375 rare, vintage bottles to be auctioned online, Oct. 29-Nov. 9 A trove of 375 rare and vintage bottles will be sold to the highest bidders in an Internet and catalog auction slated for Oct. 29-Nov. 9 by American Bottle Auctions (www.americanbottle.com).
bottle,” Mr. Wichmann observed. “We can say without any hesitation that this is the finest Benicia bottle we’ve ever offered.” It is graded a near-mint 9.9.
The Bear Grass Kentucky Bourbon bottle (Braunschweiger & Bumsted, Sole Agents, San Francisco, 1883-84) is a very rare Western fifth with an applied top and an embossed bear head. The example in the auction (est. $3,000-$5,000) has a good strike with a slightly bent neck and a drippy top. It’s a terrific bottle for the advanced collector, and the grading is a respectable 9.5.
A Fells Point/Sloop half-pint flask (GVI-2), boasting a topaz coloration and a 9.2 grade, is expected to fetch $2,000-$4,000. The bottle, with sheared lip and pontil, is quite crude. There is some light highpoint wear, but generally it’s hardly noticeable amidst the bubbles and whittle. The flask comes in a variety of shades, but the unusual topaz color of this one makes it a keeper.
A beautiful sapphire example of a Lancaster Glassworks cornucopia urn flask (GIII-16) should realize $2,000-$4,000. The bottle, with sheared lip and open pontil, has a beautiful and perfect mouth, and the tubular pontil is remarkable. Graded 9.8 and hard to find in that color, the flask is worth a view in the video posted to the American Bottles website (americanbottle.com).
Rounding out the short list of anticipated top lots, a beautiful lime green Father of His Country/Taylor quart bottle (GI-39B) with sheared lip, tubular pontil, lots of whittle and great color should go for $2,000-$3,000, while a light blue Washington/Taylor quart bottle (GI-51) with applied top, nice pebbly surface and unusual blob-style top is expected to hit $2,000-$3,000.
American Bottle Auctions was founded in 1990 by Jeff Wichmann, a native Californian who has been collecting antique bottles for 40 years. Over time, the firm grew and underwent a name change, but the focus has always remained the same: to specialize in appraising, brokering, consigning and auctioning antique bottles and glass. Bottle collecting is a burgeoning genre.
Mr. Wichmann has personally researched, appraised and estimated the values of thousands of antique bottles and related items. He is often called on to appraise antique bottles and glass for private individuals and businesses. In 1999, he wrote and published The Best of the West – Antique Western Bitters Bottles, a top research guide. He has also written many articles on the subject of antique bottles.
American Bottle Auctions is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign a single bottle or an entire collection, you may call them toll-free, at 1-800-806-7722; or, you can e-mail them, at info@americanbottle. To learn more about American Bottle Auctions, and the upcoming Oct. 29-Nov. 9 Internet and catalog auction, log on to AmericanBottle.com.
