No Snow, I gotta do a Pit Dig!! Back Bar Bottle, beer and more!

jgas · Feb 7, 2012

Where oh where is the snow? :icon_sunny:

I know it's not here so I just had to get out and dig in February for the first time ever!
I had located this pit a couple months ago and thought it was just a trash pit. So I left it alone for just such an occasion like today. No Snow

So I started out digging up a pile of no nonsense fruit jars and a couple of Ball Jars. Nothing big there but this was in the first 3 feet or so. It was looking like I was right that it was a trash pit >:(

. Although there are goodies in trash pits all the time. So I kept warm by pummeling that dirt and tossing it out like a rabid groundhog on crack :tongue3:

Now it was getting interesting as I pulled out a bottle I had not seen before. A Crofts Swiss Milk Cocoa from Philly. Ground lip so thats better than ABM. Then I got another one without the embossed bottom. Strange :dontknow:

Keepers in my book. Then I hit my shovel on a solid target. That distinctive sound of heavy glass. Out pops a Killer Stunning Hendryx back bar bottle. It has gold etching and is just spectacular for a preprohibition bottle. Not really sure who made this one but its a keeper for sure. It turned out great after a quick bath.

Then it was onto the bottom and I finally found a seed layer and a broken chamber pot. Now it was no longer a trash pit but an actual privy. Broke through to the bottom and the sand layer and another "Ding" of the shovel. Thought it might have been another blank fruit jar but this time it turned out to be a late throw. A nice Muessel Brothers Aqua quart blob beer. This one dates to 1880 or so, thus it predated the entire pit by 20 plus years. Must have been the guy digging the pit and was thirsty

Another neat find was the red drinking glass that was personally etched by someone in 1912. They scratched some lettering on the glass. So that was a cool personal type find, always neat to find that kind of glass. Finished up with a cobalt medicine and a peppersauce ABM bottle. One and done today turned out great. I am glad I went and braved the 35 degree weather. Its been a great winter so far and the ground is still soft enough to probe for more. Thats tomorrow ::)

I am nuts, but I love it! Goodluck out there and be safe everyone. :icon_thumleft:

Till next time, see you below the surface :laughing9:

jgas

jgas · Feb 7, 2012

A few more pics for ya, Enjoy and thanks for looking. jgas

ModernMiner · Feb 7, 2012

WOW, that Hendryx bottle is the bomb!!! Way cool find.
You are the bottle beast. Great recoveries, and to do it in Feb. in Hoosierville is amazing. :hello2:

Way to go Buddy. :occasion14:

-Dug-

Common Cents · Feb 7, 2012

I don`t think I`ve ever seen a back-bar bottle that nice come out,in fact, I don`t recall seeing any back-bar bottle un-earthed,for that matter! That Keasby and Mattison is different also,usually they are round. Great job! You `da man!

FoxHound0985 · Feb 7, 2012

Wow, you did it again! Fantastic finds, and awesome Hendryx bottle!! :icon_thumright:

metalev4 · Feb 7, 2012

Always nice to see your posts. Not a lot of bottles on this forum, which is quickly becoming my favorite type of hunting. Great recoveries.

Papa Bear · Feb 7, 2012

A dump site into a privy site!!! Wow! Amazing! Well done!!

Nana40 · Feb 7, 2012

ModernMiner said:
WOW, that Hendryx bottle is the bomb!!! Way cool find.
You are the bottle beast. Great recoveries, and to do it in Feb. in Hoosierville is amazing.
Way to go Buddy.
-Dug-

I couldn't have said it any better! WTG on all those keepers, JG! :icon_pirat:

Nana

jgas · Feb 8, 2012

Thanks for the replies everyone :icon_thumleft:

That Hendryx was the topper for me, I just wish I could find some info on it. :dontknow:

I am gonna go out and do some more probing today, cant sit around and wait for the winter to start :tongue3:

Thanks again for the replies......jgas

CMDiamonddawg · Feb 8, 2012

I like the etched 1912 glass and , hey jgas where you going with that bottle in your hand, sorry wrong , Hendrix 8) great bottle digs and hope the weather hangs around 8)

Metal Magnet · Feb 8, 2012

i love your posts.

mamabear · Feb 8, 2012

amazing!

vibes · Feb 8, 2012

dang....you are making some amazing finds!!!!!!! I almost went bottle digging along the St. Joe last week BUT had too much to do ...now I'm kicking myself for not taking advantage of this incredible weather!

On a side note, have ya heard anything on that button?

looking4largecent · Feb 8, 2012

Wow those are some really nice bottles!!! Thanxs for the pics.

TheRockDoc · Feb 8, 2012

Wow, once again I am sitting here and staring at your pictures in awe and amazement. It is so fascinating to me that I can go my whole 29 years of life without ever thinking about old bottles/glass and then I find this site, and read your thread and wouldnt ya know it? I am itching to go get a shovel, and start diggin...... It is amazing what you find my friend. Congrats... They are beautiful.

Digginbingo · Feb 8, 2012

Wow that hendryx bottle is sweeeet... as are the rest. nice finds.

jgas · Feb 8, 2012

Thanks everyone, I will be doing some more research into the Hendryx bottle for sure. Somewhere someone has got to know something about it...I hope! Thanks again for all the great comments :thumbsup: