Lincoln Clarke's Reproduction?????..help!

[abottleman59]

Hello there,
Does anyone know if this particular bottle was reproduced and retailed recently?
I bought this light cobalt 7-3/8" medicine the other day. " LINCOLN CLARKE'S WORLD FAMED BLOOD MIXTURE"
After examining it, something was not right. First, the color was strange...too translucent for cobalt and the entire bottom was flat stamped from seam to seam and had small numbers "13301". The side seams go to the top of the shoulders, but the neck and lip seem to be too smooth. It was advertised as a "tooled lip" Also, the embossed lettering is flawless. Although, the bottle weighs pretty good - it is not light for its size.

Can anyone tell me something about vintage bottle reproduction characteristics or even shed some light on this potential fake????? CURIOUS!!!!
Please forward any information to prove or disprove my theory. Maybe some of you have a Clarkes? I am in the process of purchasing some bottle referencing books to learn more about what I have collected.
I appreciate your help and interest,
Marty

 

[capsoda]

Hey Martin, Welcome to the forum. The bottle looks authentic from your pic but I am not absolutely sure. I can't find a listing but I haven't heard anything about a fake or ropro of it either. Could you post a pic of the bottom and the lip. It has a nice mixed batch change color like they were going from a cobalt to an aqua batch.

 

[deepbluedigger]

Hi Marty,
Your bottle is not a fake.
It's a good and completely genuine and antique example of what is in Britain a fairly common medicine (the Lincoln referred to on the bottle is Lincoln in England, only an hours drive from where I live now).
Clarke was a very successful proprietor of several patent medicines including his Blood Mixture. He also sold 'Miraculous Salve' ointment, in small transfer printed earthenware pots. He made so much money that he established a large hospital in Lincoln, and was a prominent citizen (I think he even became the mayor of the town back in the 1880s, but I might be remembering that wrong). The hospital only closed down in the past few decades, and about ten years ago was converted into appartments, with homes built in the grounds.
Your bottle dates to about 1890 - 1915. They turn up in all shades of blue, from your pale cobalt example right through to very dark cobalt. After about 1915 - 20 these bottles are found in aqua glass only, and the company went bust between the two World Wars. The numbers on the base are a bottle makers mold number. There is also a huge cylindrical shaped half-gallon type, in both aqua and blue.
Hope this helps.
Jerry

 

[GuntherHess]

I see those bottles for sale in antique shops often. It has a charactoristic 'English bottle' style and color to it. There were subtle but identifiable differences between glassmaking in Britain and the USA at that time. You can often identify a British medicine without even seeing the embossing.

As far as fakes/repros go...fakes/repros of medicine bottles are pretty far and few between except for obvious stuff like Frank's Safe Cure..