Lead Bottle? Please help identify.

[porsche65]

I found this yesterday while metal detecting at a church that is about 175 years old. I am almost sure it is made from lead, it is a bottle of some sort, very heavy to be so small.

 

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[billb]

Welcome aboard. I’m confident there’s more to come there.take care

 

[cudamark]

Welcome to Tnet! It may have held something that only lead could contain......something that was corrosive to glass or other materials.

 

[Sandmaniac]

What you have there my friend is a very old one of these.....

 

[porsche65]

Are you serious? Of everything I considered, I will say holy water never entered my mind. What makes you think that's what it is?

 

[Sandmaniac]

It's the right size and you found it on church grounds. Swing by a church and ask, they might be able to confirm; members of the clergy are quite savvy when it comes to the history of religious artifacts.
Keep in mind, when a person anoints themselves with holy water they only dab their finger and touch their forehead, the fingertip should cover the entire open end so when tipped upside down none of the anointed water is wasted, so a little goes a long way and that's why the bottles are so small; also, carrying around a small amount adds to its sanctity. The evidence all points to that being what it is.

 

[GoldieLocks]

I see zero antique lead Holy Water bottles on ebay. But alcohol was listed on one web site as typical contents of such bottles as the one pictured.

 

[Sandmaniac]

There's none on Ebay? Well then I guess I'm wrong.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

There's none on Ebay? Well then I guess I'm wrong.

Love your response Mike.
Everyone knows, if you can't find it on eBay, then that's gospel.

 

[islamoradamark]

Welcome to Treasurenet cool bottle

 

[Doubter in MD]

There's none on Ebay? Well then I guess I'm wrong.

Ebay has nothing to do with you being wrong.

 

[dozer dan]

sulfuric acid bottle?

 

[GoldieLocks]

I googled leas antique bottles and came up with Alcohol containers!

 

[Sheperdess]

I vote Holy Water. I wouldn't drink out of a lead bottle. It wouldn't even hold a good snort. ... It's got to be Holy Water.

 

[How Lucky]

Pewter....

 

[Dougie Webb]

What part of the country do you live in? If it's holy water, then it would have been a Catholic or Episcopal Church, so just consider if it's likely there would have been one of those two types of churches where you are that long ago.

 

[Breezie]

Hello P, Welcome to the Forum!
Judging by the inconsistency of the neck and shoulders plus being pitted, it appears to be 'Mama Made.' Besides a personal Holy Water bottle, it could have also been made to hold perfume. Perhaps some gent made it for 'sweets' for his sweetie.
As far as whether is it pewter or lead, lead weight almost twice the amount of pewter (48%). Nice find.

Southern Smiles
Breezie

 

[bradyboy]

my knee jerk opinion was a scale weight
if you look inside, does the inside fit the outside shape?
maybe take a pipe cleaner and fish around
Brady

 

[BuckleBoy]

Yes definitely holy water. The typology of it matches the shape and size of the modern one posted. Plus there is a history of lead ampullae going back a thousand years.

 

[Doubter in MD]

I'm not convinced it held Holy Water. I haven't been able to find much to either prove or disprove the theory and I don't have a good guess for its use. I might ask my Brother-in-Law. He's a Catholic priest.

On a side note, I have a recipe for making Holy Water.

1. Fill pot with water
2. Boil the hell out of it.