Using Bottle Maker Marks to Identify Your Sea Glass
By Richard LaMotte
Take a look at these examples of sea glass bottle bottoms, some you may be familiar with, and some that just might help you identify the pieces in your stash.
- Anchor Hocking logo with anchor inside a capital “H” was popular in the mid-1900s to late 1900s.
- Owens-Illinois Duraglas logo bottle bottom pieces. The O and I inside the diamond was common. On the right edge of the diamond is usually the date (single digit being the year in the 1940s and double digits in the 1950s and beyond).
- Brockway Glass logo without stippling and knurling 1933 -1950s.
- "Coca-Cola Bot Co Easton MD" original straight-sided white Coca-Cola bottle from 1910-1920, then later greens from 1930s to 1950s versions.
- Circle M (Maryland Glass) circa 1940s - 1950s.
- T above MC is Thatcher Mfg Co bottles and were likely made between 1944 – 1985.
- P.J. Ritter Gold medal Catsup, earned at the 1876 World Expo in Philadelphia, where the company later thrived. They once used German POWs during WWII to help with production. This piece likely 1920s – 30s.
- THE POTTER DRUG CO. started in 1883 in Boston Massachusetts. Circa 1900 to 1920.
- Woodbury Aftershave, a historic bottled aftershave in the early 1900s.
Learn more about bottles
Learn more about identifying bottles by shape and color, the history of bottle manufacturing, stoppers, marbles, and more. Articles ›
Learn how to identify your antique glass bottles
This article appeared in the Glassing Magazine May/June 2018 issue.
9 comments
Hey! I picked up a bottom of a dark olive green bottle at New River Beach New Brunswick. The bottom is missing parts, but looks like a period or decimal followed by letter C. It is very thick glass, thought it was a rock at first. I can send pictures if you contact me.
I’ve got a fragment of a square glass bottle with a capital A, like in the monogram of the illustrator Albrecht Durer. The upper space of the letter seems to have the letter o, and in the lower section a capital M. Directly under the letter markings the number 2. Further down the numbers 7, 6, 5 are still visible.
I found a lavender piece with the letters L (?) AND imprinted in the glass. Found on a beach in Texas. Any help identifying it would be greatly appreciated!
Found a bottle bottom, slightly rounded with an aqua tint to it. The bottom is stamped MG with the letters entwined. May have been a perfume bottle? It’s small.
I have a piece of clear beach glass embossed with some kind of eagle and shield,it also looks a bit aztec-ish, and I can’t find a thing on it. I found it on staten island NY. Can I send a picture of it to get identified? It’s driving me crazy trying to find this. Thank you
I have a medium brown piece of beach glass with ‘U.S.’ on it. There is a partial rim under the letters. The letters are raised and very clear. It is from Lake Erie’s south shore. I am trying to determine the source.
Thank you! How can I find out what product was in the bottle?
nice information. I have found a bottom of a bottle with kruschen and a 2
Is it possible to order back issues?
Lori
