why would a bottle have a rounded bottom,cannot stand on it's own

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Ettajane Danner

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I have two bottles,the bottoms are not flat. what would have been in here? Anyone know what for and how old?
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sandchip

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To keep the cork wet so that it wouldn't shrink and lose seal. Many of those type bottles also doubled as ballast in the ships they were hauled in.
 

CanadianBottles

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These were ginger ale bottles, and as Sandchip said they were intended to be stored on their side so the cork wouldn't dry out. Typically these were bottled in Ireland for export, although there are some examples of bottlers in the US and Canada using them as well.
 

RelicRaker

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First bottle I found back in 2002 was a slick roundbottom soda. Kind of an ingenious way to ship a carbonated drink in a cork bottle with no bail seal. And as the guys said, some are embossed.
 

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embe

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It's interesting to think what was coming out of Ireland at the time. The one I have is marked Belfast. The cork thing makes sense and not a whole lot people would even think of that, so thanks!
 

TROG

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The reason these bottles mainly used for Soda Water or Lemonade were kept lying down instead of upright is that as mentioned kept the cork wet and tight in the bottle. If stood upright the cork would dry out and loosen allowing the escape of the gas or carbonation.
 

Bohdan

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To keep the cork wet so that it wouldn't shrink and lose seal. Many of those type bottles also doubled as ballast in the ships they were hauled in.
The "ballast" idea is a myth. Think about it. Why would anyone choose bottles as ballast? They were CARGO!
 

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