Sunday, October 26, 2014

Leadville Colorado

 

 
Leadville is a town that is significant to both aficionados of western mining history, and antique bottle collectors.

According to www.visitleadvilleco.com/history;

" Leadville has played an important role in Colorado history for more than 150 years. Leadville's mining history began in 1860 with the discovery of gold south of town, which made 2010 the 150th anniversary of the Gold Rush.

Roughly 8,000 prospectors arrived in "Oro City," their name for the makeshift town of tents and cabins. During the next five years, more than $4 million worth of gold was discovered using sluice and pan — more than at any other Colorado site. Within five years, however, the gold was playing out. The next boom would be silver. By 1880, Leadville had more than 30,000 residents, innumerable stores, hotels, boarding houses and, of course, more than 100 saloons, dance halls, gambling joints and brothels."

Today Leadville features a remarkably well preserved cross section of buildings dating back to the days of it's zenith.

--------------------------------------------------------




30,000 residents generated a lot of garbage. Old garbage. And the Leadville dump was famous for both the quantity and quality of it's pre-1900 trash.
 



 
As recently as 2011, collectors and diggers have massed at the site of this dump to try their luck.
 
As one would expect, a town (city) with 30,000 residents and abundant wealth would have bottles embossed with the name of businesses and their location on them. Because Leadville has been extensively dug for bottles, both by hand and with heavy equipment, since the late 1950's, one would expect every variant to have been documented by now.

Imagine my surprise when I received an email from a friend of a young man who had a whiskey that neither could identify. It read;

"Do you know how much about a knife edged clear flask embossed E. Keppler in an arch at front shoulder. Liquors & cigars two lines in the center front. 603 Harrison ave Leadville colo embossed across bottom front"

I had to plead ignorance. I've had a few Colorado whiskies over the years, all scarce to rare cylinders, including the Old Nectar and Windsor from Denver, and Kellenberger from Durango, to name a few. But flasks are even tougher than the cylinders and I'd never seen or even heard of one of these.
 
After a bit of scratching around, I was able to locate some particulars about E. Keppler.

A street scene of Leadville, taken in 1879 clearly shows a liquor wholesaler on Harrison Avenue. A sign advertising the establishment is plainly visible in front of the third building from the left hand corner in the closeup using a normal photo viewer (click on the photo and it will open in an enlarged window). An overlay using the photo and Google maps showed that the location was indeed 603 Harrison Ave. But, the Leadville directory for 1879 didn't list Keppler... Odd, a liquor wholesaler at the right address, but no record of E. Keppler?




  


Inquiring minds want to know, so I asked for a photo of the bottle. Sure enough, the next day a photo of it appeared in my inbox.



 
A couple of days later, I ran across a copy of a check that was endorsed by... none other than E. Keppler! It was dated Dec. 1, 1884. Proof positive of Keppler's presence in Leadville close to the time that the photo was taken. And the knife edge style of flask would fit conveniently into that era.
 
 




 
Why the discrepancy in time between the photo and the positive proof of Kepplers presence in 1884? Quite probably, he purchased the business from whomever was the startup proprietor.
 

 
 
 
And so it would appear that we have a newly discovered flask from Leadville Colorado. A significant piece of Colorado and early western mining history that the owner should be proud to own.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 






Update
 
An old pal of mine, who has access to additional resources, just sent in the following information;

1881 - First Leadville Directory (Colorado directories for 1878 "New Mining Town - population 2000 and rapidly increasing" and 1879 do not list any proprietors.)

1881 - 1883 Leadville Directories do not have listings for him

1884 - First listing. E. Keppler wholesale and retail liquor and cigars 603 Harrison


1888 - Last directory with entry for Earnest Keppler at 603 Harrison

1889 - 1892 at 606 Harrison

1893 and 1894 at 618 Harrison Avenue

Glen Preble, in Impressed In Time, notes him at 603 Harrison from 1882 through 1889. Not sure if he has directories he called upon that I did not have available to me.

Starting in 1890, 603 Harrison is the address for Carl Nollenberger (2 different flat flasks).

From 1893 to 1906, Carl is in business with Mrs. Ed Nollenberger and from 1907 - 1915,

Carl is again the sole proprietor at 603 Harrison Avenue.
 
Thanks Ralph!
 
Photo credits; Keppler endorsed check from sanjuanslim - ebay, digging scenes AB&GC, Leadville street scenes internet.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Fall 2014 Whiskey List

Well folks;
Let's give this a shot.
I am trying to include the 14 page fall list on the website.

Call or email for photos and additional descriptions, or to reserve a bottle.

ID Numbers before description are from Western Whiskey Bottles 4th Edition.

Many of these items are from my personal collection.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Western Whiskeyana


Fall 2014

Website: www.westernwhiskeytooltopgazette.com


Unless otherwise noted, all items are free of chips, dings, scratches, stain, repairs, or other post production “excuses”. We do our best to eliminate unpleasant “surprises” and strive to honestly describe the item as if you were holding it in your hand. If we miss a flaw and you are dis-satisfied, feel free to return the item for a refund. We do request that you call prior to shipping an item back. Satisfaction guaranteed.

 EEEEEEE     FFFFFFF

 Limited Supply remaining – Western Whiskey Bottles 4th Edition. $25~ Post Paid via USPS Media Rate.

F------------------------<>--------------------------E

Collect Shot Glasses? We’ve got nearly

 80 eastern & western pre-pro glasses available. SASE or email for list.

Also have a few new copies of Barb Edmunson's pre-pro shot glass books. $20~ Post Paid USPS Media Rate.
 
EEEEEEE     FFFFFFF
 
Wishing to liquidate your collection? We pay top dollar and are actively seeking single items or entire collections. Call us first or call us last, just please call!
 
EEEEEEE     FFFFFFF
 
Bruce Silva

P. O. Box 1565

Jacksonville, Or. 97530

Phone: 541-899-8411 Email: jsglass@q.com
 
EEEEEEE     FFFFFFF
 
A few small footnotes; We don’t sell via online auctions! Instead, we prefer to deal with fellow collectors in the same friendly manner that we have for the past three plus decades. We do, on occasion, list an item  or two as a "Buy it Now" opportunity. Watch for "jeffstateglass". Crisp, unaltered photos of any item are available via email for the asking. All shipping costs are at net via USPS based on 97530 as the shipping point. USPS will not honor a damage claim unless specific procedures are followed. In the unlikely event that a bottle is damaged in transit, you must call us immediately so we can assist in processing the claim.

 
Western Shows 2014

Check our website for up to date west coast show listings.

 
November 8th, 2014 (Saturday) - Annual Tulare Collectible Show and Sale Vets Hall 1771 East Tulare Ave. (Hwy 137) Tulare California. Contact: Bob Merzoian 559 781-6319
 

06 December 2014 (Saturday) Roseville, California49er Historical Bottle Associations 37th Annual “Best of the West” Historic Bottle & Glass Show Placer County Fairgrounds, 800 All America City Boulevard, Roseville, California, Saturday, Contact: Mike McKillop, 916.367.1829, pville1871@yahoo.com

 
This has been a busy summer in terms of acquisitions. We secured one grouping in early June, another large collection just before the 4th of July, and another recently. All better bottles are on this new list. We also have cases of good but inexpensive whiskies sitting here, looking for a new home. All are priced well below the going rate. Call if interested. We also have a quantity of Southern Cal. and S. F. pre-pro shot glasses.


#
Description
5
Adams – Booth Co. (picture of anchor) Sacramento, Cal.; tool top, clear with light purple tint, touch of character, good strike, 3/8" diameter cats-eye bruise on back of neck with no glass loss.
7
Ahrens Bullwinkle Co. / Trade / picture of full body bull Elk / Mark / San Francisco, Cal.; tooled, brilliant light yellow amber, character throughout, touch of whittle, razor sharp embossing, a few bubbles, it's hard to imagine a better example. Only the 2nd one we've had. A top example
35
Dr. Bauers / Wild Cherry Cordial / Schlesinger & Bender / Sole Agents; tooled, med. purple, bold strike, loads of bubbles, some cleanable haze, original colored & embossed neck foil.
51
G. O. Blakes / Pond Reynolds (etc.etc.), crude glop top, extremely light amber (more yellow than amber), good strike, dug in VC a while back, has a crack from lip to shoulder in the back, cheap.
53g
G.O. Blakes/ Bourbon Co. / Ky / Whisky (picture of 2 barrels)/ Miller Stewart & Co. / Louisville Ky.; crude glop top sixth, red orange amber (bordering on puce), extreme crudity, seed and champagne bubbles abound - large tear at shoulder, massive amounts of spillover, "playdough" strike - nice and crude, only the 2nd example we've encountered in 48 years - and it's a knockout.
67
Boulevard OK Bourbon / H. Buneman / Sole Agent / S.F. Cal.(all inside of what appears to be a belt with a buckle and a sharks fin?); shades of medium to darker ambers, very crisp and well defined strike, bubbles give it some character, showy and rare.
68
Boulevard OK Bourbon / Buneman & Martinoni / Sole Agents / S.F. Cal.(all inside of what appears to be a belt with a buckle and a sharks fin?); glop top, clear with a slight gray caste, very crisp and well defined strike, decent spillover, couple light scratches, touch of character. We have two - one is on hold - the other is available.
69
Boulevard OK Bourbon / Buneman Mercantile / Sole Agents / S.F. Cal.(all inside circular slugplate); tooled, very light orange amber, numerous larger bubbles, bold strike, crude tooling in top, base has some deformity, 3/8" long fairly deep scratch or pull chip at base, in my own collection for years and was one of the toughest tool tops for me to acquire, time to let it go.
72
J. E. Brady / Sequoia / Mill Valley, Cal.; tooled, shades of medium orange amber, crisp strike, a bit crude with some whittle, a top “attic find” example, about perfect & never in the ground.
75
Bear Grass Bourbon / S. F. / picture of bear head in triangle / Braunschweiger & Co.; (all in large round slug plate), tooled, clear, killer strike - you can count the hairs on the bear, couple of bottle brush rub marks in neck,
76
Bear Grass Bourbon / picture of bear head in triangle / Braunschweiger & Co.; (all in large oval slug plate), crude tooled top, clear, killer strike, this is the scarce variant without S.F., unlisted with tooled top, touch of character, has a few freeze related issues on the reverse in the form of flashes, only one (right shoulder at the mold seam) is even slightly visible on display, rare.
79
Golden Rule / XXXX / Whiskey / Braunschweiger & Co. Inc. S.F.; tooled top, have 2 - light to medium orange amber - another darker, , bold strike, lots of character, about mint, scarce.
80
Oak Valley Distilling Co. (picture of Griffin) Extra Pony Braunscheiger & Co. Sole Agents; (no Trade Mark”) tooled, clear, good strike, crack, stain, a good starter / space filler.
90
Brunsing, Tolle & Postel (large fancy logo) San Francisco; tooled, medium to lighter amber - notable difference in color densities, lots of character, crudely tooled top, numerous bubbles.
95g
Buffalo Old Bourbon / (picture of buffalo charging from left to right) / Geo. E. Dierssen & Co. / Sacramento / Cal.; glop top, clear w/ light steel gray hue, good strike, some spillover in spots, strong strike, touch of spotty light interior content residue or haze, none of the typical annealing flashes that are seen on these bottles, we've had three over the years - this is the best of the trio.
100
California Winery / intertwined logo / Sacramento; tooled, med. amber, bulge neck, crisp strike, couple of tiny scratches, bit of character, this is the first we’ve seen or had.
103
Henry Campe & Co. / Old Kentucky / OK Extra / Bourbon Whiskey / San Francisco, Cal. tooled, clear with light amethyst tint, bold strike, full faced embossing, this is only the second I've encountered in 48 years of collecting and is from my personal collection, one of the top toolies.
111
Cartan McCarthy & Co (large ornate intertwined logo)San Francisco; crude glop top with nearly 3/8" spillover on the left, light amber at shoulder graduating to light orange amber at base, a couple of tears and bubbles, swirl through the rear mid-section, maybe the faintest touch a light patchy dirt inside the right shoulder, scattered chunky whittle, one of the nicest C/M glops around.
112
Cartan, McCarthy & Co. (ornate large logo) San Francisco; tooled, medium orange amber, bold strike, a few bubbles, Illinois Pacific Glass Works <> base mark, a neat bottle that's affordable.
116v
Caspers Whiskey / Made by Honest North Carolina People; tooled, clear - yep clear with a slight amethyst tint, petaled shoulders, couple of nice streaks of flux in the glass - bubbles - decent character and a great strike, tiny rough spot on tip of the lip, first of these we've had. Rare in clear.
116
Caspers Whiskey / Made by Honest North Carolina People; tooled, dense peacock to cobalt blues, lots of bubbles, petaled shoulders, couple of letters are lightly struck, always popular.
122
Cerruti Mercantile Co. Inc. / fancy monogram / S.F. Cal.; tooled, med. reddish orange amber, bulge neck, crisp strike, several bubbles, no "net contents", couple of light scratches on back.
123
Cerruti Mercantile Inc. / fancy intertwined logo / San Francisco; tooled top, super lt. orange amber, swirl shoulder, couple of bubbles, couple light scratches.
126
Chenery Souther & Co. S.F. (on shoulder); crude glop top with a large drip, orange amber, 3 pc. Mold, swirls, large tear bubbles in neck, good whittle at shoulder, a strong example. Cheap
126v
Chenery Souther & Co./ -> S.F.<- in="" line="" on="" script="" shoulder="" u="" wavy="">; crudely applied glop top w/ 360* spillover, 3 piece mold, light dried apricot amber, hammered with whittle, tears and seeds, bottle was pro-cleaned but retains some scratches and a flat 1/4" fleck off the base, rare. Cheap
133t
Old Bourbon / Castle / Whiskey / F. Chevalier & Co. / Sole Agents; very crude tool top, brilliant red orange amber - bordering on puce, chunky play dough strike, hammered with chunky whittle, heavy waves of swirls, champagne bubbles, the crudest tooled Castle we've ever seen. And Color!
134g
Chevaliers / Ginger Brandy / Trade (FC&Co mono on shoulder) Mark; crude glop top, light yellow amber, bold strike, a few bubbles - one massive one at the base under Chevalier's, touch of content residue inside (probably rinse out easily), crude mis-shapen top, two 1" scratches - 1 on neck - 1 just below on the air vent (probably a bottle rake mark), the lightest of these we've seen
135
The F. Chevalier Co. / (ornate intertwined logo) / Whiskey Merchants / San Francisco, Cal. / “Net Contents (etc.)” at base; tooled, light orange amber, really crisp strike, lots of tiny
bubbles (one shallow open onion skin bubble on side seam), a super nice example.
144v
The F. ChevalierS Co. / ornate picture of Castle / Castle Whiskey / San Francisco, Cal.; tooled, medium red orange amber, unusually crisp strike, crooked neck, touch of foil residue on the neck and a trace of content residue inside, correct Riley IT picture stopper (as hard to find as this bottle), this is a tough one - #144 mold but with a plural spelling, we’ve only seen a couple.
144
The F. Chevalier Co. / ornate picture of Castle / Castle Whiskey / San Francisco, Cal.; tooled, medium amber, couple of light rub marks, whittle @ shoulder, best strike we’ve ever seen!
144.1
The F. Chevalier Co. / ornate picture of Castle / Castle Whiskey / San Francisco, Cal.; QUART! tooled Riley IT with generic stopper, exceptional strike, bubbles, character, 1st Qt. we've had.
165
P. Claudius & Co. / Distillers / San Francisco, Cal.; tooled with generic IT Riley stopper, medium red-orange amber, good strike, couple bubbles, nice variation in colors throughout.
168
Bottled (slugged in) “by” Clinch & Co. / (shoulder monogram) / Dealers in / Wines and Liquors / Grass Valley / Cal.; tooled, amethyst, crisp strike, touch of content res., couple bubbles, Color!
170
Bottled for Clinch & Co. / Dealers in / Wines and Liquors / Grass Valley / Cal. (shoulder monogram).; tooled, clear, fantastic strike, faint trace of content res., couple bubbles
187t
E. Commins & Co. (large fancy logo) San Francisco Cal.; early tool top, medium orange amber, 4 mold, character, bold strike, issue free.
188
Commodores / Royal / OK / Bourbon K.y. / (all in ornate banner beneath picture of crown) / Marx & Jorgenson / Portland, Ogn.; tooled corker, light amethyst, 4 mold, crude, swirls of un-disolved flux give a clam broth barber pole effect from the lip through the body, crisp strike, couple of scrapes, we sold this one several years ago and just took it back in on trade, last sale was $750~.
189
Commodores / Royal / OK / Old / Bourbon & Rye (all in ornate banner beneath picture of crown) / E. C. Jorgenson & Co. / Portland, Ogn.; tooled Riley patent IT with generic stopper, clear, bold strike, loads of crudity, swirls, champagne bubbles, about perfect, we had one several years ago.
197
M. Cronan & Co. / logo / Sacramento, Cal.; tooled, medium amber, crisp strike, nice.
201g
Crown Distilleries / ornate picture of crown and CD Co. logo) / Company; crude glop top with 360* heavy spillover, 4 piece mold, correct stopper, shades of dense blood red and puce, hammered with whittle, extreme crudity, a few small bubbles scattered throughout, striking swirls of different shades of red radiate throughout, it’s been years since we’ve had one. A top example.
209
Cunningham / Distilleries Co. Inc (all on exterior border of round slug plate) / San Francisco / Cal.; tooled, bright copper amber, loads of character, couple of bubbles, waviness and folds in glass, we found them in business for less than a year - 1907 - residing in the Mutual Savings Bank Bldg. 704 Market St. - Huh?, can't be many of these out there since we've never seen another.
220
J. H. Cutter / Old Bourbon / A. P. Hotaling & Co / Sole Agents; crude GLOP top, shades of ambers ranging from deep espresso at the base to a deep copper amber at the shoulder, boldest imaginable "play dough" strike - most are flat, crude glop top with some spillover, a few faint scratches scattered here and there - mostly on the rear, faint rub marks are present in three 3/16" areas near the base beneath the E in Sold and the A in Agents, hammered with whittle throughout ranging from massively chunky to dimpled, champagne bubbles throughout, a huge horizontal tear on the reverse has a bubble on top of a bubble on top of a bubble - the onion skin cover on the top bubble has what under a loop appears to be an annealing flaw - somewhat milky on the margins.
221
J. H. Cutter / Old Bourbon / (crown) /A. P. Hotaling & Co / Sole - 4 mold A#1 rev.; crude glop top with heavy spillover, extremely light amber, great strike, tears and other bubbles, crude, swirls, whittled lower half, ca. late 1870's, an outstanding example in a mega light coloration.
 
 
221
J. H. Cutter / Old Bourbon / (crown) /A. P. Hotaling & Co / Sole - 4 mold plain rev.; crude glop top with 360* spillover, medium old amber, notable difference in color between upper and lower half, decent strike, bubbles, swirls, touch of whittle, overall crudity, couple of scattered very faint scratches, a great example of an early (ca. mid 1870's) circle Cutter.
221
J. H. Cutter / Old Bourbon / (crown) /A. P. Hotaling & Co / Sole - 4 mold A#1 rev.; crude glop top with good spillover on rear, extremely light amber, great strike, tears - seeds and other bubbles, crude, swirls, touch of whittle at base, loads of character, ca. late 1870's, an outstanding example in a mega light coloration.
221
J. H. Cutter / Old Bourbon / (crown) /A. P. Hotaling & Co / Sole - 2 mold A#1 rev..; crude glop top with lots of spillover, extremely light amber, boldest possible strike, a few bubbles, crude, awesome range of color from near yellow at shoulder to bright light orange at base, goose bump whittle, small potstone at shoulder has minute partial thickness interior legs, killer color and top.
221
J. H. Cutter / Old Bourbon / (crown) /A. P. Hotaling & Co / Sole Agents - 2 mold A#1 rev, crude glop top with spillover, odd copper amber with puce undercurrent, boldest possible strike, couple of large tears in neck, swirls, fine goose bump whittled texture, a nice contrast with the others.
222g
J. H. Cutter / Old Bourbon / (crown) / Bottled By/ A. P. Hotaling & Co. ; crude glop top, shades of amber, we’ve got a couple right now – nice examples with loads of character. Call.
228
J. F. Cutter / Extra / Trade – star within shield – Mark / Old Bourbon; glop top, lighter old amber, star base - flat top "A"s and the trademark western serif "R's", T46-4, crude top with spillover up to 3/16" on the right, bold strike, crude w/ some whittle, light scratch on shoulder at and in back of the right mold seam when view from front, a couple other light ones scattered about, bottle leans slightly rearward, touch of dirt remains in recesses of letter - top and inside, no post production chips - cracks - dings, numerous champagne seed bubbles scattered throughout, couple fine string bubbles in neck, a solid example of the curved "R" J. F. Cutter glop.
228
Same as above; glop top, medium amber with light tones of reddish tobacco, crude w/ some whittle, a couple of light scattered scratches, couple of small tears here and there, paper thin flake on the base edge in back of the right mold seam - inspection with a glass shows what appears to be a tiny potstone (no cracks), as the point of origin for the approx. 4mm wide by 2.5mm high flake.
233
J. H. Cutter / Old / Bourbon / “bird” (all inside circle) / J. H. Cutter / Old / Bourbon / Trade fancy picture of barrel with JHC in center over crown / Marks  / C. P. Moorman Manufacture Louisville, KY / A. P. Hotaling & Co. Sole Agents (obverse) Cutter / O.K. / Whisky (reverse shoulder); crude glop top with spillover, light to medium amber with reddish overtones, way above average strike for this variant, character - whittle, couple of bottle brush scratches in neck
233
Same as above; shallow open bubble on the front shoulder seal at the "on" in Bourbon, good top with decent spill, nice looking bottle at a nice price.
234
J. H. Cutter Old Bourbon / highly detailed picture of barrel with JHC in center / trade mark held up by two barrel ends embossed J. H. Cutter Old Bourbon over picture of crown &  J. H. Cutter Pure Old Rye over picture of crown / C. P. Moorman Manufacturer Louisville, KY  / Cutter Whisky on reverse shoulder, tooled, clear with an amethystine tint, extremely bold strike, some interior stain / haze, 3/16” rough spot on top left “T” of Cutter, couple of 1mm nicks, numerous bubbles, good character, a scarce bottle that should clean up nicely.
237g
Cutter O.K. Whisky in circle on obverse shoulder / J. H. Cutter Old Bourbon / trade fancy slugged in crown over picture of barrel with JHC in center /marks /C. P. Moorman Manufacturer Louisville, KY /  A. P. Hotalings O.K. Cutter Whisky on reverse shoulder; crude glop top, light transparent orange amber, slugged crown, tons of character, bold strike, pull / stretch marks in neck, great variation in color density, tears, bubbles, gutsy & crisp strike, a very strong example.
243
G
Davy Crocket Pure Old Bourbon / Hey, Grauerholz & Co. S.F. Sole Agents ; crude GLOP top, old amber, top was crudely applied with dip in the lip and nearly 360* of spillover, crude - the neck and top lean hard to the left, awesome strike, bubbles, couple of light scratches - small rough spot back of right mold seam, "V" in Davy has light strike where shallow bubble skin is missing, pro cleaned by Lou, about a half dozen exist, Thomas 2002 value $2500~ - $3500~ Reduced by half!
245
Delaney & Young / Eureka, / Calif.; tooled corker, medium orange amber, great strike, crudely tooled top, we see ten inside thread closures to each cork closure, a very scarce No. Cal bottle.
257
J. C. Donnelly Co. / fancy logo / Sacramento, Cal.; tooled IT fifth, medium orange amber, bold crisp strike, fancy, scarce bottle.
289t
A. Fenkhausen & Co. / large logo / San Francisco; tooled, light amethyst, killer strike with excellent definition, some decent whittle, a little cleanable haze, loads of character, nice!
291a
Wm. H. Spears & Co. / Old  / Pioneer Whiskey / large detailed picture of a grizzly bear / A. Fenkhausen & Co. / Sole Agents; crude Glop Top, shades of bright lighter ambers, this is the earliest variant with curved "R"s - the riveted mold patch on the reverse and the A. Fenkhausen mold re-work on the face, the strike is bolder than most but the bear is typically lacking in crisp detail, the E in SpEars is extremely prominent, the bottle is loaded with character, the top is WAY oversized, overall issue free, this is a top example of one of the top western glop picture whiskies.
291c
Wm. H. Spears & Co. / Old  / Pioneer Whiskey / large detailed picture of a grizzly bear / A. Fenkhausen & Co. / Sole Agents; tooled top, bright lighter amber! extremely crisp and bold strike - it looks like it could have been blown yesterday, some stretch marks in the neck, seed bubbles, quite a bit of character, the amber toolies are flat rare, an issue free - nicest possible example.
291d
Wm. H. Spears & Co. / Old  / Pioneer Whiskey / large detailed picture of a grizzly bear / A. Fenkhausen & Co. / Sole Agents; crude glop top, clear, awesome strike is crisp and so bold that the bear looks like he’s ready to walk away, strong whittle marking, clean and free of the normally encountered annealing flashes and check marks, another German Connection picture fifth. Rare.
291f
Wm. H. Spears & Co. / Old  / Pioneer Whiskey / large detailed picture of a grizzly bear / A. Fenkhausen & Co. / Sole Agents; tooled top, light amethyst, extremely crisp and bold strike, touch of character, may have been lightly cleaned, the nicest example we’ve encountered.
291
Same as above. 1/16" bruise on base. Ice-pick flash in the top at the rear - no show on display.
311
Giacomini & Boyd / Ferndale Cal. ("full measure" on obverse shoulder); tooled, medium amber, good strike, small town whiskies are scarce - Ferndale kicks it up a notch!
316
Dave D. Gibbons (fancy logo) San Francisco; tooled, medium orange amber, bold - crisp strike, bubbles, couple light scratches, lots of fine orange peel whittle, darndest base mark I've ever seen - a huge number 43 superimposed over PCGW with a small number 43 beneath all of that. A neat bottle. Hard to believe that it's been years since we had our last Dave Gibbons.
317
Theo Gier Co. / Oakland / Cal.; tooled, light - bright orange amber, couple of huge tears, great strike with embossing in circular slug plate, super light coloration especially in the shoulder area.
322g
(Fancy Logo)  Bottled by Goldberg Bowen & Lebenbaum Importers of  Wines and Liquors  426 to 432 Pine St. S.F.; glop top with stippling & excellent spillover, clear, touch of whittle and crudity, good strike, 1/16" tick on inside of lip, light scratch on back at base, A+ example
325g
(Fancy Logo)  Bottled by Goldberg Bowen & Co. Importers of  Wines and Liquors  426 to 432 Pine St. S.F.; glop top with stippling, loads of spillover, clear, hammered with whittle, a ton of crudity, great strike, a couple of minute flecks off the base at the rear, killer example.
331
Gold Crown Whiskey / Genuine Only With / Brand / On Corks / Felterson & Co. / Sacramento / Cal.; tooled, clear, all embossing within circular slug plate, bold strike, touch of whittle, lots of character, a few small bubbles, couple dings, couple of flakes, displays well. Consigned / reduced!
332
Full Measure (on shldr) Golden & Co. Mail Order House San Francisco, Cal. Net Contents One Quart; tooled, med. amber, touch of character, few bubbles, no excuses, good shape.
333
Golden Eagle / Distilleries Co. / detailed picture of ornate left facing Eagle in flight holding shield of the union, arrows and palm frond / San Francisco, Ca.  tooled, medium orange amber, crisp & detailed strike, bubbles, this is the previously listed variant - see following bottle, a rare picture,
333.1
Golden Eagle / Distilleries Co. / detailed picture of ornate left facing Eagle in flight holding shield of the union, arrows and palm frond / San Francisco, Ca.  tooled, red amber, crisp & detailed strike, some whittle at shoulder, this is a newly recognized mold, recently identified as a variant - all aspects of the embossing differ significantly from previously documented examples.
343
Jno.H. Graves / Old / Kentucky / Whiskey / San Jose Cal.; tooled, extremely light yellow amber, bold chiseled embossing, numerous bubbles, touch of washable dirt, the slug plate was inserted off center and the embossing is notably crooked, few bubbles, fancy & just plain rare.
347
Large intertwined logo at shoulder / Bottled By . J. Gundlach & Co. / California / Wines & Brandies / San Francisco; glop top, clear with a "steel" tint, 9 7/8" tall, notable stippling on the top, scattered fine scratches - 1/8" +/- contact ding on the top left corner of the E in Bottled, Thomas stated one clear pint example known - this must be it. Only one we've ever encountered.
348
Gundlach- Bundschu Wine Co. (detailed picture) San Francisco, Cal.; tooled, med. amber, bulge neck, typical strike for this variant with some weakness in picture, about mint, 1st one in years.
353g
Hall. Luhrs & Co. / logo / Sacramento; crude glop top, clear with that “German connection” straw colored hue, super bold strike, a touch of whittle, free of normal annealing flaws
353
Hall. Luhrs & Co. / logo / Sacramento; tooled IT with generic stopper, med. amber, nice.
355
Hanford Liquor Store / Vucovich Bros.; tooled, clear with a faint smoky tint, bold strike, couple of bubbles, trace of  haze & light scratching on one rear corner, should clean easily.
362
Adolph Harris & Co. / (detailed picture of stags head) / San Francisco; tooled, light orange amber, highly detailed picture, strong & well defined embossing, touch of character, nice.
371
Ed / Henry / Napa / Cal. (all embossing in round slug-plate); tooled, shades of deep – dense red / orange amber, BOLD strike, swirls and other forms of character, best we’ve seen.
378
Major Gray / intertwined logo / Whiskey; tooled, varying shades of orange and red ambers - quite light at the shoulder, uncharacteristically crude with pinch marks in the neck and swirls through the body, bold strike, a couple of light scratches keep it from being called mint, nice!
382t
Hildebrandt Posner & Co.(in Horseshoe arc) (monogram) S.F.; tooled, shades of orange ambers, very crisp and well defined embossing, this is the new mold and probably was produced by the same folks that made the newest OPS - the style of the embossing is virtually identical, 2 pc. mold, character galore, several bubbles (one open onion skin on the back).
382t
Hildebrandt Posner & Co.(in Hosreshoe arc) (monogram) S.F.; tooled in the glop top mold, bright light orange amber, 4mold, killer strike, character, whittle, stretch marks in neck, no feel 3/16" bright spot in lip - no glass loss, slight touch of content residue, displays fine, cheap.
382g
Hildebrandt Posner & Co.(in Horseshoe arc) (monogram) S.F.; crude glop top, medium amber, 4mold, very bold strike, exceptional crudity, heavy whittle, full of bubbles, crooked neck, huge oversized glop top with outstanding 360* spillover up to ¼”, professionally repaired with a new top – it is undetectable, ½ the price of a perfect one, crudest we’ve seen.
383
Hildebra-dt Posner & Co. / (monogram) / S.F. Cal.; mis-spelled (they forgot the "N"), tooled, potstone with star on rear shoulder, great strike, couple of light scratches and a rough spot on lip, listed as a 5th this one is 28 Oz - a first! we just took this one back in trade, only one we've seen.
384
Hildebrandt Posner & Co. /  (monogram) / S.F. Cal.; tooled IT, medium amber, crisp strike, we've got two - a corker and another with the correct Riley IT stopper. Same price each.
385
Hildebrandt Posner & Co. /  (monogram) / S.F. Cal.; tooled corker, medium amber, bubbles, crisp strike, touch of cleanable inside dirt, squat corker (maybe a 5th?), some crudity, scarce.
386
T. H. Fall / Spring 92 Bourbon / Hildebrandt Posner & Co. / S. F.; tooled, light to medium amber, great strike, a few bubbles, some character, small scratch on side, somewhat scarce.
400
Hoffschlaeger Co. LTD (fancy intertwined monogram) Honolulu; tooled, light yellow  orange, touch of character, bold strike, sm. scratch on rear, much lighter color than normal. Good buy!
419
Imperial Cocktails / logo / San Francsico, Cal.; tooled, medium SCA, crude, bubbles, swirls, big chunk of pot slag embedded in glass, couple of light scratches, this is the nicest we've seen.
421
Imperial Crown / ornate crown monogram in center / Carroll & Carroll, S.F.; tooled, bright orange amber, 4 pc. Mold, several bubbles of varying size (a couple on reverse are surface bubbles), bold strike, some crudity, annealing flash on rear shoulder, a rare & desirable item.
439
Kennel Club / intertwined logo / San Francisco, Cal.; tooled, med. to darker amber, this is the variant with “CO.” in the logo, bold strike, pleasing rich color, crude, a cut above the norm. Note; we have 3 different variants of this bottle at this time - all priced right and all are strong examples.
474
Langert Wine Co. / 422 Sprague Ave. / Spokane, Wa.; tooled, light SCA, quart, couple fine scratches, one onion-skin bubble is open on the rear. Don't see many of these.
495
Lilienthal & Co.* / (large ornate logo and crown inside) / * Distillers; (large emb. variant) glop top, 3/16 drip - mainly at rear, rich orange amber, extremely bold strike, loaded with a myriad of bubbles - one patch of bubbles cascades in a barber pole fashion from the top at the left mold seam swirling counterclockwise through the shoulder and down into the body, another huge area of frothy bubbles is present in the rear at the shoulder, a couple of very fine scratches keep it from being called mint, it's fancy!
495
Lilienthal & Co.*  / (large ornate logo and crown inside) / * Distillers;  (large badge variant) crude glop top with some decent drip, medium orange amber, bubbles loaded with crudity, killer bold strike, trace of light inside dirt rear shoulder, hard to see annealing flash in neck
497
Lilienthal & Co.* / (small ornate logo and crown inside) / * San Francisco; glop top, 3/16 drip - mainly at rear, bright yellow amber that passes light with ease, a notable difference in color density is present, good strike, neck is notably crooked and leans left, the glop is crudely executed, a touch of inside dirt / haze is present, some goose bump whittle is present near the base, a couple of light fine scratches exist but are not readily visible. As nice of a small badge as we've seen.
498
Lilienthal & Co. / S. F.; (all embossing on shoulder) glop top, crude glop with lots of spillover, yellow amber, crude with overall whittle and loads of character, loaded with all shapes and sizes of bubbles and tears ranging from champagne seeds to huge tears, large gobs of tobacco juice in the neck, boldest possible strike, part of the embossing is slumped in noticeably on the right. Nice.
507t
W. A. Gaines & Co. / Frankfort K.Y. / S.F. / Private Stock / Old Bourbon / Livingston & Co. / Sole Agents; crude early tool top, star on base, shades of orange ambers – somewhat darker reddish orange toward the base, boldly struck, 4 mold, bubbles, loads of character, earliest mold with crudity in keeping – should be a glop top, outstanding example.
508
Livingston & Co / S-L-F / Private Stock / Old Bourbon  / Livingston & Co. / Sole Agents; tooled, darker amber, this is a new variant that I've not seen before - reworked / peened over Gaines / Frankfort mold, 2 mold, star base, good character, couple of bubbles, an oddball.
509
Livingston & Co / S-L-F / Private Stock / rivet slug plate / Livingston & Co. / Sole Agents; tooled, shades of medium orange amber, 2 mold, S.F. star embossed on base, extremely bold rivet slug plate, decent character, couple of bubbles, close examination shows a slightly roughened texture to the glass on the right rear shoulder and one 1mm ping near the base.
517
Lovejoy & Co. (fancy log) Honolulu T.H., tooled top, shades of amber, bold strike, a few light scratches, a scarce Honolulu cylinder, we haven't gotten any fresh ones in since 2008.
525
McDonald & Cohn / San Francisco; tooled, amber, good strike, IT with Riley patent stopper.
529
McLeod-Hatje Co. / Wines & Liquor / logo / Merchants / San Francisco; tooled, lighter orange amber, very good strike, couple real god sized bubbles, touch of cleanable inside dirt.
534t
MacFarlane & Co / large fancy logo / Honolulu, Hi; ext. crude tooled top, crisp and bold strike, rich orange amber, much cruder than most of the tooled Macs, lots of bubbles and tears, overall whittle and character, stretch marks & tear bubbles in top down through the neck, lightly pro-cleaned to remove rust and neck foil residue, crude dip & stretch marks in top & single ring in line with the left mold seam - the top is so crude that it barely missed being glopped.
536
Manhattan Club / picture of 3 leaf clover or club / Pure Rye Whiskey (in slug plate) / T&A Goux / Sole Agents / Santa Barbara; tooled, very light orange amber, crude, scarcer slug plate variant, very crisp strike, crude, whittle, touch of inside dirt, lots of character, good one.
539
Marx & Jorgenson / large fancy logo / Portland, Or.; crude glop top, clear, one of the rarest of the Oregon whiskies, sadly it’s damaged, a couple of cracks and a ding here and there, cheap~
551
Meyerfeld, Mitchell & Co. / intertwined logo / San Francisco, Cal.; tooled, light - light yellow amber, loads of character and crudity, crisp strike, big slurps of tobacco juice down the neck, 3/16" annealing check is in the top at the rear, I missed it the 1st several times I viewed the piece.
552
Meyerfeld, Mitchell & Co. / logo – Days of 49 / Trade Mark / Cincinnati & San Francisco; tooled, clear with that hue in the glass that says it'll turn deep amethyst, bold strike, bulge neck, slight content residue, nice example, (you should see their saloon sign!), last one we had was 2005.
566
Durham (picture of anatomically correct Durham bull)Whiskey; glop top, medium amber, this is the rare footed variant, poor quality glass often resulted in this bottle requiring a pro-cleaning - it has cleanable haze and stain, base chip, from my personal collection I've had it since the 70's.
568g
picture of elk antlers with Trade / Mark inside) J.  Moore/ >< Bourbon; crude glop top, 4 piece mold, darker pucey amber, good strike, whittle, seeds and bubbles, character abounds, they have been dug in the early Nevada camps - we've only seen a couple of these, a rare picture glop.
568t
picture of elk antlers with Trade / Mark inside) J.  Moore/ >< Bourbon; crude tooled top in the glop mold, super light amber at the shoulder, bubbles, 2 piece mold,  notably bold strike, 11 7/8" tall, looks obviously western to me as eastern variants are stubby, neck is crooked, nice one!
 
Please Note! Bob’s 4th Edition has the Jesse Moore numbers and pictures reversed. Please use the written descriptions, and not the pictures, for reference to correct numbering!
569g
Jesse Moore & Co. (picture of elk antlers) Moore Hunt & Co. Sole Agents (abbrv. descr.); Glop top, medium orange amber, crudity, character, great strike, good top, a nice early full faced glop!
569t
Jesse Moore & Co. (picture of elk antlers) Moore Hunt & Co. Sole Agents (abbrv. descr.); tool tops, have a few - these are generally neater made than the glops, pricing from $40~ on up.
570t
Jesse Moore & Co. (picture of elk antlers) Moore Hunt & Co. San Francisco (abbrv. descr.); tooled, medium amber, crisp strike, some character, an affordable full-faced western whiskey.
578g
Phoenix /Old /  ornate picture of the Phoenix arising from flames / Bourbon / Naber, Alfs & Brune / S. F. / Sole Agents; full faced glop top, good strike, owner unsure - but it appears to me to have been cleaned,
578g
Phoenix /Old /  ornate picture of the Phoenix arising from flames / Bourbon / Naber, Alfs & Brune / S. F. / Sole Agents; glop top, very light amber, massive tear bubbles, inside haze / stain, great strike, touch of wear on shoulder, potstone with  1/2" flash on rear near base, cheap!
579
Phoenix / ornate picture of the Phoenix arising from flames / Whiskey / Naber Alfs & Brune / San Francisco; tooled, medium orange amber, average strike - bold lettering / weak wing feathers, large bird facing right, 2 piece mold, couple of light scratches, we've got a couple, nice.
582
Phoenix / ornate picture of the Phoenix arising from flames / Bourbon / Naber Alfs & Brune / San Francisco; tooled, light orange amber, large bird facing right, crisp strike, always popular.
583
Phoenix / ornate picture of the Phoenix arising from flames / Bourbon / Naber Alfs & Brune / San Francisco; tooled, light orange amber, small bird facing left, decent strike in the lettering - typical light definition in the bird, a few bubbles, touch of character, fancy color - clean.
586a
Simmond’s / Nabob / Trade  detailed picture of sultan and slave Mark / Pure / Ky Bourbon / Whiskey; crude glop top, shades of deep reds and oranges, hammered with whittle, touch of lt. haze, flat flake off base inward - no show. This one is slightly squatty and has no slug-plate.
586c
Simmonds Nabob / trade mark - picture of Nabob smoking a hooka with assisting servants at arms length / Pure / Ky Bourbon (in slug plate) / Whiskey ; crude and well defined glop top, spillover, 4 piece mold, exceptionally bold strike, various shades of light orange amber, extreme crudity, sparkling clean, loaded with a myriad of bubbles, neck is twisted in a barber pole fashion, stretch marks pull through the neck into the shoulder, huge tear in neck, hammered with whittle, couple of shallow onion skin bubbles failed to close when blown, touch of inside dirt, exceptional example.
587
Simmond’s / Nabob; glop top, shades of darker reddish orange amber (bordering on puce), bold strike, near 360* spillover, 4 mold, character, a few bubbles, crude top with a huge fold, fancy.
592
Newmark, Gruenburg / Old / Judge / Bourbon / * / * / San Francisco; glop top, orange amber, 2 mold, bold strike, huge tear bubbles, crude, an upgrade for anyone.
594
M. Gruenburg / Old / Judge / Bourbon / * / * / San Francisco; lighter amber, very crude glop top, 360* spillover, 4 mold, bold strike, bubbles and tears, stretch marks, a shallow bubble on the shoulder has a professional repair that is nearly undetectable, a super example in a light color.
599
H. L. Nye / Bourbon; tooled IT with star stopper, medium amber, good strike, very little known about this brand or who distributed it, we see one about every five or six year - scarce.
607
Old Plantation Distilling Co / Los Angeles, Cal.; tooled, lt. orange amber, few bubbles, strong strike, light scrape on right, nice example in a good light color, scarce in this pint size.
615
Oregon Importing Co. / We Neither Rectify  (logo) Nor Compound / Portland Ore.; tooled, lt. clear with light SCA tint, petal shoulders, couple of bubbles, crisp strike, touch of haze.
615
Same; tooled, shades of orange ambers, petal shoulders, squashed in side, crooked, neck, crude,
620g
Our Choice / Old / Bourbon / Hencken & Schroder / 208 – 210 / Front St., S.F. / Sole Agents; crude glop top, light amber with twisted swirls throughout, neck leans, boldest possible strike, big blob shoulder air vents on shoulder, stupidly crude, neck leans way right oversized top with massive amounts of spillover is off center and leans left, quite a few tears and bubbles, the best.
634g
W. C. Peacock & Co. / logo / Honolulu, H. I. / Wine & Liquor Merchants; crude glop top, deep red amber, totally hammered with whittle, bold strike, crudely applied top, a top example.
634g
W. C. Peacock & Co. / logo / Honolulu, H. I. / Wine & Liquor Merchants; crude glop top, shades of light orange amber, heavily whittled, bold strike, extreme crudity, several large bubbles, a few light scratches, small repaired base flake – tough to find, a steal at this price.
634t
W. C. Peacock & Co. / logo / Honolulu, H. I. / Wine & Liquor Merchants; tooled, shades of amber, crude uneven tooling in top, great strike, far better than average example - good character.
637
Pepper / Distillery / Hand Made / Sour Mash / Jas. E. Pepper & Co. / Distillers / Lexington KY.  (all in shield) / Trade / Mark / Carroll & Carroll / Sole Agents / San Francisco; crude tooled, light orange amber, 4 mold, crude , bold strike, awesome full face embossing, an ever popular whiskey.
645
Premier / Barley Malt Whiskey / Langely & Michaels / San Francisco; tooled, sun colored Nevada desert purple, as nice an example as I've seen, crisp strike, great color, no excuses and affordable.
648
Promotion Wine & Liquor Company Inc. / fancy intertwined logo / San Francisco, Cal.; tooled, lt. orange amber, swirled shoulders, crisp / bold strike, a few small bubbles and a large tear in the neck, some swirls, a sparkler, only the 2nd one we've had - 1st was 5 years ago.
652
W. B. Quigley Co. / intertwined logo / Oakland, Cal.; tooled, lit. orange amber, bold strike, some whittle, couple bubbles, hard to find small iridescent pressure bruise in lip, displays great
654
Fred Raschen  Co. / fancier  logo / Sacramento, Cal.; tooled, yellow with a very faint trace of amber, good strike, a couple of very light scratches, common bottle - an uncommon color!
658
Net Contents 32 Fluid Oz. / Fine Old / Billie Taylor (in fancy double line perpendicular script)/ Whiskey / Rathjen Mercantile Co. S.F.; tooled, extremely light orange, full face embossing coverage with multiple fonts, colorful - fancy, we've seen only two examples, rare~
661
Remington Liquor Co./ Distilled Just Right / logo / 101 3rd. St./ Portland, Ore.; tooled, lt. yellow orange amber, swirled shoulders, crudely tooled top with a crooked neck, great piece
662
Remington Liquor Co./ Distilled Just Right / logo / 425 Washington. St./ Portland, Ore.; tooled, very light orange amber, this is the scarcer variant, a beautiful example.
663
Remington Commercial Co./ Distilled Just Right / logo / 425 Washington. St./ Portland, Ore.; clear with light tint of purple, swirled shoulders, crudely tooled top, has a flash in one of the petals in the swirled shoulder, touch of dirt, sounds worse than it is, a rare bottle - 1st we've had.
670
Jacob Richter / fancy intertwined logo / Fresno, Ca.; tooled, clear – trace of smoky tint, crude – squashed body crooked neck & top, extremely bold strike, few seeds, whittle at the shoulder, nice
673
Rose City Importing Co. / Famous for Wines / Portland, Ore.; tooled light amethyst, bold strike, a few fine ground contact scratches and a touch of inside haze, a very scarce bottle - 1st we've had.
674
The Rosenblatt Co. / logo / San Francisco, Cal.; tooled, light orange amber, touch of inside dirt, a few very light / fine scratches, a quick tumble would render it spotless.
675
The Rosenblatt Co. / San Francisco, Cal.; tooled, darker amber, a few bubbles, great strike – very crisp and strong, touch of character, this is a fairly scarce tall square fifth.
677.5
Roth & Co. / large intertwined logo / San Francisco; all emb. within lg. oval slug, #16 on base in high domed kickup, nice oversized glop top, shades of light to med. orange amber, swirls in the glass, seeds and a couple of larger bubbles, load of character, a rare member of the #16 family.
677.6
Roth & Co. / large intertwined logo / San Francisco; glop top, clear, unlike any Roth variant, unknown to collectors until a few years ago when less than a half dozen were found lying in the pine duff of the Sierras, mint, bold strike, bubbles, no condition issues, consigned. Offer.
680
Roth & Co. / Full / Quart / San Francisco Cal. tooled IT with Roth stopper, petaled shoulders, lighter yellow orange amber, some whittle nice.
690.5
Quaker Club / Old (crown above "R" inside shield) Rye / The Rothenburg Co. (note - not S. B. Rothenburg); tooled, lighter amber, 4 piece mold, bold strike, moderate scratches, 2 pings on the reverse, round raised label seal on the reverse shoulder (there is a hard to see flash on the edge of the rim of this seal), a newly discovered variant, the S.B. variant is scarce - this one is unheard of.
695
M. Rothenberg / picture of a fighting cock / San Francisco, Cal.; tooled, very light orange amber at the shoulder, graduating to rich transparent medium orange at the base. The strike is crisp and extremely well defined. A large bubble is present above the chicken, issue free, an extremely rare example of the best of the best.
700
The Rothenburg Co. / Old Judge (large picture of fat faced judge) Kentucky Whiskey / Trade Mark Registered / San Francisco / Cal.; tooled top, very light orange amber, exceptionally well defined embossing, a few very light scratches, bubbles, one of the nicer ones around.
701
Rosemond A (in circle on shoulder) The Rothenburg Co. / San Francisco Cal.; tooled, light amber, great strike, we had one back in 2006, these are a tough one and seldom seen.
712
OK / shield with "SBCo." logo inside / Bottled by / Samuel Bros. and CO. / Louisville, Ky. / San Francisco, Cal.; tooled, lemon yellow, bold strike, some character, bit of dirt on inside shoulder, couple of light scratches - a 3/16" paper thin open bubble cover - 1/4" annealing check (all on left side panel), the issues are minor and not readily seen - especially on display, rare & a killer color
718
R. Sartori & Co. / Seattle / Wash.; tooled, rich chocolate amber, bold strike, quite a few bubbles.  
719
Daniel Schaeffers / Log Cabin / Whiskey; tooled, Riley patent IT closure with the correct embossed "Goldschmidt Bros / Sole Agents / Los Angeles"  hard rubber stopper, shades of light orange ambers, crude, hammer whittled, stretch marks full length of neck into shoulder, bold strike, bubbles, a product of "Goldschmidt Bros / Sole Agents / Los Angeles", this is only the second one we've seen, an exceptional example with loads and loads of character.
721
.5
S & B  (in round slug plate); tooled brandy top, bulge neck, medium amber, extremely crisp strike, character, this is an unlisted variant from Schlesinger & Bender of S.F., they produced Expansion Club Whiskey and other wines and brandies, only the second documented example.
729g
Tea Kettle / picture of Tea Kettle with Trade Mark within / Old Bourbon / Shea Bocqueraz & McKee / Agents / San Francisco; crude glop top, varied colors mainly med. old amber, great top with 360* spillover - nearing 1/4" in places, massive bubble on the left side from the shoulder through "Old" and the spout of the Tea pot, another tear through Bourbon into &, yet another huge one in the rear, hammered with chunky whittle, swirls, bold embossing, front & center top shelf!
730
Roanoke / Rye  / Shea – Bocqueraz Co.; tooled, deep chocolate amber, very crisp strike, a few bubbles - one huge one on the rear shoulder (one on the side is missing the onion skin cover), a few light scratches, we've seen a total of five of these since entering the hobby in the mid 60's.
733
Shea Bocqueraz Co. / fancy intertwined logo / San Francisco, Cal.; tooled, medium amber, a real sparkler, we’ve had one other and there are believed to be around 1/2 dozen known. Rare~
735v
Shea Bocoueraz & Co. / San Francisco, Cal.; Note the Mis-spelling! tooled, shades of orange ambers, lots of character, stretch marks in neck, a couple of small bubbles, a scarce mold error.
735
v-2
Shea Bocqueraz - Co. / San Francisco, Cal.; tooled, shades of orange ambers, this is a variant I've never come across (Note the "-" instead of &), obvious intentional change with a slug out.
738
Siebe Bros. / & / Plageman / Rosedale / OK / Whiskey / Sole Agents; tooled, amethyst, great strike - full face coverage, now here's the kicker - it's got a hunk of a square brad nail partially embedded in the glass on the left mold seam, a killer conversation piece - great color. You won't see another!
744
Silkwood Whiskey / Laventhal Bros. / San Francisco, Ca.; tooled, super light orange amber, extremely bold strike with the exception of a couple of letters that are still better than average, swirled shoulders, couple of bubbles, small scratch near base, a fancy swirl shoulder cylinder.
747
Slaters Premium Bourbon / John Sroufe & Co./ Sole Agents / San Francisco; tooled IT with stopper, lt. orange amber, bold strike, an always popular full face cylinder. 1st one in quite a while
750t
Spruance Stanley & Co.(inside horse-shoe) Wholesale / Liquor Dealers / San Francisco, Cal.; tooled, very light orange amber, character, huge bubbles, bold & crisp strike, 8 ray star base mark with initials PCGW in between the rays, I don't recall seeing this one before; a very scarce variant.
750g
Spruance Stanley & Co.(inside horse-shoe) Wholesale / Liquor Dealers / San Francisco, Cal.; crude glop top, spillover, light orange amber, bold strike, early smooth base variant, some inside dirt (might rinse out - maybe a quick spin?), couple of bubbles, touch of character, nice.
752
Sunflower / Pennsylvania Rye / Spruance Stanley & Co. / San Francisco, Cal.; tooled, dense copper amber, 4 mold, bold strike, bubbles, a huge swirl runs 360* throughout the entire body.
762
Strunsky Wine & Liquor Co. Inc. / large fancy logo / San Francisco, Ca.; tooled, fifth +?, shades of medium ambers, character, bold strike, looks to be larger than others of these we've seen, definitely a different mold, all variants of the Strunsky are pretty scarce, a nice one.
762
 
Strunsky Wine & Liquor Co. Inc. / large fancy logo / San Francisco, Ca.; tooled fifth, light almost yellow amber, notably shorter than the previous listing, different embossing too.
770
Sutter Home Wine & Dist. Co. / fancy intertwined logo / San Francisco, Cal; tooled, lighter orange amber - but with blotches of blood red scattered about in the glass, boldest possible strike, fair amount of character, 399H base mark pins it ca. 1900 - 1902, scare - last one we had was 2009
776
Louis Taussig & Co. / 205 & 207 / Battery St. / S. F.; crude glop top, light yellow with a hint of amber, great strike, loads of character, killer color! undetectable top replacement, rare cheap
783
Louis Taussig & Co. / 26 & 28 Main St. / San Francisco, Ca.; tooled cork top, lighter amethyst, good strike, bubbles, some inside haze, somewhat crude, touch of wear on rear.
783
Louis Taussig & Co. / 26 & 28 Main St. / San Francisco, Ca.; tooled, medium amber, good strike, bubbles, correct embossed IT stopper, small in manufacture rough spot on lip.
784
Louis Taussig & Co. / fancy logo / San Francisco, Ca.(union @ base); tooled w/ correct embossed IT stopper, clear, good strike, a few bubbles, touch of crudity, a cut above.
788g
Thos Taylor & Co. / Sole Agents For / P. Vollmers / Old Bourbon / Louisville Ky. (all in square slugplate); crude early glop top, shades of very light yellow with a faint touch of green amber, this is the oldest variant - no air venting, huge tears, hammered with whittle, great strike, sloppy top with a massive amount of spillover, produced for Tom Taylor during the V.C. Nevada days. Killer
788g
Thos Taylor & Co. / Sole Agents For / P. Vollmers / Old Bourbon / Louisville Ky. (all in square slugplate); crude early glop top, blood red and hammer whittled - light at the shoulder graduating to deep oxblood at the base, (a German connection piece), there is a 1/16" raised circular hollow dimple on the rear shoulder where a piece of potstone adhered to the mold - not damage and non-distracting but pointed out for 100% accuracy regardless, an outstanding example.
802
Trade Mark / N. Van Bergen & Co. / picture of race horse / Gold Dust / Kentucky / Bourbon / N. Van Bergen & Co. / Sole Propts; crude glop top with a lot of crudity, shades of rich fire aqua, overall spillover in one of the crudest tops we've seen, seed bubbles abound, the strike rates about an 8 by comparison, a large swirl is present in the main part of the body, a couple of very light scratches and a couple of minute iridescent pings keep it from being perfect.  
815v
Warners / Wine of Life; crude glop top, dense espresso amber, crude with a big pinch in the glass, touch of haze inside, 4 mold, wickedly crude top, a mate to “Warners Aromatic Brandy”
806g
W. J. Van Schuyver / &Co. / VS logo beneath Crown / Portlan.; crude Glop top, med. to darker amber, whittle, champagne seed bubbles, swirls, uneven single ring with oversize glop top - huge drip at the right front, several nice tears in the neck, one tiny bubble on the base has a rough cover.
817
W. M. Watson Co. / fancy logo / Oakland, Cal.; tooled, lt. orange amber, fancy bottle with swirled shoulders, bubbles, loads of character, first example that we’ve encountered.
822
Standard / Old / Bourbon / Whisky / Weil Bros.S.F.  / Sole Agents; extremely crude glop top, here's one that should have been tossed back into the cullet and re-blown! What a sloppy piece of junk! weird shades of unmixed colors ranging from light yellowish at the right shoulder to red amber at the base, the top was under-filled & applied off center, swirls of flux, massive air bubbles overtake the embossing, flux and crud slop down through the neck into the shoulder, crudity to the extreme.
824
Weil Bros. & Sons / large fancy monogram / San Francisco; tooled, lighter amber, good strike, touch of washable inside dirt, not one we see too often.
834
P. J. Weniger / (PJW&Co logo) / S.F. / Ca; tooled, shades of darker ambers, loaded with bubbles of various size, an extremely rare straight neck 5th and the first we’ve seen in person.
836t
Old Gilt Edge / (O huge & ornate picture of crown K) / Bourbon / Wichman, Lutgen / & Co / Sole Agents / San Francisco; crude tooled top in the glop mold, medium copper amber, extremely crisp & bold embossing, loads of character, body and neck both lean notably forward, nice variation in color density, numerous small bubbles, very light 400 grit type scuff rear shoulder, first we've had in several years, a great full face picture whiskey.
839t
Gilt Edge / O –fancy picture of crown-K / Bourbon / Wichman, Lutgen & Co.; tooled, light to medium SCA, some interior haze, notably good strike, nice color, lots of character, nice one
841
Gilt Edge / O –fancy picture of crown-K / Whiskey  / Wichman, Lutgen & Co.; tooled, clear, good strike, we've got two - one with net contents on shoulder and one without, one has a touch of interior haze, nice examples, nice affordable picture whiskeys.
843
Gilt Edge / fancy picture of crown / Whiskey (Full Quart on both opposing sides); tooled, clear, exceptionally clean, crisp strike with excellent picture detail, rare small picture variant.
848t
McKennas / Nelson County / Extra / Kentucky Bourbon / Whiskey / W&K / Sole Agents; crude tool top blown in the glop mold, 4 mold with strong mold seam definition - big blowout on the left seam on the neck, bright orange amber, somewhat flattened strike, goose bump whittle overall, scattered bubbles, tears, loads of character, infinitely rarer than the glop tops.
851
Kelloggs Nelson County Extra Kentucky Bourbon / W L Co./ Sole Agents.; crude tooled top w/ correct IT stopper, light orange amber, quite crude, stretch marks, trace of inside content residue, lt. scratches on rear,  paper thin flake on side at base, whittle, seeds.
851
Kelloggs Nelson County Extra Kentucky Bourbon / W L Co./ Sole Agents.; crude tooled early cork top light ext. light amber, crude with goosebump whittle - plain sloppy, bubbles, the corkers were the first of this mold run and possess the crudity that we look for in the early ones
857
C. W. Kellogg Company / large logo / San Francisco; tooled light orange amber, bold - crisp strike, some character, tiny flat flake & one pinpoint nick on lip edge, there are believed to be a total of six of these in existence & this is one of those previously documented, extremely rare.
858
The Winedale Co. / fancy logo / Oakland, Ca.; tooled, light copper amber, swirled shoulders, a couple of light scratches, lots of character, last one we had was in 2007, scarce and fancy.
859
The Winedale Co. / fancy logo / Oakland, Ca.; tooled, deep copper - red amber, bold strike, a few bubbles, tooling in top is quite crude, first of these we've had in several years.
860
The Winedale Co. / The W Co fancy logo / Oakland, Ca.; tooled bulge neck, tooled brandy top, light yellow amber, bold strike, couple of huge bubbles, couple light scratches, killer color.
869
Wolf, Wreden & Co. / large fancy monogram / San Francisco; light orange amber, early tooled top, bold strike, bubbles, touch of whittle, trace of content residue, decent overall character.
871
Peerless / Whiskey (in banner) / Wolf Wreden Co. / Sole / Agents / S.F. (in picture of barrel end) ; tooled, light yellow orange, 4 mold, bold strike, character, 2 minuscule bruises.
876g
Same as above; glop, blood red, hammer whittle, repaired base flake / top. Displays fine.
877
Wolters Bros. & Co. / Wholesale / Liquors / S.F./ Cal.; tooled, clear with lt. SCA tint, great strike, couple of swirls, tiny flat side of lip flake, fancy and only 2nd one we’ve encountered.
880
H.J. WOOLLACOTT / large logo / LOS ANGELES; tooled, light amber at top graduating to medium midway, 4 mold, crude, bubbles, crude, the nicest example we’ve seen.
 
 

Flasks

 
L. Eppinger / Portland; tooled, ½ pt. coffin, clear with "that tint" that says it will turn a deep amethyst, A very scarce flask that relates to the Bureau Saloon in Portland, Or. and saloons in San Francisco. Seems that Eppinger had itchy feet and moved around. We had one about five years ago, couple of minute flecks off the base seam edge, extremely clean, good strike, rare.
 
H. Brickwedel & Co. / Wholesale Liquor Dealers / 208 & 210 / Front St. / S.F.; pint, tooled double ring collar top, extremely light - almost lollipop yellow - amber, bold strike, loads of character, bubbles, there are no contact marks so assume that the following are in-manufacture annealing related: 3mm catseye on the neck at the first ring / 2mm same on base seam / two additional on the reverse neck at the shoulder, none are visually detracting on display,
 
Eagles Nest / W.W. Niece / A / Blend / Redondo / Cal (all in rectangular recessed slug plate).; tooled long tapered collar over single ring (typical whiskey top), clear, approx. ½ pint, a faint trace of content haze, couple of bubbles, scarce - bordering on rare, only the second one we've had.
 
Laurel Palace / Norman E. Rich / 215 W. 1st. St. (all in rectangular recessed slug plate).; a newly discovered Los Angeles flask, vertical ribbing beneath slug plate, medium reddish / orange amber, identical in size and configuration to the preceding Eagles Nest flask. tooled long tapered collar over single ring (typical whiskey top), approx. ½ pint, Original cork is intact - attic mint, Offer?
 
MILLERS EXTRA E. MARTIN & CO OLD BOURBON with monogram; single roll applied top, pint, shades of yellow and orange amber, great range of color density, slightly flattened strike in the upper mid section - bold everywhere else, just flat crude - the body is slumped in on the front and massive bubbles abound everywhere, issue free, a truly great never cleaned & honest example.
 
Minis & Samples
 
Crown Distilleries Company / logo of CDCo inside of embossing slug; we've got most all the variants of the Crown mini's, including the scarce squat sample. Starting at $40~ on up.
 
Hall Luhrs & Co. / Sacramento / Cal.(all in large oval slugplate); clear, mini in a scaled down fifth form, couple of large bubbles, 5 5/8" tall, faint touch of very light haze, these were a labeled "Snowflake" whiskey, we've seen one and heard of one other, a rare Sacramento mini!
 
A. Fenkhausen & Co. / large logo / San Francisco; tooled, clear, rare but has a small annealing check in the backside of the neck.
 
Jesse Moore & Co. Louisville Ky (Elk Antlers at shldr) Jesse Moore - Hunt Co. / San Francisco; tooled, bright light orange ( a mix of honey and dried apricot) amber, about mint, extremely bold mold impression, crude top, some whittle, a few bubbles (a large one in "Moore"), light stretch marks in neck, loads of character, crude tooling in the top, Without question - a top example.
 
Kellogg's / Extra / Bourbon Whiskey / W.L.Co. / Sole Agents; tooled, medium amber, great strike, nice example, a mini that we see less and less of as the years go by.
 
Duffy's; yea, I know, not western. But what the heck, Shades of amber, we've got a few $35~ & up
 
Consignment Corner
142v
ChevalierS / ornate picture of Castle / Old / Castle Whiskey / San Francisco, Cal.; tooled IT, this is a previously undocumented Quart variant! light yellow with just a slight hint of amber, crisp strike, seed and bubbles, scratch on right shoulder, generic stopper, killer color & killer rare!
144v
The F. Chevalier Co. / ornate picture of Castle / Castle Whiskey / San Francisco, Cal.; tooled IT, quart, medium reddish amber, great strike, a few bubbles, light scratch on rear, quarts are scarce.
145
The F. Chevalier Co. / ornate picture of Castle / Castle (in rocks) / San Francisco, Cal.; tooled IT, light amber, typical burned out castle picture, loaded with bubbles, we don't see many of these.
327
Goldberg Bowen & Co / San Francisco, Cal.; aqua, tooled corker, good strike, some very light haze (may just wash out), a few very light scratches on the rear, couple of bubbles.
682
Roth & Co. / large intertwined logo / San Francisco; all in round slug plate, tooled IT with correct Roth stopper, aqua, light scratch on shoulder, we see very few in aqua.

 
 
Site Meter