DruggistBottles
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the information!
It can be hard to draw a line between having “druggist†embossed or not. It is simpler to me to just consider those that are. The same grouping is probably done by the Bitters collector. Collect ones embossed “Bittersâ€, but possibly getting some that may have other embossing but the label saying Bitters. There are some states that may not have any pontiled era “druggist†embossed bottles. Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana appear that way. Some other Western edge states from that time period may also not have one. For these states a drug store collector may have to collect ones without “druggistâ€. That, or stick to newer bottles clearly marked “druggistâ€. I have bottles from Illinois, Louisiana and Alabama that were from druggists, and the bottle’s shape is appropriate, they just are not marked as such.
The other issue is what was in the bottle. Was it a medicine or a prescription filled out and put in a generic “druggist†bottle? To some this may sound the same…hey it is medicine in both. But would a Bitters collector think of their bottles as just a medicine, not likely. Still I am sure many locally produced “patent medicines†were put in generic druggist bottles. And just because a bottle is clearly a medicine, but not marked druggist, should I not collect it? I have a beautiful “J. B. Wheatley's compound syrup
Dallasburgh KY†that would fit that category.
Ok, maybe I ponder these things too much. My first digging partner once collected aqua Ball fruit jars based on the mold number on the bottom. I thought he was nuts as they all looked the same to me. How picky are some of you in what you collect? Being this is a pontil thread… do you collect any pontils? Only ones specific to certain areas? Only a certain type, like soda? Maybe a combination of the two?
It can be hard to draw a line between having “druggist†embossed or not. It is simpler to me to just consider those that are. The same grouping is probably done by the Bitters collector. Collect ones embossed “Bittersâ€, but possibly getting some that may have other embossing but the label saying Bitters. There are some states that may not have any pontiled era “druggist†embossed bottles. Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana appear that way. Some other Western edge states from that time period may also not have one. For these states a drug store collector may have to collect ones without “druggistâ€. That, or stick to newer bottles clearly marked “druggistâ€. I have bottles from Illinois, Louisiana and Alabama that were from druggists, and the bottle’s shape is appropriate, they just are not marked as such.
The other issue is what was in the bottle. Was it a medicine or a prescription filled out and put in a generic “druggist†bottle? To some this may sound the same…hey it is medicine in both. But would a Bitters collector think of their bottles as just a medicine, not likely. Still I am sure many locally produced “patent medicines†were put in generic druggist bottles. And just because a bottle is clearly a medicine, but not marked druggist, should I not collect it? I have a beautiful “J. B. Wheatley's compound syrup
Dallasburgh KY†that would fit that category.
Ok, maybe I ponder these things too much. My first digging partner once collected aqua Ball fruit jars based on the mold number on the bottom. I thought he was nuts as they all looked the same to me. How picky are some of you in what you collect? Being this is a pontil thread… do you collect any pontils? Only ones specific to certain areas? Only a certain type, like soda? Maybe a combination of the two?
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