Funny mark on ink...Wha?

[neenerz]

I have this little flask that I was told is a penny ink from Great Britain. It has some funny marks on both sides that I can't identify. Could be weird mold impressions, or vent marks, or tool marks...? I tried to capture them in photos, not easy. They are hole-punch sized marks at the center bottom of the body on both sides, irregularly shaped, and with a matte finish to them.

 

[neenerz]

Here's the other side (though I'm not sure you could tell the difference). I think what I'm managing to pick up in the photo is the mark on the opposite side through the bottle.

 

[coboltmoon]

Sound like snap case mold marks.

 

[cyberdigger]

..either snap case marks or somebody screamed "OUCH" reeeally loud!! []

 

[RED Matthews]

Hello nnenerz, coboltmoon and cyberdigger They could be vent marks but because of the small bottle size, I doubt it. Possible you could make a rubbing ot the mark that would help. They used to make vents by drilling a hole and inserting a dowel of mold metal that had been filed lengthwise with flats (usually three). When the dowel was driven into the hole air could pass through the flats and out the back of the mold where a smaller hole went to the outside.
I have placed a bottle in the featured section of my homepage that had two square key locks on the bottom of the bottle, where the mold closed around a bottom post. I am sure that they are vent devices also.
RED Matthews

 

[RED Matthews]

Here is a picture of that mold bottom. Has anyone seen these squares before?
RED Matthews

 

[neenerz]

Rubbing follows. The first row is four of one side, the second row is four of the other side. It kind of looks like my little bottle has ringworm.

The fact that they appear on both sides of the bottle makes me think it was part of the process, as in snap case marks. Interesting, I don't think I've ever seen anything like this on an ink before (but then I'm kinda new at this).

 

[RED Matthews]

Hi, Thanks for the rubbings, I am sure they represent dowel vents with flats on the dowels. Neat marks. RED Matthews

 

[neenerz]

Thanks! Wow, that's so cool that you just looked at my scan and knew what it was. I'm so impressed!

I searched the BLM bottle site for "dowel" and "vent" but couldn't find any reference to that process (I could just be missing it). I'd really love to know how that works and, hopefully, related bottle dating info.

Thanks, Red!