SC Dispensary Bottle- Grace of God

Ok this makes no sense but I will take it. I was digging a target on Saturday with Mr Burlington, when I happened upon a root in the way of my target.
So I took my shovel and began pounding away at this root cause the target was a good seven inches down under the root. after ten minutes of pounding I took a break and decided to move some dirt away with my hand to see how far the root went in another direction when I moved the dirt with my hand, I uncovered some glass and then at that moment I threw my shovel away so as not to do anymore pounding since I saw glass..... the target was a steel button and needs some electrolysis before you see a pic of that..... and later I did find a confederate eagle button but my camera is not cooperating with my computer so the only reason you have the bottle pics is cause the Iphone takes good pics but not enough details for the button anyways here is the money Shot.......let me know what everyone thinks...

Clean it up for some possible banner pics, that's a pretty good find, congrats!

Great Find! Sometimes when I hunt arrowheads I find bottles and coins and when I metal detect I find arrowheads and bottles. You just never know. I love them SC dispensary bottles but have yet to dig one. I guess I will have to find mine on ebay. They are very collectable and are easy to sell for a very nice price.$$$

Nice find!  These Jo-Jo flasks are the best-known and most abundant Dispensary bottle.

The SC Dispensary was a state-operated liquor monopoly which operated from 1893 till 1907.  It was politically and socially controversial from start to finish.  It provoked a good deal of unrest in the state.  There is a good book which includes the history, along with all the bottle variants used by the SCD, written by Phillip Huggins.

The Palmetto logo is found on the earlier Dispensary bottles; the later logo is an SCD monogram.

thanks for all the replies. I have a book that a friend lent me by Harvey S Teal and a woman whose name escapes me.  I know the Jo JO flasks were more abundant but the design of the Palmetto is the deciding factor on this one... the right side of the tree is not symmetric to the left and that is what makes this one different and more rare. This is what I have been told by someone who is in the know about these things. I could be wrong, he could be wrong, all in all I am just happy to find it. and again thanks for everyones kind replies and I wish everyone here on the net the best of luck the next time they are out hunting. Keep well.

MM

thanks for all the replies. I have a book that a friend lent me by Harvey S Teal and a woman whose name escapes me.  I know the Jo JO flasks were more abundant but the design of the Palmetto is the deciding factor on this one... the right side of the tree is not symmetric to the left and that is what makes this one different and more rare. This is what I have been told by someone who is in the know about these things. I could be wrong, he could be wrong, all in all I am just happy to find it. and again thanks for everyones kind replies and I wish everyone here on the net the best of luck the next time they are out hunting. Keep well. ...MM

Keep in mind, MM, that lots of people ultimately will read this thread.  That is why it's important to report here the best, most accurate information possible.  It's not just about you and your lucky find.

I'm sure you have some reliable information about your bottle, MM; but rarity based on lack of symmetry, right and left, of the palmetto fronds is not it.  All the palmetto Jo-Jo flasks have asymmetric fronds.  I'd venture to guess that all the palmetto logos on all the Dispensary bottles are asymmetrical, right to left (I haven't checked, though).

Manzshark, I foolishly assumed your piece was a rare bottle.  Harry Pristis' description that it is an "abundant" example made me cringe with reality and set me straight.  Anyway, clean it up and post more pics, its a beauty and I want one.     

 Still a very nice find.  I have been waiting for Harry to chime in.  I would enjoy a collection of just those. 

Manzshark, I foolishly assumed your piece was a rare bottle.  Harry Pristis' description that it is an "abundant" example made me cringe with reality and set me straight.  Anyway, clean it up and post more pics, its a beauty and I want one.     

Think of these SC Dispensary Jo-Jo flasks as you might think about amber Coca-Cola bottles -- there were lots of them made, but there never seems to be enough for all the collectors who want one.  I'd be happy to put MM's Jo-Jo flask on my shelf.

Of the Jo-Jo flasks that were made, the earlier version with the palmetto tree is most sought after.  There were several glassworks that produced these bottles from their own molds, so there are variants. Some have a manufacturer's mark, some don't.

I'm certain that MM will appreciate this bit of history from his home state.

Manzshark and Harry, thanks for having mercy on me.  Harry, your bottle knowledge is always appreciated. 

I realize this is a big chunk of information to post, but thought I would share it anyway, especially for those who are not all that fimiliar with dispensary bottles and would like to learn more.

    Great find! I had one once but traded it for a amber Coke bottle. LOL  

Dispensary Bottle Varieties:

For the most part, all that remains of the S.C. Dispensary are the (mostly empty) bottles that were made simply to contain alcoholic beverages to be sold and consumed, with no regard to the aesthetics of the bottle or design. The bottles are treasured by collectors not for their beauty of design or color, but more as a link to an intriguing era in history. Today, many bottle collectors enthusiastically seek S.C. Dispensary bottles, which have become fairly scarce in terms of common varieties. A few varieties are exceedingly rare and are worth many thousands of dollars to avid collectors willing to pay the price for them.

The most common type of S.C. Dispensary bottle is the “jo-jo” flask, which is a flask with flat panels front and back, rounded shoulders, and a rounding towards the base. These were made and used throughout the life of the dispensary system. Another type of flask, the union flask, was used until the turn of the century, and none were made with the monogram design. Unlike the jo-jo’s, which all bore the legend “SC Dispensary”, unions bore both this and “South Carolina Dispensary”. Half-pint, pint, and one quart cylindrical bottles were also made and used. Stoneware jugs in half-gallon and gallon sizes were also made, some made from clay with the palmetto tree and legend drawn by hand. There are other non-typical bottle types, and some bottles which were not embossed, being marked as a dispensary item by label only. A much sought after item is the two-ounce capacity souvenir commemorative dispensary bottle made for the South Carolina Interstate and West Indian Exposition in Charleston, S.C. which was held in 1901-1902. With different glass color varieties, glass manufacturers, and design nuances, there are many varieties of S.C. Dispensary bottles to be collected. Each S.C. Dispensary bottle is unique due to being blown in a mold by a glassblower, as the Owens AR automatic bottle-making machine was not yet in widespread use.

 

Looking @ the actual bottle you dug & the other comparisons, I see one subtle difference.
Your bottle appears only to have 8 fronds on the palm tree & all the others have 9

jpitt 1970 -

I wondered about this same thing, and discovered most of these bottles were hand blown in molds by various makers, and from the numerous photos I found almost every one had a different count and design of fronds. Google around and you will see what I mean.

Thanks.

SODABOB

Looking @ the actual bottle you dug & the other comparisons, I see one subtle difference.
Your bottle appears only to have 8 fronds on the palm tree & all the others have 9

Good eye! You have discovered the difference between two main groups of variants of such flasks.  MM's flask is of the broken frond group.  There are sub-variants within this group, each different, but none of which seem to be attributable to a manufacturer.

I recommend Phillip Huggins book, THE SOUTH CAROLINA DISPENSARY (now in paperback) for an exhaustive discussion of these variants with lots of images and line-drawings.  Here's an illustration from his book:

thank you everyone who posted about this bottle.
when I found it I went to the guy at my local metal detector shop and he told me it was a thousand dollar bottle. Well it probably isn't now that I have heard everyone's 2cents which is much appreciated. I did talk to Harvey S Teal who also wrote a book on this bottle and SC bottles of the like. he said he would need to see it in person. and told me even though it may not be rare- since it is in mint condition which it is. I will get some more pics up. there really isn't a mark or chip on it... he said dont take less that $200 for it of you sell it. but right now I am happy with it in my collection of metal detecting finds..... thank you all for writing in and telling me what you know. Everyone here at treasurenet is Class A.

MM= Mike Manzella (for those who care)
Keep well everyone and good luck on your next hunt.

Well, hopefully Harry can enlighten on this subject a little more as to the rarer versions, (only since you have read that book harry  ) but there apparently is some super rare one, I only know since I watched it sell on eBay for $15k(yes thats a k). I know the seller from a different forum as well, and he knows his stuff.

Can you please spread a little more light on the subject Harry? Thread subscribed to just in case  Thank you!

I don't know the current values of the rare variants. You saw the bottle for sale, and you know the seller (who knows his stuff) -- why don't you do some research and let us know what you find.

Sorry Harry, that was a little misleading, I just know him by his posts on another forum, and he is very fortunate to dig many valuable historical items around Charleston. Bottle wise, I humbly bow down to your expertise. I  don't have the link to the description anymore, but from what I remember I don't believe it was marked dispensary, just that it very closely resembled the same styles as the SC palmetto bottles. If I remember right, I think it was also much earlier than the 1890's, pontiled as well. . . just figured I'd see if you had any ideas yourself. I am in no way able to buy a bottle at anything near 1/100th of those prices hehe. Thanks for all the knowledge you continue to add to this forum!

J.R.

I was just browsing eBay and noticed this current listing. I don't know a rare one from a common, but thought this was pretty cool with the paper label. I've included the link below if anyone is interested in taking a closer look at it. The info is from the sellers description page.

SODABOB

http://cgi.ebay.com/Old-SC-Dispensa...DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2557d9b98c

Old SC Dispensary Bottle with Lable Pint JoJo Flask
No Damage to bottle. There are air bubbles in the glass.

The S.C. Dispensary was the design of Mr. Ben Tillman, govenor of SC. The dispensary started operation in Edgefield, S.C. in 1893. It was an unsuccessful business venture that was abolished in 1907.

S.C. Dispensary bottles came in various shapes and sizes . Most S.C Dispensary bottles were bought from other companies outside of S.C. Not until 1902 in Columbia when the Carolina Glass Company opened did they begin to produce thses bottles in S.C.

I don't mean to bombard this thread with my whims, but thought this link would be of interest to some. It's the S. C. Dispensary bottle "Hall of Fame." At least according to the publisher of the sight, who I believe is an expert on the subject. It doesn't list values, but interesting none the less.

SDBB

                  http://www.antiquebottles.com/scdispensary/fame.html


P.S. I found the following quote from another site. It appears the big bucks are for the amber brown bottles.

"Dispensary bottle prices range from $25 for clear half-pint monogram embossed flasks with a common mark to thousands of dollars for amber quart palmetto tree embossed bottles."

Manzshark -

Did you check your bottle for a maker's mark? If it has one it will help determine it's value. Here are a few marks to look for. At present I'm not sure which are the rare ones and which are more common. But determening this should be a step in the right direction. (Providing your's has a mark).

SDBB

While some of the S. C. Dispensary bottles do not have bottle maker’s marks, many of them have the maker such as CLFG Co (CL Flaccus Glass Company, Pittsburgh, PA ), CG Co. (Carolina Glass, Columbia, SC), P Brothers (Packham Brothers, Baltimore, MD), EP Jr. & Co. (E. Packham Jr. & Company, Baltimore), Dixie (Tullahoma, GA), and others. The shape of the bottles and the maker’s mark are important to Dispensary collectors and determines their value.

                       The most uncommon marks are DIXIE and OLEAN

Manzshark -

This link should assist you and others in finding out more about maker's marks. But not only on the bottle in question, but other bottles as well. (Including glass insulators). I hope you find it helpful.

SDBB


         http://www.myinsulators.com/glass-factories/bottlemarks.html

Manzshark -

And the final "cat's meow" is this book. Currently available on Amazon.com for $11.21

                                             (Plus Shipping)

                                                      

 

  Hey Mike!  Killer find!!    That spot keeps putting out the finds!! Keep up the good work!!