Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.-
As you probably know, treasure comes in many forms, and it is my opinion that to optimize your finds you should be familiar with a wide variety of types of treasure. I hate the idea of passing up a valuable treasure simply because it was not what I set out to find or because I didn't recognize it when I saw it. As I've said many times, just because you might be a detectorists, that doesn't limit you should avoid anything other than metal treasures. On a poor metal detecting day, you might be able to do well with another type of treasure.
I have discovered many types of treasure over the years, including fossils, bottles, ancient relics and more. You might go out metal detecting one day and notice a nice fossil, bottle or arrowhead laying on the beach, and that is the beginning of another type of treasure hunting for you.
While I started metal detecting decades ago, I only really got into fossils and bottles much later after discovering a few of those items while metal detecting. I then learned more and more about those types of treasure.
I already did a post on my favorite sea glass find, and today decided to do a post on my favorite bottle find. It turned out that I had a much more difficult time deciding which is my favorite bottle find. In fact, after doing the post I was still not sure which is my favorite bottle find.
I can easily say which is my favorite sea glass find because there is one piece of sea glass that sticks out far and above all the others. It sticks out in many ways: economic value, aesthetics, rarity, and story. I found out that was not the case for my bottles.
There are many things that can affect your opinion of which is your favorite. Your opinion might even change over time. There are times that you don't really appreciate an item until you've had time to research it and discover how unique or significant it is. Then what was a rather insignifcant find can become your favorite.
Your first find of a particular type of find often receives a lot of consideration, whether it is your first gold coin, first Spanish doubloon or whatever. Your first find of a type of treasure you always wanted to find represents a personal breakthrough and is often a long time coming.
You might consider the economic value, or the historic significance or a variety of factors. But sometimes it is something very personal. Maybe the item has a special meaning or was found on a meaningful date or represents an important occasion.
Sometimes a find is recognized by historians or archeologists or is featured in a magazine or on a web site. It might even have an academic impact.
All that said, when it comes to bottle finds, I had a hard time picking out a favorite, but if I had to pick one right now, the one shown here would be my choice. It was an early bottle find for me, and it was my first blob top bottle. It also has the nicest and most extensive embossing, which provides good researchable information.
The bottle is embossed: REGISTERED TRADEMARK HM 1889 - HENRY MUHLER 772 BEDFORD AVE. BROOKLYN, N.Y.
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| Other Side of the Same Henry Muhler Bottle. |
The bottle was likely a beer or soda bottle. I haven't found much history on the bottling company.
I should make new and better photos. Being one of my earlier bottle finds, I wasn't very good at taking bottle photos at that time. It is still challenging.
I clearly remember finding that bottle. It was the only bottle I found that day, and I hadn't found any bottles nearly that nice before. I spotted a clump of moss in shallow sand bar. The moss was completely covering the bottle.
Here is the link to the post about that bottle in my tgbottlebarn.blogspot.com site.
TreasureGuide's Bottle Barn: Henry Muhler 1889 Blob Top Bottle, Brooklyn, N.Y.
It is just as hard or harder to decide which is my seconf favorite bottle find.
This Granite State Spring Water Bottle would be one candidate.
It is embossed: TRADE MARK GRANITE STATE SPRING WATER CO.ATKINSON DEPOT, N.H.
A bottle of this type was featured in the Sept. 2010 Antique Bottle and Glass Collector Magazine (pg. 29).
I clearly remember finding this one too. There was some good eroaion and the bottom of the bottle was sticking out of the sand. I could tell from the diameter and look of the bottom, that it was probably an older bottle. The bottle dimensions are very much like those of the Stuart Bottling Works bottles I've found.
Here is the link for more about the Granite State Spring Water bottle.
TreasureGuide's Bottle Barn: Granite State Spring Water Company Bottle.
I sold some bottles. Some of them could have been among my mosst favored. I'm not sure I remember all of them now. I know one Fort Pierce Rexall bottle that I sold was pretty rare and went into a book on pharmacy bottles. I sold it before starting my Bottle Barn site and I don't know if I can find any photos of that one.
The longer I think about it the more confused I am about the ranking. There are many of about the same rank.
I sold a large Cobalt blue master ink bottle, maybe Carter's, to a fellow in Australia. I remember where I found it, but not many details of the bottle. I guess I'm again illustrating why it is good idea to take photos and record your finds. You might not remember them all after many finds and years have gone by.
Then there are the stoneware master ink bottles like those found on the SS Republic too. They have to be up there.
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| P. and J. Arnold Stoneware Master Ink Bottle Find. |
The longer I think about this, the more difficult it becomes. I'll guess I'll just stop there because the list is getting longer and longer. I forgot about the good bottle I sold. Thats another reminder to take photos and record your finds.
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The Treasure Coast surf remains around one or two feet. There will be a slightly negaitve low tide just after noon today.
Good hunting,
Treausreguide@comcast.net
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