Ready to give up

[vll970]

So here is the story on that german bottle..

I am originally Bulgarian, so on my last visit to Europe, I decided to visit this really popular open market for antiques. It's quite impressive, right in front of the national cathedral, which has three enormous golden domes. It apparently took 4 tons of gold to cover the whole thing. Anyhow, there is a market that looks much like a farmers market but instead of tomatos and peppers, they sell everything from antique coins to all kinds of USSR and nazi collectibles. I think you guys would have really appreciated the place.
So I wanted to get some bottles but then decided against it as they would have probably broken in my luggage on a 5,000 mile trip. Then I saw this old guy selling german stuff and there it was... I have seen many similar little flasks before, much more prominent in countries in Europe than in the US. HOWEVER, the really unique thing about this bottle is the fact that all of the German reich insignia is present at the same time. Typically there is either the eagle or the year with the swastika or maybe just "deutsche reich" and the year. As I knew this, I asked the guy if he knew anything more about it and he did say that in his 30 years in the business, he had only seen one more like it. The others, although fairly common, still cost about $50-80. He gave me a deal on this one since I bought a few other things - presents for people in the States.
Oh, and I forgot to mention, it isn't a pill bottle. It's a machine gun oil flask. It actually still has some of the oil in it.
As much as I find it unique and interesting, I also find it quite disturbing and creepy.
The demijohn is actually my great grandmother's. She was born in 1898 and lived to be 103. My mom now uses as a vase.. I wish I could bring it back home to the US with me.
I would love to know what you think about the Burnett bottle, as well as that really dark green no embossing bottle. ANY info on ANY of them would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JGUIS]

Wow, I guess I was late to this party. See how arguments go when mature people are involved? I applaud you both. Victoria, you've got a great start, it's all down to getting dirty now. As far as island digging, I'm clueless. I have learned a few things that started as misconceptions on my part, when I first started digging. One is about vacants. Digging them isn't or ever was legal without permission. The reason they were dug is because "most" of the time, it's neglected. The owner lives out of town, they don't do anything productive with the property, so most people don't pay attention to weather someone is supposed to be there or not. It's different around here. People will walk up onto private property and ask me what I'm doing. They won't own it, know the owner, or me, but think it's their god given right to know what I'm up to. Just extremely nosey around here. If I think I can use them for a dig, I'll talk, sometimes I just tell them to beat feet. For the most part, I guess it depends on where you are in the US, but vacants were the first targets after civil war sites from what I know. I do dig them if they haven't been dug, but they are few and far between. As far as dumps go, I have to agree with the map theory to a point. If a map in 1859 showed an empty lot behind Main St, and it showed empty again in 1875, and I went there tomorrow and found that the empty lot is a hillside dropping into a creek, I'd dig. If it was a 100 acre farm 3 miles outside of town in 1859, and again in 1875, and tomorrow proves it to be in the middle of a subdivision, I'll pass. The larger congregation of people in the dates you're looking for, and undeveloped land in the middle of those congregations should always produce dumps of some sorts. As for probing privies in hard rocky ground, it should be easier when you slip into the buttery goodness of a poo layer. I know probing here in the summer can make you look stupid sometimes, like riding the probe down to your face when you're not expecting to be in a hole.[] Keep at it, we all got discouraged at some point, that's what's wrong with most of us now.[8D]

 

[lexdigger]

The dark green bottle with no embossing, the one you're holding up to the light, is a black glass ale. It was blown in a three piece mold. Even though it's unembossed and not worth alot of money, it is still a nice bottle. When we dig those we know we're getting into some good age. Alot of them were made over in Europe and shipped to the U.S.
The small Burnett bottle is an extract. We dig them pretty regularly. Here's a slightly older version than the one you have. They aren't a popular category for collecting, but some extracts have interesting names and embossing.

 

[aridice53]

If you live near the coast, one good way to look for good sites to dig is to drive around in the spring and look across newly plowed field. Sometimes you'll see white pieces of shell strewn across sections of the field. This is a very good indicator of a very old shell/trash pile. Make a note of the location and in the fall after the field is harvested, go back (or sometimes you can dig before it is planted). Most farmers don't care if you dig once the growing season is over. This always worked beautifully for me when I'd go out metal detecting.

Hope this helps a little.

Char

 

[Mike O]

I have heard about a large dump I don't remember if it was on the vineyard or Nantucket. from what I have been told it has been pretty much hammered! I don't think you will have too much luck digging on the islands. The other big problem as you know living there is that the island is shrinking the coast is eroding pretty quickly and I would not be surprised if it has eroded 1 mile or more since the turn of the century, so any banks that were dumped on into the ocean are long since washed away. I think you will have to get on a ferry and come on over to the mainland like others have suggested. I am about 1 1/2 hours drive from like woods hole so come spring / summer if you want to take a drive I would welcome you to come up my way for some digging. I don't really have any great dumps lined up at this point but like everyone else out here I am always looking and you just never know.