Old bottle help

Hound46 · Jul 21, 2022

Hello,
I recently began learning about uranium glass. I love things that glow. I bought a 365nm UV light to use for uranium glass ID and outside fun. I don’t know anything about old bottles. I was surprised to see this one fluoresces under the UV light. Can anyone tell me about the bottle? I’m curious about the age and possible use. It is marked “union made trade mark AF”. I’m also curious if other old bottles used materials that fluoresce under UV?

scoundrel · Jul 21, 2022

Your bottle is not uranium glass. Your bottle has manganese dioxide in it which causes it to fluoresce. Manganese dioxide was added to glass to help make it clear. Ironically it turns purple(like yours) after decades of exposure to sunlight. I have about a dozen of those, which I keep outside in the grass exposed to sunlight. I’m gonna see how purple I can get them. Uranium glass, which they also call Vaseline glass, is green for the most part. Like this broken pitcher.

Hound46 · Jul 21, 2022

Thanks Scoundrel. I had read about this, but I didn’t realize manganese dioxide fluoresced.

Hound46 · Jul 22, 2022

I think I found the answers to my other questions at this website: https://sha.org/bottle/dating.htm

It appears to be a spirit bottle from the late 1800s, made by the American Flint Glassworkers Union.

GLASSHOPPER1955 · Jul 22, 2022

Hound46 said:
Thanks Scoundrel. I had read about this, but I didn’t realize manganese dioxide fluoresced.

If you check around you'll be surprised at what things glow under blacklites. :yes:

Old bottle help

Hound46

Senior Member

scoundrel

six feet under(water)

Attachments

Hound46

Senior Member

Hound46

Senior Member

GLASSHOPPER1955

Elite Member

Similar threads