Antique–and Not So Antique–Canning Jars | Just Glass Online

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	Antique–and Not So Antique–Canning Jars
January 28th, 2009 by Just Glass Online Like it? Share it: Be Sociable, Share! Tweet Those who collect canning jars, and even those who don’t will often find a jar at the local flea market, which has the embossing on it, proclaiming it 1858.. and be thrilled with their find. Likewise, we’ve seen literally dozens of fruit jars for sale at yard sales which bear that embossing, that are absolutely more modern than this be highly overpriced because someone thinks they have something special.. In reality they may, but its just as likely that they don’t. Manufacturers in America produced glass jars using the 1858 embossment as lately as 1920, which is still, in reality, quite old, but its not 150 years old. Historians who have studied these think that Crowleytown’s Atlantic Glass Works,which was locted in New Jersey made the first of this incredibly lengthy series of mason jars. According to the experts, there are multiple ways to date your antique bottle or jar. Quite possibly the best way to do so is finding… or not finding.. a pontil scar. A pontil scar is a noticable ring of glass or a black and red sort of an indentation that will tell you that a glassblower held your jar on a rod while it was hot, while the neck of the jar was placed on it and hand finished. Usually jars or bottles with pontil scars were made before 1855, although that isn’t a hard and fast rule. Another method to determine the age of a jar is checking out the mold seams on it. Some of the earlier bottles and jars were blown without a mold, and won’t have one, while those with a mold seam that goes just to the lip will tell you that your bottle was blown into a mold and then was completed by hand, meaning that a top or neck was added. Jars that were made by machine, which is usually most of them made after 1915, will have a mold seam that goes all the way up to the top. Some of the very avidly produced reproductions of fruit jars were those made in 1858. The mid seventies saw multiple and avid attempts to forge those jars with some of the production taking place in Kentucky or Tennessee reportedly. Much of the time, the collector would note immediately that there was something wrong, with either color, ground off tops or some other anomaly. Some of these you can know by the mold number which is often 851 on the base of your item. The forgeries were made in multiple colors including cobalt blue, green, black and even olive green. NOt all of them of course will have the 851 number. The forgeries have some very bright colors and the glass has a unique shine to it. that will tell you its not an original, but in spite of that, some of these forgeries are selling quite well and you may see a few of them getting prices like 50-75 dollars, amazingly enough..primarily, perhaps because of the colors. A great book on the subject of canning jars is available on Amazon and you can even find them used for keeping the price lower. Alice M. Creswick. The Fruit Jar Works. Volumes I and II. D.M. Leybourne, publisher. Not a price guide. P.O. Box 5417, North Muskegon, MI 49445. Be Sociable, Share! Tweet

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	Comments
16 Comments » what are values for original pints, quarts and 1/2 gallon sizes? you only give rough value for forgeries. Comment by dawn — July 13, 2009 @ 3:04 pm are jars with defects such as the swing tht occurs during mfg valued….if so where can I find the value..thanks Comment by doris — August 20, 2009 @ 7:38 am I was wondering I have a Atlas Strong Shoulder jar that is light pink. What is the age and value of the jar? Comment by Rebecca Waters — September 3, 2009 @ 7:01 am HAVE A qt. BALL/IDEAL CLEAR JAR WITH PAT D JULY 14,1908 ON THE FRONT. WHAT MIGHT IT BE WORTH. IF ANY.-SEPTEMBER 11,2009 Comment by KATHLEEN DENISE — September 11, 2009 @ 6:05 am Hello, I am wondering about an Commodore jar? I have one, but it’s not a ball. It is in very good condition. I just was wondering about it. When was it made, stuff like that? Comment by LINDA REEDER — October 18, 2009 @ 3:03 pm Collecting jars can be a fun hobby. However, most of the jars the average person finds at a flea market or even in antique stores are generally worth about $8 each (i.e. most Atlas, Ball, Drey, Kerr, & 1858 patent jars). What makes the hobby fun is trying to locate one of those rare jars that sell for over $1000 (the Commodore is one of these). While there are some reproductions to be aware of, a few of these (particularly the ‘midget pints’ in rare colors) are selling for upwards of $100 now. Comment by Michael — November 15, 2009 @ 8:22 pm Our mother recently passed away at 97 1/2 years old. She had many canning Kerr jars, some are from her mother and some were hers. We don’t know what to do with them and whether any have any value. Please help me because I have all these jars we have washed and don’t know what to do with them. Thank you in advance for your help in this matter. Comment by Rita Ogle — April 14, 2010 @ 12:12 pm I have dug up a bottle embossed with “foster clark ltd maidstone” on one side and “eiffel tower lemonade” on the other . is it collectable or of any value Comment by Trevor Banham — April 20, 2010 @ 7:26 am I have Caning Jars By Corona MADE in CANADA Improved G E M and an other Cing Jar Gem^& Pat.NOV.26 1 light lue green GEM Lar wihe a army cross on it GEM Can you help me where to fid Extra Information 11 Thank you Hanspeter Faber Comment by Hanspeter — May 3, 2010 @ 4:07 pm I HAVE COME CLEAR GLASS CANNING JARS THAT HAVE ATLAS AND LAME ON THEM AND I WAS WONDERING HOW OLD THEY MIGHT BE AND WHAT THEY MAY BE WORTH IF ANYTHING,YOU CAN LET ME KNOW AT MY EMAIL ADDRESS ABOVE. THANK YOU THERESA BLAKE Comment by Theresa Blake — August 23, 2010 @ 11:34 am I have some quilted canning jars that take a smaller lid than the standard narrow mouth lid. They have the 2 part lid – ring + circle. The ring & circle are a copper color. The diameter is 2 3/8″ (instead of the standard narrow ones that are 2 5/8″) On the bottom, the jar says “Ball Crystal Jelly Jar”. Where would I find these smaller lids? Are they still made? Any idea how old these jars might be? Do they have any value? Thank you. Nancy Mac Comment by Nancy Mac — November 12, 2010 @ 9:19 pm I have some 1 and 1/2 pint Ball widemouth jars and I am trying to find out how old they are ? On the Bottom of the jar it says genuine Ball sculptured glass I see a number 9 then it says 124A Mason Jar A1 can anyone help Comment by Roberta Foster — December 13, 2010 @ 7:21 pm I have lots of old canning jars, some with wire snap glass lids some ez seal some tread type with porslan metal tops pints quarts half gallon. I have some half gollon with wire carring handles. I would like to know the value of these. Thank you myron. Comment by myron sattler — April 12, 2011 @ 10:11 pm I have three jars I found in the basement of an old house.I have looked everywhere to find what these jars are. I cannot find a picture of them anywhere. Can you direct me to a book or website?? THANKS Comment by anne rodgers — July 13, 2011 @ 7:18 pm Nancy Mac, our jars take a “63″ lid. I was recently given a box of canning supplies which had two boxes of these lids. If you are interested please contack me. Comment by Veronica — September 8, 2011 @ 2:55 pm Nancy Mac, your jars take a “63″ lid. I was recently given a box of canning supplies which had two boxes of these lids. If you are interested please contack me. Comment by Veronica — September 8, 2011 @ 2:56 pm RSS feed for comments on this post. Leave a comment Name (required) Mail (will not be published) (required) Website