How to date old bottles
Date an old bottle by checking several clues together: seam height, lip type, pontil or base mark, closure, color, embossing, label, and product category.
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- Seams that stop below the lip usually point earlier than seams that run through the lip.
- Applied lips, tooled lips, pontil marks, cork closures, and screw threads each narrow the date range.
- Use patent dates, base marks, and labels carefully. They support a date; they do not always state it.
Key value drivers
Dating matters because age can change value only when it aligns with rarity, category, condition, and demand. A common early bottle may be modest, while a later branded bottle can matter if collectors want it.
What similar items actually sold for
Real auction sales of items like your bottles. Open a sale to see the original listing.
Shown USD range: USD 10-USD 110. Median of these 4 USD examples: USD 51.50.
| Comparable | What sold | Auction house | Date | Lot | Source-reported amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Two Eagle Drug Bottles | Holabird Western Americana | 2017-04-29 | 2499 | USD 70 |
 |
Vintage Old Spice Bottles, Some with Cologne | Apple Tree Auction Center | 2026-04-22 | 4401 | USD 33 |
 |
Old Ink Bottle Group of Vintage Antique Bottles Lot of 10 | Vidi Vici Gallery | 2024-10-10 | 1889 | USD 10 |
 |
SET OF 8 APOTHECARY BOTTLES, MID-20 | Historia Auctionata | 2025-09-01 | 4820 | EUR 100 |
 |
12 Antique Bottles - c1885-1914 | Danielle Elizabeth Antique & Estate Auctioneers | 2024-05-05 | 75 | AUD 50 |
 |
SET OF 10 APOTHECARY BOTTLES, MID-2 | Historia Auctionata | 2025-09-01 | 4818 | EUR 100 |
 |
Historical Bottles from Dahlonega Region | Holabird Western Americana | 2018-03-18 | 4033 | USD 110 |
How these auction records were verified
These sales are market context, not an object estimate.
Each row retains its exact source URL, lot identity, retrieval time, access result, and immutable record hash. Live source access was blocked; the exact record matched Appraisily's immutable pipeline provenance. Inspect the public comparable provenance record.
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Condition and authenticity cautions
Do not date from color alone. Sun-purpled glass, reproduction bottles, repaired lips, replaced closures, and patent-date confusion can lead to the wrong period and wrong value assumption.
Photo checklist
- Full bottle, lip, seam path, base, closure, embossing, label, color, and scale reference.
- Close-ups of pontil, mold marks, date codes, patent marks, chips, cracks, and any paper label.
Related guides
Collectibles guides, how to identify old bottles, bottle bottom numbers, old bottle identification, value of old bottles, free bottle appraisal app.
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