I cant find this Coca-Cola Bottle

[proto57]

I can't find this Coca-Cola Bottle

I know this must be a common clear Coca-Cola hobble skirt, but I can't find the exact type on any of the listings. I read several sites on the 'net, including the great thread here: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/bottles-glass/232882-old-coca-cola-bottles.html

On other sites, I see that there were early clear hobble skirts, made between 1915-1923, and referred to as "evolution" bottles. But they have a patent date on them, and the oz. size of the bottle... this has neither. And then, this bottle is marked 16 45, implying it is possibly a 1945, not a 1916 because of the lack of patent date. But then, the 1940's bottles I have are "D Patent" bottles... this only says, "TRADE-MARK"... no patent date, no patent number, no oz. size... and no town on the bottom... just on the bottom a faint "16" and "8". And it does not seem to have any numbers around the lower skirt ring.

This also has a thinner lettering than others I've seen, more like a later no-deposit bottle... but it does not say "no-deposit" on it, and it is thick glass, like other green hobble skirts.

I am sure this is a simple problem, and someone here will know. I have hundreds of bottles, and well over 300 Coca-Cola bottles I found at the bottom of lakes and so on... but I am unfamiliar with this one. Thanks... Rich.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[canadiandigger]

the clear coke bottles have the date on the bottom it looks like this 3f 51 if it was a 1951 iv got 9 of these clear coke bottles dates from 1938-1958 i find them quite often here in canada mostly broken tho but the kind of coke i have problems finding are the 1923 christmas cokes and the d-105529 cokes i rarely find them!

 

[proto57]

the clear coke bottles have the date on the bottom it looks like this 3f 51 if it was a 1951

Thanks Canadian... but this only has "16" and "8" on the bottom. They are at about 11 o'clock and 1 o'clock. I was looking around some more, I'm I am suspecting this is a 1945, but can't find any reference to one with only "TRADE-MARK", with no ounce size. Do you have ones with no ounce?

i have problems finding are the 1923 christmas cokes and the d-105529 cokes i rarely find them!

Here in New York State, in the lakes I snorkel in, there are still lots of the "D" bottles. I suppose they were not exported to Canada, or something like that. I know little about these, as you can probably tell, but I ought to learn. Perhaps I have something worthwhile in the many bottles I have.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Proto ~

Your clear glass hobbleskirt is possibly an example from WWII that were made without copper because of the shortages (although this is debatable). Copper is what helps make regular hobbleskirts a green color. There is quite a bit of information on the internet regarding wartime Coca Cola bottles. I don't have a link at my fingertips right at the moment, but will post what I can find when I get a minute. Most likely the 45 is for 1945 which is the right date-range for WWII bottles.

SBB

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Here's one of the links I was referring to. Google around and you will find others ...

Coca-Cola and the Military « Coca-Cola Bottle Man's Blog Bottle production began in 1943. The bottles were to be made using clear glass and no City/State markings on the bottom. There are two theories about why clear glass was used instead of the normal Coke Green in manufacturing these bottles. One was that it made the bottles easily identifiable as military bottles. The other is that copper is needed to create the Coke Green glass and, due to a shortage of copper, it was necessary to manufacture them with clear glass. This latter theory may not be correct since all U.S. Coca-Cola bottles manufactured during the War years were in the standard Coke green glass. The first bottle manufactured in 1943 was simply the PAT’D D-105529 bottle in clear glass with no City/State markings. A new bottle mold could not be made quickly to allow a different style bottle for Military use only. By 1944, the new style bottle began production with the word ‘TRADEMARK’ below the Coca-Cola script. This bottle was produced until 1946.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

PS ~

Earlier when I wrote (although this is debatable), what I meant is, copper was definitely needed to give hobbleskirts their distinctive green color, but what no one seems to be certain about is whether the copper was left out intentionally because of wartime shortages or because it made those (to be shipped overseas) bottles more easily recognized. I have read so many different accounts on the topic over the years, with so many different opinions expressed, that I am not sure which was actually the case. But whichever it was, there appears to be little question that clear hobbleskirts with "TRADEMARK" only embossed under the Coca Cola signature were in fact wartime only bottles ...

I think? (Lol)

SBB

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Here are a couple of more links related to WWII Coca Cola bottles that I think everyone will find of interest. The first link pertains to a whole case of clear glass bottles that are for sale at $295.00. The second link pertains to a bottle that was raffled off during the war for $4,000.00, with a search that continues to this very day trying to find the GI who won it.

Coca Cola, WW2 Overseas Military Wood Case With Bottles from astepbackintime on Ruby Lane

The $ 4,000.00 Bottle of Coca-Cola | Coca-Cola Conversations

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Last but not least, here's the link to a current ebay listing for a clear WWII hobbleskirt that the seller says he found washed up on the beach on one of the Marshall islands back in the 1980s. It still has coral crusted on it, too.

1944 WWII MILITARY ISSUE CLEAR COCA COLA BOTTLE D105529 | eBay

 

[canadiandigger]

ya they changed the clear hobble skirts throughout the years this appears to be mid to late 40s and nope all of my clear cokes say 6oz on them

 

[proto57]

PS ~

Earlier when I wrote (although this is debatable), what I meant is, copper was definitely needed to give hobbleskirts their distinctive green color, but what no one seems to be certain about is whether the copper was left out intentionally because of wartime shortages or because it made those (to be shipped overseas) bottles more easily recognized. I have read so many different accounts on the topic over the years, with so many different opinions expressed, that I am not sure which was actually the case. But whichever it was, there appears to be little question that clear hobbleskirts with "TRADEMARK" only embossed under the Coca Cola signature were in fact wartime only bottles ...

I think? (Lol)

SBB

Thanks so much, SBB! This has pretty much completely answered the questions I had about this bottle. I appreciate the time you took with this. I will also really appreciate this bottle, as it has such an interesting background. I suppose they are more common in Europe and the Pacific, but all in all they must be fairly common, although not as much as the green glass bottles.

I would really love to see a pic of one of those "portable bottling plants" for the ETO, which were to be towed behind a Jeep! Imagine showing up to a car show with one of those? A little off topic, but when I was single decades ago, I had a 1964 Coca Cola machine in my livingroom, and kept it filled with hobbleskirts that I filled and capped myself... but with rum and cokes and seven and sevens! Of course I didn't charge... my friends could just press a button, and an ice cold rum and coke would slide out.

Thanks again for the info...