Six To Gallon bottle

[NewbieBottleHunter]

Here is another interesting (to me at least) clear glass bottle with distinct evidence of being made in a 3-piece mold. It has a slightly crude applied finish that is fairly shapeless compared to my other bottles - rather like a flat band of glass. The neck is bowed-out in what I see online is called a "lady's leg" style. There are lots of large bubbles in this bottle including several along the rim of the base. The only interesting embossing on this bottle is found on its base where it has "SIX TO GALLON" encircled around its "kicked-up" base.

Based on this scant amount of embossed text and the image below is there any way of knowing what this bottle may have held? Or was this 1/6 gallon bottle generically produced to hold a wide range of liquid refreshments?

Thanks for any information on this odd little bottle.


-Newbie

 

[NewbieBottleHunter]

Here is an image of the embossing on the base.


-Newbie

 

[cyberdigger]

Hmmm. I think you've got a prohibition-era British whiskey bottle there.. dug many of them in 1920's context.. could be older, too..

 

[NewbieBottleHunter]

Funny as I just watched the PBS series on Prohibitition last week. A silly idea that didn't take into account human nature.

Were they still making bottles in 3-piece molds with applied lips as late as the 1920s? It's definitely got a different sort of shape (more pronounced shoulder and the pleasingly curved neck) than the wine bottles I've found so I'd definitely believe this once held something of a higher proof.


Thanks for the info.


-Newbie

 

[Asterx]

It seems the cut-off for dating blown bottles in the UK is fairly later than here in the states for some reason

 

[TROG]

This bottle dates around 1880 -1890 and would most likely have held Whisky.

 

[luckiest]

I feel like that bottle is a bit earlier then the 20s but it's true that the british used earlier styles for a while longer then the americans.

 

[surfaceone]

Hello Ken,

Welcome to the A-BN and thanks for showing the six to gallon. I'm with David on the 1880ishness.

I'm puzzling on the measure of these. How much liquid does it hold, if filled an inch shy of cork? I'm also wondering Imperial units or what? Does it have bearing on the distilled spirits tax in Britain?


To the old line bottle guys, this would be termed a bulge necked example, rather than a "lady's leg." May I suggest a visit to the BLM / SHA site for Bottles.

 

[epackage]

I think Surf is right, an Imperial Gallon is a little over 1.2 gallons, 6 of these may have equaled that liquid measurement...

Rutherford & Kay in Edinburgh also used a bottle with this embossing on the base, they bottled and sold Wine, Whiskey & Brandy in the 1880's

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1880-RUTHERFORD-KAY-EDINBURGH-3-PC-MOLD-CRUDE-APPLIED-LIP-MINERAL-WATER-/200821580045

 

[cyberdigger]

I spent several days last winter wandering around scavenging tossers at a huge 1920's dump which is heavily dug, and on each visit, without even digging, I could find several applied lip British and European liquor bottles, and yes I grabbed a few "Six to gallon's" ..perhaps they were made in the 1910's and it took over a decade for them to end up in the trash, perhaps even longer in some cases.. and that's what is cool about them, they look frickin' old, man! [8D]