Removing paint from a stoneware bottle

[chosi]

I recently bought this nice stoneware bottle debossed "ARNY & SHINN, SUPERIOR MEADE" (circa 1860 from Washington DC). The only bad thing is, somebody had painted it green with red flowers. Only the top part of the bottle still has the paint on it. I'm wondering what I can do to remove the paint, but not damage the bottle. Is rubbing it with paint remover safe to try? Any other suggestions?

 

[JOETHECROW]

I've used paint remover and even brake fluid in a pinch.....Neither one will hurt the fired on ceramic glaze.....Just be careful of your exsposed skin, and other surfaces, and rinse well when finished to neutralize the chemicals..... Joe

 

[NYCFlasks]

Paint remover/stripper will do it, with no harm to the stoneware bottle. Collected stoneware for nearly 40 years, and have stripped a few in my time.

 

[chosi]

Someone from my bottle club suggested acetone, so I went with nail polish, which lists acetone as the first ingredient.
It worked out well, although it may have taken a little bit more elbow-grease than paint remover would have required.

I had to use Q-tips and tooth-pics to dig the paint out of the debossed letters. But I'm happy with the results, and it doesn't appear that I did any damage to the bottle.

 

[crozet86]

Looks great Chosi you did a great job....also very nice bottle.

 

[Lordbud]

That paint looks like it was painted on there as a way for the proprietor to recognize his bottles from amongst many brought back to him for the deposit. The paint was original in my opinion, and if anyone knows otherwise please correct me. Soda bottles often had the bases painted for easy identification as to the proprietor. Wouldn't be much of a stretch to think tops on stoneware beverage containers would be painted to easily identify their proprietor and bottle owner, when bottles were returned to the bottling HQ.

 

[chosi]

I disagree that the paint was original. Here's my argument:
1) The debossed name "ARNY & SHINN" would have indicated ownership of the bottle
2) They were in business from circa-1855 until 1871, and there weren't many bottlers in Washington DC back then, so there wasn't much competition to be stealing bottles (I know that in the later 1800s the opposite is true, and I've seen many articles in the historic Washington Post about bottlers suing each other because of using each others bottles)
3) I have another bottle just like it, but it says "ARNY & SHINN / SUPERIOR / ROOT BEER", and there is no sign of paint on that bottle.
4) The paint had little flowers on it - would that have been a good advertisement for mead in the 1850s/1860s?


Also, did they have deposits on bottles back then? The earliest evidence I've seen on a bottle deposit is on an 1890s receipt, where the bottler paid 1/13th of a penny for every bottle returned.

 

[Lordbud]

From another thread:
I was digging into the floor of an old part of the boiler house when hit metal plates on floor I manage to lift one and it was like Alladin finding his treasure there was rows and rows of Ginger beers all green tops and red tops and blue tops all different companies as well as Gilbert Rae GBs and Guiness stouts,...see here:
https://www.antique-bottles.net/forum/1977-Find-of-a-Lifetime/m-93718/tm.htm

 

[Lordbud]

from the same thread:

"grand total of 3000 ginger beers with Green tops,"...

 

[GuntherHess]

Also, did they have deposits on bottles back then? The earliest evidence I've seen on a bottle deposit is on an 1890s receipt, where the bottler paid 1/13th of a penny for every bottle returned.

I dont know much about beverage bottles but return payments were paid for early medicine bottles. For instance Perry Davis Company offered 1 cent (I think that was the amount) on Davis Pain Killer empty bottles returned. Not saying this is relevant to you discussion per se, just an interesting point.

edit..
yes 1 cent, I looked it up , see the back label,,,
http://www.antiquemedicines.com/MedicineNexus/D/davisLabels.jpg