Hand Blown Shipwreck Bottle?

[Hammer Stone]

I found this 44yrs ago near the mouth of the St.Johns river. It was in a sand quarry near the river, close to a small cove. The site is just below Ribault Column where Jean Ribault erected a stone column bearing the coats of arms of his French King Charles IX to claim Florida for France. The Timicuanan Perserve and Ft.Caroline are very close to it.

A friend's big brother, a bottle collector used to take my friends and I digging at the site. I had a collection of 5 bottles similar to this one, along with some old Cureall bottles like the one called Swamp Root. I Had some arrow heads and enormous Sharks teeth. Well I sold 4 bottles at a bottle collectors show he took us to. They were like this one but had no seams. I lost everything else through many living arrangement moves.

He said it was a spirits bottle that was carried on the old ships, probally held wine, the top was hand blown. He seemed to be an experienced collecor with a huge collection of bottles.

Well I was unpacking an old box & found it today 44yrs later... suprise!

Do you think he was right about the bottle? Does it have any monetary value?

 

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[BearCreek]

That is so cool! How much did you sell the bottles for?

 

[Hammer Stone]

I think I got $100 bucks, that was a lot for a cash short 14yr old. I was pleased with the deal. The collector guy told me I should keep them but ca$h talks to a teenager lol.

 

[Hammer Stone]

I remember spending most of the money on a new rod & reel & some tackle. Locals called the area Buck Island. Lots of great fishing days there.

 

[BearCreek]

I noticed the bottle is round on the bottom. Do you have any idea why that is?

 

[Hammer Stone]

Well, I'm not completely sure but the "Collector Guy" said it had to do with the way they were stored and that they were corked as to not allow air/gas to escape.They were kept laid on their side to keep the cork wet. Something along that line.

 

[sutphin]

MAN I HAD A COUPLE LIKE THAT AND, THERE IS ANOTHER STYLE CALLED TORPEDO.

 

[Hammer Stone]

I've heard of the torpedo bottles. I'll have to research that. I remember the Collector had several of them. They were a bit more rounded/streamlined.

 

[trapperart]

Very cool

 

[CASPER-2]

No ...not wine
my father was a huge bottle collector - as a kid I read most of the books he had
it was most likely a mineral water bottle - here is one of the best sites out there for bottle identification
https://sha.org/bottle/soda.htm