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Old Bottle Site

jessewvujessewvu Posts: 5,063 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Metal Detecting
Long story short, I have found an old bottle dump site that some environmental scientist/archaeologist types in charge of a building project date to the late 1800's based on some bottles found there. I stopped by and there is probably a 200' by 50' length of area just completely covered in bottles and other various junk (mostly old car parts). I had my detector looking around the area but didn't get any hits...

Is there any value in going back and looking for bottles? I did dig around a little in the bottle pile and found a few small blue bottles, but it just seemed like a never ending task...

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    demodiggerdemodigger Posts: 1,012 ✭
    some bottles can be worth hundreds to thousands. take some pictures and post, so can see what you have. first thing to look at is the tops. are they screw or cork. also look at the bottom. are there numbers and symbols or smooth or have words?

    old sodas, whiskeys, medicines, inks and mineral waters are types I would look for. anything that is colorful may be worth money
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    demodiggerdemodigger Posts: 1,012 ✭
    in this picture I have a gin, eagle water and an ink. they came from an 1860's dump. the eagle is worth a lot.
    image
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    lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,216 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That sounds like a pretty exciting spot.

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
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    rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Could be some real treasure there.... get a bottle book.... Cheers, RickO
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    CasmanCasman Posts: 3,935 ✭✭
    Maybe check into privy digging, as that's where most of the old bottles are found.
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    kevinstangkevinstang Posts: 1,517 ✭✭✭
    Definately go back and check out bottles, my best finds have been old bottle sites while out detecting sometimes- my best was a $1600 & $1500 for old saratoga spring water bottles. Lots of other $100 bottles as well. Pontil bottles and early embossed, early soda and water bottles, medicine, poison bottles- and dont forget to look for old insulators- early telephone and telegraph ones bring some good $$$ too- my best was an $800+ one. Come to think of it I've never found a coin worth much more than $20 to $30 bucks while detecting. And bring your detector- I also double check the dirt around the bottles and from diggings-have found a few coins and old buttons and stuff like that hidden in the old dumps like that. I've talked to some strictly bottle digging guys and they never thought of that-looking for old coins in among the bottles with a detector.
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    johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 27,521 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>in this picture I have a gin, eagle water and an ink. they came from an 1860's dump. the eagle is worth a lot.
    image >>

    i like all of them demo. that eagle does stand out though
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