new to the forum & looking for some help

[bluegrassfan76]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the group but have been slowly collecting soda bottles for several years. I got started when out squirrel hunting years ago I found an old junk pile in a ravine out in the woods and among all of the old junk I found some old soda bottles. Well, that got me started on my journey and now I will on occasion pick up a bottle here or there at an antique store or auction. I really don't have a real large collection, I think around 140 or so including more that I have found out in the woods, some I've purchased on ebay, and some that others have purchased for me. Earlier this week I went to an auction that had quite a few soda bottles and I happened to bid on two five gallon buckets of misc. bottles and jars. I found a couple old jars/bottles that caught my eye even though they weren't soda bottles but I have no idea what they are and am hoping some of you folks may have an idea. The one I will add pics of to this post is a large clear bottle with a tree on each side and what seemed a little odd to my wife and I is the fact that above the tree on one side it says, "federal law forbids sale or re-use of this bottle." What's up with that and what was this used for originally? I'm guessing alcohol but I'm not sure. Thanks for allowing me to post and join up with some fellow collectors and thanks for any ideas or thoughts! MIKE

 

[Robby Raccoon]

Looks like a much nicer version of a 1900s alcohol bottle. This one may be 1951. Small label would have been slapped on either side beneath the roots, it looks like. Most are worthless, but this one may hold some collector ideal due to the trees embossed so fully. I have only one nice Federal Law Prohibits Sale or Reuse of This Bottle type of bottle. Most just get recycled. Nice piece for decoration.

 

[logueb]

Nice embossing on that whiskey bottle. The "Federal Law Prohibits the Sale and Reuse Of This Bottle" was embossed on alcoholic beverage bottles from 1935 to 1964. During Prohibition there was a lot of moonshining going on. This was to discourage the reuse of these bottles for untaxed whiskey. Hope this helps. Buster

 

[bluegrassfan76]

Thanks for the helpful replies, I was guessing it was an alcoholic bottle and the warning was supposed to discourage any illegal activity. I actually got another one at that auction but it is just a plain brown bottle with the warning embossed on it. No fancy design or anything. MIKE