Central Bottling Works Detroit, Michigan

[NGE]

Back in '89 I found this bottle with my metal detector. I found it in the woods at a Famous Detroit landmark park called Belle Isle. I was hunting around an old decomposed tree that had fallen many, many years prior, Then I got this really weak signal, and proceeded to dig, at about 9 inches I saw this bottle standing straight up in the hole, but I figured, How can my detector sound off on glass . As I started to empty the watery mud out of it, I heard a rattle coming from within. What I found inside was a metal piece, I didn't know what it was at the time, so I carefully walked the pretty blue bottle back to my truck, and wrapped it in some newspapers. When I got home, I went to the library and looked it up in Kovel's Bottle book. I found out that the metal piece was called a " Hutchinson's stopper " it was a hairpin design that had a lead disc attached on the inside with a rubber seal around it, and that, with the carbonation held it up in the neck. Next I looked up The " Central Bottling Works ", they had used this same design of bottle since 1832 to about 1920, and that because of the stopper in it, it was dated to 1876, when the Hutchinson stopper was invented . At the time I had looked up the bottle in Kovel's it had a value of 175.00 . The bottle in cobalt blue is very desireable among collectors, it was blown into a wooden mold, and has an applied lip, and the best part of it all, there are no chips, cracks, or discoloration to it at all. I read in a bottle book that many collectors enhanced the embossing on their bottles for photographic purposes, so I did likewise. The bottle is 7 1/8th. inches tall and is very thick, the bottom is marked J.J.G........NGE

[curbdiggercarl57]

Beautiful Blue Blob!

[rodgerdodger]

Nice bottle,research and story.
Roger

[DJ_Quinn]

Nice find, and your pretty brave to be out detecting on Belle Isle!

[NGE]

Oh, I wasn't by myself at the time. I had 6 other detecting friends with me and we carry police type whistles when hunting there. We call ourselves, " The Over The Hill Gang " as we were all at least 50 back then, except me, but they included me in their group anyway. And I am glad they did, ......NGE

[NGE]

Not even back in '32? 1832 that is.

[DJ_Quinn]

Oh, I wasn't by myself at the time. I had 6 other detecting friends with me and we carry police type whistles when hunting there. We call ourselves, " The Over The Hill Gang " as we were all at least 50 back then, except me, but they included me in their group anyway. And I am glad they did, ......NGE

Good, as a native Detroiter I have been to Belle Isle many times. It must be a great area to detect.

[NGE]

It is, but it is getting difficult to find stuff there. Mr. Penske is slowly turning it all into concrete or gravel. About the only place left to hunt is in the woods......NGE

[unclenutsy]

Been to Belle Isle but never detected there...Thats a nice bottle and if you want to sell or trade let me know..Great job

[mxtman2]

Very nice bottle. We used to go to Bell Isle and ice skate as a child. Always wondered about detecting there. Anyway.. Did you get the private e mail I sent ya about that field?

[oracle]

That is a great looking bottle. I detect Belle Isle once in awhile and that's where I found the seated liberty dime in my avatar. But she been hunted to death and good finds are far and few.

[Urban Grund]

I've been thinking of hunting there for a long time now. I should stop thinking & just start doing!!!

[phantomfinder]

WOW , Thats a great find....

[crazyjarhead]

Thats a cool looking old bottle

[NGE]

Just an update here about belle Isle, it IS now off limits to metal detecting, it seems that some of the scum didn't like people digging holes there.........NGE

[allen]

you cant find a more perfect bottle !!
or beautiful at that !

[mcmich]

Always thought about metal detecting the isle myself, I did not know its off limits. Thats a too bad. I can only imagine what it was like in the early detectoring days. Must have been something. Lots of history there.
I am running out of spots to detect here in SE MI. Did some research on a local spot. This was a private park that was a picnic area in the early 1900's. They had a grandstand that used to be a dance hall. Found the foundation, the place were the bar was at one time, said to be like 40' long. I hunted that whole area for two days. Did not find even a penny. Thinkin it was hit pretty hard in the good ole days.

That is one awesome bottle by the way

[Acejeckel]

Thats a great looking bottle.. I wish I found that one

[FatCat]

Nice