U.S.A. Hosp. Dept Repro

[Gunsmoke47]

Yes Cobaltbot, that is true. Some of the bottles have very weak periods after the USA Hosp. Especially the ones blown in Baltimore as they were weaker embossed in general. (As opposed to the ones in Philidelphia.) Also if they have been tumbled you can lose the periods. But NO U.S.A. Hosp. Dept bottles have an open pontil mark. Kelley

 

[GuntherHess]

I find it hard to believe a reenactor would pay that much for a repro but since they are apparently no longer made its possible. But considering an authentic one is only a couple hundred more it seems more like someone just got caught up in thinking it might be real.

When the dog river bottles were being made I had heard they were made slightly different than the originals on purpose.

 

[downsouthdiggers]

Says biddling ended and highest bid was $350+!

 

[saratogadriver]

Good thing the pontil stands out as repro, otherwise many people who don't know the area well would be likely to be confused. Dog River did or had done some of the nicer repro work that I've ever seen.

Jim G

 

[GuntherHess]

http://www.oocities.org/wrosecrants/HOSPDEPT.HTML

old site ad... Dog River erroneously advertised it as correctly having a pontil mark. Other than that they got it pretty close. Glad they are out of business.


here is a company that makes some fake items inclusing a labelled Hostetters and mason jars.
http://www.carterandjasper.com/groceries.htm

 

[justanolddigger]

the originals also come pontiled, very rare, but they are out there. An open pontil blue one sold in Glass works in 91 for $375, and an iron pontil aqua one sold in the Greer auction for $575. I bought the Greer one, but it came to my house in a hundred pieces, so it no longer exists.

 

[GuntherHess]

I have not run across any of the normal quarts that are open pontil marked. There are wide mouth bottles that are iron pontil marked. If you have a photo of a standard quart (narrow mouth) with a pontil mark I would be very interested in seeing it.
This site has some examples ..
http://medicalantiques.com/civilwar/Civil_War_Articles/U_S_A_hospital_Department_medical_bottles.htm

 

[justanolddigger]

The aqua iron pontil is a jar type. The cobalt blue open pontil has a wide flange lip, I would assume it is not a jar type. I do not have a pic, but perhaps someone with an old Glassworks catalog does. I do think it was a smaller bottle though.

 

[Gunsmoke47]

I am aware of the iron pontil on the aqua jars but I am not aware of an open pontil mark on any U.S.A. Hosp. Dept bottles. I too would love to see a picture of this. It could rewrite a lot of history on these particular bottles. I have a Hosp. bottle that could easily be mistaken for an open pontil mark, but I have never seen a true open pontil mark. This could be interesting. Kelley

 

[Gunsmoke47]

justandolddigger, did it look anything like this? This is my small flange type lip that could be mistaken for an open pontil.