Digging Up Mason Jar Lid Pays Off!!!

starwarsblazer

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Jul 24, 2007
357
11
Portland, Michigan
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Today was such a nice day for digging I decided to drive down to my aunt's farm and do some hunting there. I have dug a hundred or so zinc Mason jar lids from her property in the last three years so I knew that the first signal I was getting was yet another one. As I dug down, and pulled it out, I noticed a lot of glass and iron. I kept digging just to satisfy my curiousity and I found a few nice medicine bottles, a nice blue Mason jar, a milk bottle, a unique perfume bottle (nice details) and a beautiful pitcher. There is a hairline crack running down the side, but she is a beauty! But, with no markings on it I have no idea how old it is. Any ideas?? ???
 

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Upvote 0

smokedaddy

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Mar 4, 2008
329
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SE Pennsylvania
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Cool, Nice glass. Sorry no ideas as to the age.
 

bootybay

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Aug 9, 2007
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Not a bad day at all...excellent finds. check on ebay, some bottles go super high.
 

incajoe

Sr. Member
May 17, 2007
387
3
New England
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Great finds!

In regards to the pitcher, you want to determine whether it's cut glass or molded glass. Molded glass will have a visible seam where they put two halves together to form the pitcher. All the detail work will have dull edges that are slightly rounded. If it's cut glass the details will have a sharp edge. You are hoping that it's cut glass because then it will be worth much more than if it is molded. Determining the age is difficult though because both of these processes (cut and molded) have been in use for a very long time.

Is there a pontil mark on the bottom of the perfume bottle or a signature? You might have to look very closely for the signature which may be hand etched. I'd love to see a better picture of the perfume bottle. The one you posted is a bit out of focus.
 

SusanMN

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Jun 1, 2007
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Minnesota
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I'm curious about the tall piece of pottery green top. Is it glass or pottery. If its pottery, can you tip it over and see if its marked?
 

Marty-Graw

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Feb 8, 2006
895
8
Albertville Alabama
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what is the number on the bottom of the blue jar?......they came in a set of 15 (some people say more...I'm not sure)....but anyway they are numbered 1 through however many were in the set.......the housewives and moonshiners would bust the #13 thinking they were bad luck.....a #13 in good shape is worth around $20 to a collector
 

beach boy

Jr. Member
Sep 20, 2006
20
0
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ace 250,garrett 1350
hope you emptied the dirt from the pitcher in the yard not the sink, "boy" my wife hates that.
 

lonewolfe

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Feb 14, 2005
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Nice digs :)

HH
 

muleskinner

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Aug 8, 2007
983
31
West Michigan
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WTG Starwarsdude! I didn't know Michigan had good stuff like that. And those good finds come from a guy only 20 miles away. Keep it up.
 

BuckleBoy

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Jun 12, 2006
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Sounds like you should put the detector away and bottle-dig that whole area! Nice finds!!! If they threw away a pitcher that nice, there's no telling what's in that dump.

Regards,


Buckleboy
 

Admiral de Salee

Hero Member
Apr 2, 2007
654
19
Michigan
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Cool finds in the town of my youf!

They're all great items, but that pottery thing looks like it might be the most valuable piece.
Antiques Roadshow is coming to Grand Rapids. April, I think. There's an online signup. They use a lottery to see who gets 2 tickets each.
If you can score a couple of tix, I would take that beauty to the Show.

It's a very nice item in any case.

I've got 2 of those Mason lids, both from the same site. They're zinc? Did people bury canned stuff or have you found an ex- 'root cellar'?
I thought mine had been "farmer banks" that had been emptied. I found the lids, some of the tin screw-on, and broken glass.
 

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