Todays finds.. old coke!

Gilby31 · Jul 6, 2012

Today wandering along the creek ina new spot this time. found some solid bottles.

the 1st on says Whistle bottling co and thats about it so i have no clue what that is

2nd is a coke bottle. Pat nov 1915 so its the first of the clasic contour coke shape bottles

the last 3 all have no marks at all sadly so im totally lost there.

found em all in an area that had lots of brinks all over and there were sunk into the dirt buy the edge of the creek. i think its possibly a dump from all the other broken bottles and metal stuff i found there, thats becoming exposed due to the creeks water slowly washing away the dirt walls. yet theres not really much signs of a structre nor have i seen one on my old maps in that area. just the railroad that was on the opposite side of the creek. theres enough brinks and debris though for me to guess something small was there once.

along the way there were some footprints around so i think somebody else is hunting around here too. but they missed out on the solids it seems. then again i have a very good eye

anyway any help on identifying these? thanks!

Gilby31 · Jul 6, 2012

oh.. and the bottom of the whistle co bottle says POTTSTOWN PA and the coke says PHILLADELPHIA PA.

IMShooter · Jul 6, 2012

whistle sodas are quite common. Your deco style bottle runs 10-15bucks or so. Pretty good price.

the Nov 15 coke was made between 1917-1928. Yours was made in 1919. Seems that there's been a Coke bottling company in Pottsville since the early 1900's.
you might get good money because this is an old Coke plant that's still operating, or it might be worth only a few bucks due to it being a still operating plant. Collectors are finicky like that. Still a nice old bottle. Can never get enough of those hobbleskirts.

Usually smaller towns where the plant lasted only a short while sell well.

Gilby31 · Jul 6, 2012

IMShooter said:
whistle sodas are quite common. Your deco style bottle runs 10-15bucks or so. Pretty good price.

the Nov 15 coke was made between 1917-1928. Yours was made in 1919. Seems that there's been a Coke bottling company in Pottsville since the early 1900's.
you might get good money because this is an old Coke plant that's still operating, or it might be worth only a few bucks due to it being a still operating plant. Collectors are finicky like that. Still a nice old bottle. Can never get enough of those hobbleskirts.

Usually smaller towns where the plant lasted only a short while sell well.

the cokes from philly it says though? does that mean pottsville still counts as philly? and the "deco" bottle. im guessing thats the middle one? im new to the bottle hunting game but its really becoming a new fun hobby

ATProGuy · Jul 6, 2012

Gilby31 said:
oh.. and the bottom of the whistle co bottle says POTTSTOWN PA and the coke says PHILLADELPHIA PA.

I am actually from Pottstown and live here now. Pretty cool find. Where we're you at when you found the bottles? Just curious how far away from home the bottle was lol.

Gilby31 · Jul 6, 2012

ATProGuy said:
I am actually from Pottstown and live here now. Pretty cool find. Where we're you at when you found the bottles? Just curious how far away from home the bottle was lol.

i like in schwenksville, it was in a creek xp

great place to hunt around and detect i think im really the only guy around my area who does it haha

CTCurt · Jul 6, 2012

Cool bottles...... :grin:

ATProGuy · Jul 6, 2012

Gilby31 said:
i like in schwenksville, it was in a creek xp

great place to hunt around and detect i think im really the only guy around my area who does it haha

Not quite lol I am 15 minutes away hahahaha. Cool bottle. If you want to sell it let me know. I collect them.

Gilby31 · Jul 6, 2012

ATProGuy said:
Not quite lol I am 15 minutes away hahahaha. Cool bottle. If you want to sell it let me know. I collect them.

which one did you like? and damn your close haha you know any nice spots and looking for someone to join, me and my brother would be down, after i get my new detector that is xp

ATProGuy · Jul 6, 2012

Gilby31 said:
which one did you like? and damn your close haha you know any nice spots and looking for someone to join, me and my brother would be down, after i get my new detector that is xp

I collect Pottstown and other local bottles. And I am always out and about so if you get a detector hit me up. I know a lot of great spots and heading out to a few now.

Gilby31 · Jul 6, 2012

alright will do man, good luck!

IMShooter · Jul 6, 2012

oops, my bad! the philly coke was made in 1902. That bottle runs 15-30 depending upon condition and if there are collectors looking for that specific city.

jprice90 · Jul 6, 2012

people actually buy bottles like that? like with the labels off, and missing cap? i would think they would want an intact bottle lol

Gilby31 · Jul 7, 2012

IMShooter said:
oops, my bad! the philly coke was made in 1902. That bottle runs 15-30 depending upon condition and if there are collectors looking for that specific city.

cant blame you for the confusion ha i was lost looking around for it myself. though it says bottle pat nov 1915 so idk if its from 1902... but really i cant find anything on it its confusing >.< there was 4 more at the site to all broken though =[

IMShooter · Jul 8, 2012

ok..i admit it, today i'm ignorant....
been thinking about the potential hundreds of bottles from the 1800's im snagging tomorrow...well...digging a creek bank and either diverting the creek ( think it's just runoff as it doesn't flow at all )or marching out there in the 2' of mud&water for the "at least 3 pickup loads of those old bottles with the hole in the bottom and those ugly medicine bottles". if we can actually find them, could be worth thousands..heck, some of the bottles themselves could be worth thousands....i just want to find them. the hunt is on.

your philly 1915 is from 1917-1928...the 1902's on the gono site are straight side cokes..

Gilby31 · Jul 8, 2012

IMShooter said:
ok..i admit it, today i'm ignorant....
been thinking about the potential hundreds of bottles from the 1800's im snagging tomorrow...well...digging a creek bank and either diverting the creek ( think it's just runoff as it doesn't flow at all )or marching out there in the 2' of mud&water for the "at least 3 pickup loads of those old bottles with the hole in the bottom and those ugly medicine bottles". if we can actually find them, could be worth thousands..heck, some of the bottles themselves could be worth thousands....i just want to find them. the hunt is on.

your philly 1915 is from 1917-1928...the 1902's on the gono site are straight side cokes..

yea i figures its 16-28 since after that they made the "Christmas" cokes. guess theres no distinct details about actual years for them since they have no expiration dates or anything on them.

but on the other hand your adventure sounds alot nicer then mine was haha
i found 2 new bottles tonight a lil after arriving there again.

but good luck with your bottle snagging! i need to stumble apon something nice like that soon. im about to be a daddy to a new baby girl in 2 weeks and a couple thousand extra bucks would be quite nice xp

anyway thanks for the help man,
and if you dont mind telling how do you know where all those bottles are? im not gona come take them or anything of course but like my town was founded in 1684 so i know there has to be some serious treasures to find around here somewhere, but im not sure where yet >.<

IMShooter · Jul 9, 2012

congrats on the daddyhood!!

I got lucky when I found these bottles....I haven't had luck at all for finding dig spots here...Hit the original city dump, now a housing development after they capped it.... hit the even older (1800's) dump for the town right next to us, they capped it over and there are trees growing there now...

I could get unlazy and find houses on the Sanborn maps that had privies, but haven't done that yet...

I usually dig all of my bottles at the inlaws farm, (our deer hunting camp)...dates back to the late 1850s and right now my 11yr old daughter and i are digging the 2nd oldest privy there. But we get sidetracked. All of the small dumps there make it hard to concentrate. 10x30yard dumps that go 4-6feet deep, 10' across ones that are actually where someone tried to dig a 25' well and failed so they used it for bottles/trash. the 300yd gulley that's 10-15yds wide and is nothing but old rims, tractor parts, bottles, cans, bottles wedged into the side of the dirt walls..... and having to wade through thousands and thousands of glass/aluminum/steel bottles and cans.

Back on topic...was at our local small flea market and saw a couple that had a few coins for sale. Told them I find enough MD'ing and the woman said she'd love an MD and I said I'd like to find a place to dig bottles since I haven't found one yet.

They told me about the creek next to their house. their house used to be the commons house for the town, the creek was a flat area that led right to the hotel that was built in the early late 1800's. the town was later moved 2 miles down the road where it is now. So much to do there.

Today we went with the intention of wading into the creek and using an 8' metal probe to listen for bottles and a come along to pull them in...heard some pings, buried in the mud. Ended up pulling a ton of branches and mud out. Next time we're there, I'm going to shovel the bottom out like I did in front of the creek and trench it back to where we walk and then make a pool there. Creek is nonrunning, more of a spring washoff creek...Should drain it a bit...

we then hit a spot which was a bunkhouse behind the hotel (have pics of it from the 1800's). found tin ceiling pieces and cut logs for walls. It was all piled onto a hole that was full of stones and bricks. We cleared a bunch of the stone and brick out and I was able to put my arm all the way into the dirt in the hole. So most likely the privy. Especially since we're only finding bricks and medium sized stones. going to hit both spots next weekend. And this time going to find the house owner (he hasnt been home last 2x) and march him to exactly where he's seen the bottles we're hunting vs us being in a general area and spending way too much time prepping.

If it comes down to it, I'd end up going to the library and looking at the Sanborn maps and finding houses with outhouses on the maps and ask for permission. Chances are I'd know the owners or my friend would.

I know alot of guys/girls on this site and on the bottle sits i go to just "wander next to a creek and find piles of bottles"... i wander down the side of a creek and i find....creek....

I've posted these pics elsewhere on the site, but did a few hrs of research and came up with these pics of the area:

first one shows a house, the commons and the peak of the hotel.. the commons is where the guy who lets us dig lives. the bunkhouse pic is the bldg behind the hotel (which we've found the foundation for and the old outhouse hole) and a pic or so of one of the small dumps at the farm we dig.. the dump shown is the one I've dug up to 6' into and still not done....a bunch of nice ACLs and Milks so far.

Gilby31 · Jul 9, 2012

IMShooter said:
congrats on the daddyhood!!

I got lucky when I found these bottles....I haven't had luck at all for finding dig spots here...Hit the original city dump, now a housing development after they capped it.... hit the even older (1800's) dump for the town right next to us, they capped it over and there are trees growing there now...

I could get unlazy and find houses on the Sanborn maps that had privies, but haven't done that yet...

I usually dig all of my bottles at the inlaws farm, (our deer hunting camp)...dates back to the late 1850s and right now my 11yr old daughter and i are digging the 2nd oldest privy there. But we get sidetracked. All of the small dumps there make it hard to concentrate. 10x30yard dumps that go 4-6feet deep, 10' across ones that are actually where someone tried to dig a 25' well and failed so they used it for bottles/trash. the 300yd gulley that's 10-15yds wide and is nothing but old rims, tractor parts, bottles, cans, bottles wedged into the side of the dirt walls..... and having to wade through thousands and thousands of glass/aluminum/steel bottles and cans.

Back on topic...was at our local small flea market and saw a couple that had a few coins for sale. Told them I find enough MD'ing and the woman said she'd love an MD and I said I'd like to find a place to dig bottles since I haven't found one yet.

They told me about the creek next to their house. their house used to be the commons house for the town, the creek was a flat area that led right to the hotel that was built in the early late 1800's. the town was later moved 2 miles down the road where it is now. So much to do there.

Today we went with the intention of wading into the creek and using an 8' metal probe to listen for bottles and a come along to pull them in...heard some pings, buried in the mud. Ended up pulling a ton of branches and mud out. Next time we're there, I'm going to shovel the bottom out like I did in front of the creek and trench it back to where we walk and then make a pool there. Creek is nonrunning, more of a spring washoff creek...Should drain it a bit...

we then hit a spot which was a bunkhouse behind the hotel (have pics of it from the 1800's). found tin ceiling pieces and cut logs for walls. It was all piled onto a hole that was full of stones and bricks. We cleared a bunch of the stone and brick out and I was able to put my arm all the way into the dirt in the hole. So most likely the privy. Especially since we're only finding bricks and medium sized stones. going to hit both spots next weekend. And this time going to find the house owner (he hasnt been home last 2x) and march him to exactly where he's seen the bottles we're hunting vs us being in a general area and spending way too much time prepping.

If it comes down to it, I'd end up going to the library and looking at the Sanborn maps and finding houses with outhouses on the maps and ask for permission. Chances are I'd know the owners or my friend would.

I know alot of guys/girls on this site and on the bottle sits i go to just "wander next to a creek and find piles of bottles"... i wander down the side of a creek and i find....creek....

I've posted these pics elsewhere on the site, but did a few hrs of research and came up with these pics of the area:

first one shows a house, the commons and the peak of the hotel.. the commons is where the guy who lets us dig lives. the bunkhouse pic is the bldg behind the hotel (which we've found the foundation for and the old outhouse hole) and a pic or so of one of the small dumps at the farm we dig.. the dump shown is the one I've dug up to 6' into and still not done....a bunch of nice ACLs and Milks so far.

thanks! haha yea im excited, everyone was saying to me aww dont you wish it was a boy so he could go digging and detecting with you? and i was like hmm i didnt know you HAD to be a guy to dig in the dirt? haha so im glad to hear you have a daughter out digging with you =] . i keep finding broken milks where im at now, sucks but oh well. ive tried finding some sanborn maps of my areas (schwenksville, spring mount, collegeville) but cant find any!. but i do have a friends whos dad lives down to road from me an di think they still have an outhouse standing in there back yard so i wanna sk if he would care if i went at it. looks like your lead you got there is a pretty great find! i guess i need to start asking some old folks about what they know haha.

thanks shooter, and good luck digging that place out! =D

Gilby31 · Jul 9, 2012

heres the maps i work off of. sadly they show no privys or dumpsites >.<

IMShooter · Jul 10, 2012

nice maps. I love that last map. Great artwork on it!

Most local public libraries have access to the Sanborn maps. Also old aerial pics.

hitting up people you know works just as well too! I love talking to elderly folk. Such great stories. This bldg in the pics is now apartments for seniors. I was speaking with a lady there and this is the story she told me:

I was going to dig an area in this town that has a baseball diamond and a few tennis courts and a tiny play area. She proceeded to tell me that the small hill the tennis courts and baseball diamond are now on, used to be the outdoor skating rink and parents used to stand outside drinking coffee and b.s.'ing waiting for their kids and the park was actually at the bottom of that hill...buddy and I found way more coins than we normally would have.

was actually near this bldg...i also have approval to detect this bldg. the large hill behind is the top of a mineshaft. the slopes off the side yard of the school are still there...and just to the right of the telephone poles is where the park/skating rink was at..

Todays finds.. old coke!

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