An unlisted Home Bitters?

02 January 2014 (R•040919 R&H listing)

Here is an incoming e-mail and pictures from Gary Beatty (North Port, Florida), who has a talent for tracking down and obtaining extremely rare bitters for his collection. It is always exciting and a bit unnerving to purchase a bottle on ebay. You never really know how exciting or dull the bottle may be until you see it in person and study it closer.

This Home Bitters does look to be an unlisted variant. The new listing by Bill Ham for the forthcoming Bitters Bottles Supplement 2 is:

H 156  HOME BITTERS

HOME BITTERS // sp // SAINT LOUIS Mo // f //
8 ¾ x 2 3/4
Square, Amber and Yellow olive, LTC, Applied mouth, 3 sp, Scarce
Two dots under O of MO

Read More: The Home Bitters – St. Louis

Read More: Home Bitters Company | Prepared Black Berry Brandy

Home Bitters – Saint Louis, Mo. – Beatty Collection

Hi Ferd.

I am sending some pictures of the “Home Bitters” I got recently off of eBay. It was dug by the gentlemen I purchased it from some twenty years ago. He had never seen what you’re about to see because he never had it cleaned. I have my own machine and cleaned it. I believe this bottle to be an unlisted variant for the following reasons.

In the Bitters Bottles book by Ring & Ham, they list several Home Bitters from St. Louis. One is close to mine in that it is embossed on one sunken pane, “Home Bitters” and “Saint Louis” on the opposite sunken panel. Their listing is, “Saint Louis MO.” This bottle is “Saint Louis Mo” with two periods under the little o.

Also the Ring Ham listings are 9″ by 2 3/4″. This bottle is 8 3/4″ in. by 2 3/4″.

Here is the best difference, the color is yellow amber with green in it. Ring & Ham do not list any Home Bitters from St. Louis with green in the color so I believe I have a unlisted variant. I am sending several pictures, and you can pick the ones you like best. If you decide to put it on Peach Ridge after you check my facts, could you shoot Bill Ham an e-mail asking him to look at it for inclusion in a future supplement? I hope you like it. We have not had a lot of sun this week so I did the best I could.

Best regards, Gary Beatty

PS: Ferd, one last thought on my bottle. The bottle Ring & Ham list that is similar is without a drawing or picture?  Gary

Home Bitters – Saint Louis, Mo. – Beatty Collection

Home Bitters – Saint Louis, Mo. – Beatty Collection

Home Bitters – Saint Louis, Mo. – Beatty Collection

More from Gary: A Morning Call Bitters Comparison

More from Gary: The unlisted German Army Bitters – Ironton, Ohio