Winter Finds #1 2021

About two years ago I discovered that a bottle embossed Martin's Life Cordial for Dyspepsia & C was an early RI quack medicine. The bottle was auctioned off on ebay and went for far more than I expected, despite heavy stain and a chip. When I posted it on Facebook, another group member posted their example, which was in mint condition. They said they would consider selling in the future. Fast forward to the present and he reached out to me out of the blue! I was initially stunned, grateful that he offered it to me first, but also realizing I would have to make a very good offer. I made my offer, and he accepted! This is easily one of my favorite quack medicines from RI, the name, shape, and age all combine to make it something truly special!

Lightning struck twice when another Facebook collector posted an Andw. J. Smith's Celebrated Croup Syrup Providence, RI that they recently acquired. This bottle is listed as pontiled and is very high on my want list. Surprisingly this example was smooth based! He was open to selling so we made a deal and another very rare RI quack medicine joined the collection!

A friend tipped me off to a construction site that had unearthed a few bottles visible from the road. My best find was a pontiled medicine on top of a dirt pile, but the larger dump was a 1920s-30s era and located in an old foundation. It was a fun dig and a surprise find was a 3-1/2” ABM Davis Vegetable Pain Killer. While technically a NY bottle, this medicine originated in RI before it was bought out in the 1890s. This is the smallest example I have seen, and I hope to find a similar one that is BIM!

I spotted an Albert H. Sydney Co. Providence, RI blob on ebay. This is a pretty common soda, but I noticed it was a slightly different version with a round slugplate.

I bought a large collection from a local old time digger recently. The only catch was he sold most of what he dug, and these were all the leftovers. I was pretty sure a John F. Perry Narragansett Pier, RI crown top was a double, but as a rule I always check to confirm. Surprise, I had it as a blob top but not a crown top!

 

Fall Finds #2 2020

I had been meaning to get together with a friend to do some trading. For various reasons, we never met up to do the trade despite digging together a few times. We finally got it worked out, and it was a win-win situation. I acquired a nice narrow Francis Gavin Pawtucket, RI crown top. I really like these crude early examples, I suspect they were made at a second-rate glass company simply due to the poor quality. I'm sure Mr. Gavin might not have been terribly pleased, but us collectors certainly are!

I was also very excited to get an A.W. Tenner Providence, RI error medicine. It was supposed to read A.W. Fenner. This is a less common error to find, and my guess is that the order for the bottles might have been written in cursive, which in the 1800s the Fs and Ts looked rather similar hence the confusion.

This Bridge Club Bev. Co. Providence, RI heel embossed quart is rather bland in appearance, but I do wonder what the label looked like! I have examples in clear and green, but this aqua version is unlisted!

On a recent dig I picked up a Central Falls Bottling Co. Central Falls, RI crown top that had been left behind by the last digger. It was understandable as there is a huge crack in it, but this style is completely unlisted so I counted it as an exciting find!

 

 In a 1940s dump I don't expect to find many embossed RI bottles. So I was pleasantly surprised when I found a Davol Anti-Colic Nurser Providence, RI that was completely embossed! Most of these have base embossing and a pyroglaze label on the front, so this was a new one.