I have never heard of any U.S.A. Hosp. Dept. bottles that were used after the Civil War, except for some surplus bottles that went out west right after the Civil War. Nor has anyone presented me with any documents to show that they were used well afyter the Civil War. I've been digging, collecting, and writing for more than 35 years, and the Civil War was my primary interest.
Mike, I hate to say it, but your bottle looks like a later fake. I have no idea who made that one, but some years ago, a fellow sent me a modern fake and was marketing them as that, fakes, for sale in the west. His bottle was graphite pontiled, had identical embossing as the real one, and the color ewas right. The only difference was that it was finished with an odd lip that was never used in the production of authentic ones from the Civil War. The real problem with his was that someone only had to break off the modern looking lip and claim it was authentic! The mold for his repro was made from an authentic piece!
Hope this helps you, and others, from accepting a modern fake.
Mike, I hate to say it, but your bottle looks like a later fake. I have no idea who made that one, but some years ago, a fellow sent me a modern fake and was marketing them as that, fakes, for sale in the west. His bottle was graphite pontiled, had identical embossing as the real one, and the color ewas right. The only difference was that it was finished with an odd lip that was never used in the production of authentic ones from the Civil War. The real problem with his was that someone only had to break off the modern looking lip and claim it was authentic! The mold for his repro was made from an authentic piece!
Hope this helps you, and others, from accepting a modern fake.