Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
 |
Lot No. 1568 in Current Sedwick Auction.
Stafford's Olive Tar Bottle From SS Republic
|
The auction estimate for this Olive Tar bottle from the SS Republic, which sank in 1865, is $250 - $375. I'm showing this bottle because over the years I've found three Stafford's Olive Tar bottles on the Treasure Coast. I've found other bottles on the Treasure Coast like those from the SS Republic that were also sold in Sedwick auctions. Two examples include some Arnold stoneware ink bottles and two or three Lea and Perrine Worcestershire Sauce bottles. Without being documented to any shipwreck source, the bottles I found, although essentially the same, would sell for very little.
Here is a link to more information on the SS Republic wreck.
SS Republic (1853) - Wikipedia
I went out for a little bottle hunt Sunday morning and found the following four bottles. One that was older than these was badly damaged, and I didn't keep it. Too bad.
These four are my only keepers from the hunt.
 |
| Four Bottles Found on Treasure Coast Sunday. |
Left to right are an Adophus Busch Glass Manufacturing Company bottle, a Stuart Bottling Works bottle, an American Bottle company bottle, and a Bubble Up soda bottle. I only kept the soda because the paint was unusually nice for a bottle from a waterway.
The ABGMCo mark on the first bottle was used from 1802 -1916.
The Stuart Bottling Works began around 1913 and was in operation just a few years.
The American Bottle Co., having the slanted AB maker's mark, would date from 1906 - 1909.
And the Bubble Up bottle had a date code of 1962 on the bottom.
So the first three are over a hundred years old. The first and third (probably beer bottles) show a lot of nice bubbles from being hand blown.
I have a quite a few Stuart Bottling Works bottles, but I haven't found much information on them. I would like to find more history about that company. You can see what I have learned about them at TGBottleBarn.blogspot.com site.
I also found an old Coca Coal bottle, but the bottom was completely broken off, and one older rectangular bottle like the Stafford's, but half of it was missing too.
Here is a site that gives some history on Bubble Up.
I'm surprised by the many citrus and lemon-lime drinks there were. When I think of soda drinks, I think of things like Coca Cola, Pepsi, Root Beer rather than citrus or lemon-lime drinks.
---
A few days ago I posted some small finds made by Shane S. Included were some small silver/grey bits.
They could possibly be either melted aluminum or titanium, or they could even be lead or silver.
 |
| Small Bits of Silver Found Years Ago On a Treasure Coast Beach. |
Above are some small silver pieces I've found on a Treasure Coast wreck beach.
Of course you can test for silver, and a previous post I did gave some tests for titanium.
The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 4/28/19 Report - Melted Beer Can or Space Debris? Some Answers and Tests You Can Perform.
---
The surf on Monday will be small, only one or two feet. The tides are moderate.
Good hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net
