EARLIEST "CROWN TOP" SODA BOTTLES 1892 - 1900

[SODABOB]

Hey, Brent

Please don't take this wrong, but you might have opened a can of worms with your Crown-top Torpedo bottle. The reason I say that is because ...

1. Most of them are foreign made
2. An indication of a foreign Crown-top is the "Slop" below the Crown
3. The "Slop" is the result of the Crown being "Applied" after the body was formed
4. Which takes us back to where Crown-top bottles originated - Europe or the United States?

Torpedo Bottle - Very likely foreign made

Torpedo Crown finish with "Slop-over"

 

[BrentC]

I don't know if this will help with the crown top torpedo bottles. Here are some pics of one I have with a label.

Brent C

 

[embe]

Wow, that's pretty cool

 

[UncleBruce]

It is interesting that they would continue to use a "ROUND BOTTOM" torpedo for a crown top. I guess they didn't trust that cork in the cap think it would dry out. Could have been easier to continue using this shape in lieu of change.

 

[BrentC]

Wow, that's pretty cool

I lucked out with this one. It was in a box of bottles I bought a few weeks ago for $5.

Brent

 

[SODABOB]

Brent

Beautiful bottle - Thanks for sharing it. The closeup of the Crown appears to show some of the "Slop" that I referred to earlier. If it is "Slop" that I see, its highly likely the bottle was made in Europe, with England (Great Britain) being the most likely source.

This ad is from a 1909 issue of the American Bottler magazine. Notice that "Bull Ginger Ale" is from Belfast, Ireland. Also notice where it says Max Rosenheim "has been on the market for 12 years." if we deduct 12 years from 1909, that means he entered the market in 1887. So its possible that your bottle is earlier than 1909. But, if it is earlier than 1909, its hard to say how much earlier without knowing more about it.

 

[BrentC]

Brent

Beautiful bottle - Thanks for sharing it. The closeup of the Crown appears to show some of the "Slop" that I referred to earlier. If it is "Slop" that I see, its highly likely the bottle was made in Europe, with England (Great Britain) being the most likely source.

This ad is from a 1909 issue of the American Bottler magazine. Notice that "Bull Ginger Ale" is from Belfast, Ireland. Also notice where it says Max Rosenheim "has been on the market for 12 years." if we deduct 12 years from 1909, that means he entered the market in 1887. So its possible that your bottle is earlier than 1909. But, if it is earlier than 1909, its hard to say how much earlier without knowing more about it.



View attachment 213326

You are absolutely amazing finding out info on these bottles. Thank you. There is quite a bit of slop where the top was applied. Hopefully this pic gives a better angle.

 

[SODABOB]

Brent

Thanks for the pic - looks like slop to me. Applied finish bottles with slop are very rarely seen on bottles made in the U.S.

However ...

The Bull Ginger Ale story doesn't end in England. I don't know the date of this particular label, but I did a little research on Peter Schille. He operated a bottling plant in Columbus, Ohio starting in the late 1800s, and at one time used Hutchinson bottles. The label appears to indicate that Schille signed up with Max Rosenheim to bottle and distribute Bull Ginger Ale in Columbus. I suspect there were other American bottles who did as well.

This link is to a 2011 forum thread and has quite a bit of information about Peter Schille

https://www.antique-bottles.net/threads/info-value-on-a-bottle.407589/

 

[SODABOB]

Speaking of British made bottles ...

Although I can't say for certain, some of the bottles in this 1892 ad look suspiciously similar to Crown-top bottles. At first I thought some of them were depicted with corks and/or stoppers, but now I'm not sure. The torpedo bottle at the bottom is definitely blob - but what about the others?

Double-click on the image and it will expand. And then click again for super-zoom

 

[SODABOB]

In case the double-clicker quits working. Its these bottles that I am the most curious about - especially the one on the right. Crown-top or something else?