Mason nov 30th 1858 marking on bottom?

[countryfree]

I have purchased this jar at an auction for $2.00. I collect fruit jars. This one has a marking on the bottom that I never seen. It has an"H" in dots. And thats it. I heard of repos and i hope this ain't one.
I want to add a picture but its too large. i do not know how to make it smaller

 

[jarsnstuff]

You'll be happy to know there are no repros with the marking on the base that you describe. It's hard to say exactly what you have without a photo - but repro it's not. -Tammy

 

[countryfree]

Here is a picture

 

[countryfree]

Hoping someone can help me with what the dots mean in a shape of an H.
Thanks

 

[capsoda]

Welcome to the forum Jan. I have never seen that type of marking on a fruit jar before but there some folks on the forum that are alot more knowledgable than I am about fruit jars.

 

[bobclay]

Hi countryfree,

Dots on the base of jars were used as mould identifyers. "Usually" jars having some sort of dot pattern on them are machine made, have smooth lips and have a valve mark from the machine that made it also on the base maybe about the size of a nickel. Many of the Ball MASON and Root MASON jars produced at Terre Haute, IN also have dots on their base.

"Most" of the machine made Mason's Patent Nov 30th 1858 jars were produced by Ball from the late 1890s up to about 1910 I think. Machine made jars have mould identifyers in the form of letters, numbers or dots so that the operators of the machines would know which moulds produced which jars, since there were several moulds in operation simultaneously. This would allow them to make corrective actions to the proper places on the machinery if defects were found running consistently on any particular jar. Prior to machine made jars, handmade jars often have numbers on their base too, so that the blowing crews (mould boys, gatherers and blowers) could keep track of how many containers they produced in a shift. They were paid by the number of usuable containers they could produce and each crew used different numbers, so it was easy to calculate the number produced, and their pay, at the end of the day.

bobclay

 

[countryfree]

Thanks alot for the welcome and the information. I just love this site I am glad I found it. I am finding so much information.
Thanks Alot!!!