the embossed contour/hobble skirt bottles in the market place that it must have been quite a transition to switch over to the new process. Plus I secretly think Coca Cola was old fashioned and just held off as long as they could. But there are many thousands of other companies that jumped on the idea right away and their amazing bottles are both collected and treasured today by collectors like myself and numerous others who also call Antique-Bottles.net "Home." So hopefully this will do for an introduction, and please be reminded there are volumes of books and internet sites with more specific information on the subject of dating and collecting acl soda bottles.

I'll be back shortly with more. Thanks for stopping by for a look.

SPB

By Cecil Muncey from ACL Collecting book.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Page two ...

I failed to mention on page one there is no way I will be able to include the dating information of every bottle maker and their various dating codes, etc. That would require a lot more talent and time than I have. So with this said I will just focus on the more commonly known glass bottle makers like Owens-Illinois and a few others. Most of the Acls in my personal collection (and those of most acls) are from the more familiar glass makers anyway. So I will stick with those for the time being. (And please be reminded this is not intended to be a complete history of the bottle makers themselves, but rather with the dating of their various acl bottles).

Starting with the afore mentioned ...

~ OWENS-ILLINOIS GLASS COMPANY ~

Most Owens-Illinois bottles can be easily identified by their familiar mark that looks something like this ... <( )> (Which can be created on any keyboard). Of course on the bottles themselves this symbol will have various numbers connected with it. Which we will discuss in more detail shortly. The attachment below is pretty self explainatory. Please study it for a moment while I take a little break. Thanks. SPB []

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Page Three ...

Before continuing I feel it appropriate to acknowledge the book where I "borrowed" some of the images above and a few others to follow. Most (if not all) of the additional photos to follow will be from bottles in my personal collection.

If you don't already have this book I highly recommend it. I believe a Fourth Edition is in the works, but I have no information on it's current status. I personally consider it to be the "Best of the Best" of the acl collecting books ever published!

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Page Four ...

Just for the record I would like to include this photo from the base of an early Owens-Illinois bottle. You likely won't find it on any acls, as it was only used from 1919 thru 1929. Remember, the acl process wasn't introduced until 1934.

Owens-Illinois early symbol ... An "O" in a square ... 1919-1929

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Page Five ...

From Acl book again ... Owens-Illinois bottling plant locations with corresponding dates of operation.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Page Five ...

Now this gets into the tricky part that may be subject to debate. But from everything I know about dating Owens-Illinois bottles, I personally believe the following to be true and correct. As seen in the image on Page Two ... it depends on where the numbers are located as to their meaning.

For example a typical Owens-Illinois bottle will look something like this ...

21 <(I)> 52

With the main focus of our interest being on the 52 ... which in this case means the bottle was made in 1952. Other bottles will have other dates. The 21 would be for a specific bottling plant number.

However, prior to the 1950s the mark would look something like this ...2 <( )> 6.

Notice that the six has a dot next to it. I know for certain it does not mean 1956. And have every good reason to believe it represents a 1946 bottle.

And then there is the mark that looks similar but does not have a dot. Which would be for a 1936 bottle. And looks something like this ... 7 <( )> 6

Also note on the above symbols the absence of the 'I' in the center circle. I am not 100% sure when the 'I' was first introduce, nor if it is or is not on all of the earlier acls. This will have to remain the topic of another discussion. But I honestly believe it is not of major significance here anyway.

Here's an example of a 6. (dot) acl bottle base ... indicating a 1946 acl. Notice the name Duraglas that (if I am using the correct term) 'merged' with Owens-Illinois around 1940. (The 6. may look like a 5. but under a magnafying glass it looks more like a 6. ... (irrelevant either way).

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Page Six ... (Done for now ... with more to follow this week).

And here we have a ( not too clear ... but please take my word for it [] ) example of a Owens-Illinois bottle from 1935. Notice there is no dot. And I know this is a 1935 acl because it is on the base of a (slender) amber 7up bottle that was only made in the 1930s. (I believe only from 1935 to maybe 1937).

Anyway, I am getting a little blurry eyed from all of this and will continue with it over the next few days. My next installments will focus on what I know about the Lauren Glass Works ... Glenshaw Glass Co., and possibly a few others.

I hope all have found this to be both informative as well as "Fun" ... which is my main hope.

~ ALL COMMENTS WELCOME ~

This is a learning process, and I am completely open minded!

Thanks ... SPBOB

1935 7up acl (Base)

 

[morbious_fod]

Nice thread you got Soda, but you need to deal with the O I of the late 1950's and forward. Some interesting variations on the date code there. The earlier "non I" symbols are most likely due to the mold, it should have the symbol with the I and instead of straight across they should be in a v shape. Great article keep it up, and move on to the Chattanoogas, I'm still waiting to learn how to interpret those from 1930 forward. I think you are on to something with this thread, keep up the good work.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Morb ~

Thanks for the advice. And please feel free to share with us what you currently know regarding the Chattanooga bottles. That area is more than just a little confusing to me personally.

Also, please post a photo example of that so called "V" symbol you mentioned. And perhaps a brief explaination of what you mean by "straight across." I'm not exactly sure what you mean by that. Are you talking about something like this ... <(V)> ... or this ... < I /> ... or something else entirely?

Thanks,

SPBOB

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

OWENS-ILLINOIS SUMMARIZATION ... (So Far)


1. Early Mark ... On embossed / Non Acls ... A capital "O" in a box = 1919 thru 1929

2. 1930s ... (example) ... 2 <(I)> 5 No Dot = 1935

3. 1940s ... (example ... 3 <(I)> 8. With Dot = 1948

4. 1950s ... (example) ... 12 <(I)> 54 Double Digit = 1954

Note: I have acls in my collection that "appear" not to have an "I" in the center like this ... <( )> But based on Morb's comments this could very well be a mis-stamped mold problem.