New Orleans Bottle with Seal

[BeachComber]

Hello all,

I've recently found this bottle on a dive. It is about 12 inches tall and does not seem to be very old (maybe 1880). However, it has a glass seal on it that I have never seen before. The seal is embossed with "E.I HART & Co / IMPS / N. Orleans". Has anyone ever seen this bottle? Does anyone have any info such as the date, what IMPS means and value? Thanks for looking!

 

[BeachComber]

The Seal

 

[BeachComber]

The Base

 

[baltbottles]

If I was going to bet I would say IMPs stands for Importers. your bottle looks to be some form of liquor bottle so they likely imported liquors or spirits. Hard to tell the age but likely late 1850s-to early 1860s. Its probably a very scarce New Orleans bottle.

Chris

 

[botlguy]

I tend to agree with Chris, I would check this out thoroughly before disposing of it. N.O. stuff seems to be highly collectible. Nice piece.

 

[epackage]

+1

 

[sandchip]

Sharp looking bottle.

 

[surfaceone]

ORIGINAL: BeachComber

The Seal

Hello BeachComber,

I really like this one. Thanks for showing us.

"E.J. HART & Co., 79 Tchoupi
toulas street N.O., Wholesale
Dealers in Groceries, Wines, Li-
quors, Teas, Spices, &c. Sulphate
Quinine, and Staple Drugs by the
Package or Case, Colman's Patent
Undulatory Corn Mill." DeBow's Review, 1852.

They were part of the Importers Committee, cited <<< there.

There's an interesting E.J. Hart & Co. ad about halfway down the first column, Beaumont News-Beacon,1873 <<< which I think relates to a bottle of stephengray's https://www.antique-bottles.net/forum/m-330158/mpage-1/key-/tm.htm#330161

 

[cacarpetbagger]

Nice find, good early bottle.

 

[BeachComber]

Hi everyone! Thanks for the feedback and information on the bottle! Very useful information.

Surfaceone - Thanks for the links and the ads. Very interesting indeed!

This is the very first N.O bottle that I've ever found!