Some samples from my Glass Bottle Collection

[woody50]

Here are some of my bottles I collected while metal detecting (the rest are packed away for safe keeping). Most of them were found on large building projects, a lot of them during the digging out of underground parking lots here in Holland. You were lucky in finding a whole bottle, but the mud and water was pretty easy and saved quite a few. Even twice I found a small whole bottle right inbetween the holes from the tire treads of the large digging machines. Another cm left or right and it would have been crushed. On some sites where the water and mud covered the ground I even found a couple just floating along....

Enjoy.

[ruccello]

Those are beautiful bottles, how old are they? Love the rainbow colors in them too.

Richard

[woody50]

Those are beautiful bottles, how old are they? Love the rainbow colors in them too.
Richard

Hi Richard. Bottles are hard to date, for me in any case, because I have never made a study of glass objects. But the most of these bottles are medicine or oil bottles and from the 18th century. Some of the bottles are from the 17th and 16th century, but its hard to say which one. Of course the older a object is the cruder it is, bottles with lettering embossed on them are of a much later date (19th century?).

The rainbow colors (iridescent or opalescent) are formed when glass is placed in a wet situation in the ground, and oils and minerals coat the glass slowly. If the glass is left that way for a long period of time (centuries) the colors appear. The coating is very fragile, and needs to be fixed in place in a very short time scale, say immediately. If left to dry the coating chips off. When we find such a bottle we keep it in water from the source where it was found until it can be fixated. Even after being fixated it needs very careful care. Actually, if possible, every find, even metal should be kept in its original habitat until it can be preserved.

[TommNJ]

Wow, that's a very impressive bottle collection !!

TommNJ

[allen]

wow, those are beautiful bottles !!!!

[CRUSADER]

8) 8) 8)

[tuatara]

I reckon most of bottles of the collection are very valuable and are museum level pieces. 'Rainbow colors' usually come after fires on tips.

[woody50]

I reckon most of bottles of the collection are very valuable and are museum level pieces. 'Rainbow colors' usually come after fires on tips.

Hi Tuatara, well museum level prices I don't know. Quite a few of these bottles are found, many are not preserved, so after a few months all the colors are off. What do you mean by "fires on tips"?.

The colors here come from chemicals and oils in the ground (like I mentioned in one of the above messages). Would be interested to know what "fires on tips" means. Thanks.

[CRUSADER]

I reckon most of bottles of the collection are very valuable and are museum level pieces. 'Rainbow colors' usually come after fires on tips.

Hi Tuatara, well museum level prices I don't know. Quite a few of these bottles are found, many are not preserved, so after a few months all the colors are off. What do you mean by "fires on tips"?.

The colors here come from chemicals and oils in the ground (like I mentioned in one of the above messages). Would be interested to know what "fires on tips" means. Thanks.

you know, a tip or rubbish heap that was set on fire.

As you say its the soil that changes them.

[woody50]

I reckon most of bottles of the collection are very valuable and are museum level pieces. 'Rainbow colors' usually come after fires on tips.

Hi Tuatara, well museum level prices I don't know. Quite a few of these bottles are found, many are not preserved, so after a few months all the colors are off. What do you mean by "fires on tips"?.
The colors here come from chemicals and oils in the ground (like I mentioned in one of the above messages). Would be interested to know what "fires on tips" means. Thanks.

you know, a tip or rubbish heap that was set on fire.
As you say its the soil that changes them.

Thanks Cru, I guess "TIP" is another "proper English" word that we don't have in the states, or maybe I am just dumb. I think myself the last...