$16.00 Find

[undertaker]

Found this bottle at a antique shop. It was priced $16.00. Says London on it but glass looks like Stoddard NH glass. I like the look and thought that it might be worth more, but I know some people rather collect just bottles made in the US. I would appreciate any additional info on this bottle that anyone may have.

 

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[bottlehunterofcoscob]

From some searches it looks like it was exported gin that was bottled in America. So I would think it was made here. Very nice grab for $16!

 

[vpnavy]

Until someone pipes in - I searched Google and found...

9 3/4" REDDISH AMBER SQUARE WHISKEY BOTTLE
SOLD FOR: $550.00


Gin Bottle; J&R Dunster, London Dock Gin, Massachusetts, Reddish Amber
Circa: 1860 to 1875



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[epackage]

$75-125 typically, great find...

 

[RelicDude]

Nice find. I don't know anything about this particular bottle but it does look American to me.

 

[ivan salis]

humm civil war era gin bottle possibly

 

[NJKLAGT]

I agree with Cob and Dude, the bottle itself looks like it was made on this side of the pond.

 

[Mrdigz]

Nice grab!

 

[Gaspipe]

Nice find. As epackage said around a $100 bottle . If someone pays $500 take it and run!

 

[Harry Pristis]

I'd say this was a good buy. The history of London and gin is an interesting one.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gin_Craze

It seems that American distillers at mid-19th Century were taking advantage of an 1840s resurgence of interest in gin-drinking by Londoners. The Americans marketed their gin using "London" as a hallmark of quality, not because it was imported gin.

And here from Wikipedia is what I think the American brands were to be associated with:
Gordon's London Dry Gin was developed by Alexander Gordon, a Londoner.[SUP][4][/SUP] He opened a distillery in the Southwark area in 1769, later moving in 1786 to Clerkenwell.[SUP][4][/SUP] The Special London Dry Gin he developed proved successful, and its recipe remains unchanged to this day.[SUP][[/SUP]

Here's how Bininger tried to associate his brand with London gin:

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[Harry Pristis]

As it turns out, Bininger was a grocer, not a distiller. And, it appears he was a sophisticated marketer. Here a further look at how this American bottler attempted to associate his brand of gin (Old London Dock) with the Gordon's London Dry Gin.

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Notice the ambiguous claim on the label that this gin is "perfectly pure as originally imported." What does that mean? . . . That this gin is uncontaminated since being imported? Or, does it mean that this gin is as pure as gin formerly imported? The FTC today might have a problem with this claim. At least, the label makes no direct claim that the gin is imported.

The logo at the top of the label presents a [British] lion and a king's crown to support the illusion.

Notice also on the label that Bininger also identifies his company as "importers." No doubt, as grocers the company did import some comestibles. However, all of his other liquor offerings appear to be domestically-produced. There is no reason to believe, from our historical perspective, that "Old London Dock" was more than a marketing ploy.