SC Dispensary Bottle

[winnsborogirl]

I am new to the TreasureNet but my husband found an old SC Dispensary Bottle his father had hidden away in the attic along with some other bottles I know nothing about. Anyway, I have tried to research this bottle and tried to find a value but have had no luck. It is the half-pint "Jo-Jo Flask" and has the the Palmetto tree on the front with what appears to be 2 logs crossed underneath it. There is no bottling company markings and the glass also has a purplish tint but does not show up in the pictures. Any help that can be provided is greatly appreciated.

 

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[heybubbajay]

on the back of the bottle there should be a manufacturer name embossed on the bottom...

 

[DDancer]

I'm sure someone would love to add that to their collection. I've only found the broken front of one of those bottles, still have it, and they are pretty hard to come by. Good find

 

[winnsborogirl]

on the back of the bottle there should be a manufacturer name embossed on the bottom...

Bubbajay,
There are no markings on the back or bottom of the bottle at all. The only markings are on the front....Palmetto tree in the middle, "S" on the left side of the tree and "C" on the right side, 2 palmetto logs crossed under the tree with "Dispensary" under that. The inside lip of the bottle is completely smooth with one thread on the outside. I know that there are a few that have no manufacturer markings and it appears that I have one of them. I must say that it is in great shape there are no scratches, cracks or chips at all (just a little bit of dirt/dust). Also the palmetto tree is asymmetrical. The only imperfection I can find is that the glass itself has a few bubbles that are mainly on the back side.

 

[Harry Pristis]

There is a book entitled, THE SOUTH CAROLINA DISPENSARY: A Bottle Collector's Atlas and History of the System, by Philip K. Huggins that is a fascinating read. It is out in paperback now. Look for it on Amazon; you may be able to get a used copy cheap.

Your bottle is called a jo-jo flask, perhaps the most common type of bottle used by the SCD. They come in pint and half-pint sizes. The palmetto logo is earlier than the monogram.

This line-drawing is from Huggins' book:

​

 

[winnsborogirl]

Thank you. I have no idea what we plan to do with it at this point and I have no clue as to how long my father-in-law had it or where he got it from. But I would at least like to try and find out the value. Everything I have found looks like maybe a couple hundred dollars but none reference a purple tint. All the ones I have seen reference a blue, aqua, green tint and of course the amber ones. We are still going through the boxes and have come across some that were very interesting bottles (ex. Beams Choice decanters, Toms, Shivars, old milk bottles and some dark blue medicine bottles... just to name a few of the other bottles we have come across).

 

[DDancer]

Dispensary bottles were used for the sale of alcohol in South Carolina. There may not be a makers mark. Wikipedia has a good article. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Carolina_Dispensary

 

[marguerited]

Hi, I'm doing research on SC Dispensary bottles and read that Wikipedia article. It said Dispensary bottles could sell for $20,000-$30,000. Does anyone know if that's true? Has anyone heard of one selling for a high price (not necessary that high). Thanks!

 

[MuckyBottles]

Hi, I'm doing research on SC Dispensary bottles and read that Wikipedia article. It said Dispensary bottles could sell for $20,000-$30,000. Does anyone know if that's true? Has anyone heard of one selling for a high price (not necessary that high). Thanks!

Rare bottles are big $$$$...I do not know anything about SC dispensary I wish I could help