June 02, 2019bottles

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 shards in your stash.

1. Anchor Hocking logo with anchor inside a capital “H” was popular in the mid-1900s to late 1900s. 2. Owens-Illinois Duraglas logo shards. 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). 3. Brockway Glass logo without stippling and knurling 1933 -1950s. 

  1. Anchor Hocking logo with anchor inside a capital “H” was popular in the mid-1900s to late 1900s.
  2. Owens-Illinois Duraglas logo shards. 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). 
  3. Brockway Glass logo without stippling and knurling 1933 -1950s.

4. Coca-Cola Bot Co Easton MD original straight-sided white Coke from 1910-1920, then the later greens are 1930s to 1950s versions. 5. Circle M (Maryland Glass) circa 1940s - 1950s. 6. T above MC is Thatcher Mfg Co shards and were likely made between 1944 – 1985.

  1. "Coca-Cola Bot Co Easton MD" original straight-sided white Coca-Cola bottle from 1910-1920, then later greens from 1930s to 1950s versions. 
  2. Circle M (Maryland Glass) circa 1940s - 1950s.
  3. T above MC is Thatcher Mfg Co shards and were likely made between 1944 – 1985.

7. 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 shard likely 1920s – 30s. 8. THE POTTER DRUG CO. started in 1883 in Boston Massachusetts. Circa 1900 to 1920. 9. Woodbury Aftershave, a historic bottled aftershave in the early 1900s.

  1. 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 shard likely 1920s – 30s. 
  2. THE POTTER DRUG CO. started in 1883 in Boston Massachusetts. Circa 1900 to 1920.
  3. Woodbury Aftershave, a historic bottled aftershave in the early 1900s.

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This article appeared in the Glassing Magazine May/June 2018 issue.

7 comments

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!

S. Bivens June 22, 2023

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.

Catherine June 18, 2023

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

Frances Grisafi May 11, 2023

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.

Barbara April 07, 2023

Thank you! How can I find out what product was in the bottle?

Deb King February 13, 2021

nice information. I have found a bottom of a bottle with kruschen and a 2

Karna Parlee October 06, 2020

Is it possible to order back issues?

Lori

Lori Rowell June 11, 2019

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