Today started out slow & not looking good like a lot of our Privy digs. Just digging duds but all it takes is one good privy late in day to turn it all around. I probed a nice crunchy spot next to a fence. First good bottle out of the hole was a killer rare exposition bottle. LEON.
The Amber American still even had part of the original paper label on back. Found a few 1890's B. Strohs & Strohs with paper labels & embossed but all broke but 1 & that one did not have a label
OK, Now the best bottle I or we ever found in my opinion is this totally unknown never seen before Frauce and Donnelly from Detroit with a bizarre bulge neck & had a wire around neck with stopper missing. not sure what kind of stopper was on it? We had some highly experienced old timer Michigan bottle collectors digging with us & they never seen or heard of this bottle before. A Google book search showed nothing, zero, nada for info on this obscure unknown bottle. LEON.
That neck bulge is similar to a D. T. Sweeny bottle from Key West, FL that is embossed on the bottom "Made By / John Matthews N.Y. / Pat / June 11 / 1872." I was trying to find a pic of one to show you but am unable to.
Awesome bottle! With the tie wire I am guessing beer. Harry J Frauce was active in Saginaw and Detroit from about 1900-1920 working various jobs (shipyard worker, machinist, clerk in a grocery store, clerk in a saloon, etc.)...I wonder if during this period he partnered with someone and tried to make a go at something himself? Pure speculation but that is a pretty distinctive name.
Doesn't look like the Matthew's 1872 closure bottles I have seen...I think it is a different closure. I need to take a look at my closure book tonight but not one I have seen for sure!