The Iron Maiden

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The Iron Maiden

23 April 2014

Apple-Touch-IconAI received a call yesterday from an old-time historical flask collector named Joe Wood. We talked for a bit about the great flask collections from previous decades and he mentioned that he had auctioned off his flasks with Glass Works Auctions some years ago. We did end up talking about bitters as he had once owned an aqua, pontiled, un-embossed proof for the Simon’s Centennial Bitters but also had sold that off. I bet Dick Watson has it.

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Joe also mentioned that he has a rather odd indian queen casting that looks very similar to the Brown’s Celebrated Indian Herb Bitters figural bottle. The piece had been wrapped and stored for over 25 years and just saw the light of day again recently. Though the paper was brittle with age, the queen was as black as coal and so heavy that Joe said he could not even pick it up with one arm. I guess we are talking cast iron or lead here. There was some type of faded gold, painted decoration on the form as you can see in the pictures. Inscribed on the bottom is ‘NEAL N. BROWN, 1867, PHILADELPHIA, PA’. Joe thought back and mentioned that he had purchased the piece from an old, roving bottle collector, named David Goad who traveled the states in a motor home. He always had good bottles and wheeled and dealed with collectors. 

Anybody seen one of these before? The copy on the base looks machine engraved to me. Maybe added at a later date.

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About Ferdinand Meyer V

Ferdinand Meyer V is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and has a BFA in Fine Art and Graphic Design from the Kansas City Art Institute and School of Design. Ferdinand is the founding Principal of FMG Design, a nationally recognized design consultation firm. Ferdinand is a passionate collector of American historical glass specializing in bitters bottles, color runs and related classic figural bottles. He is married to Elizabeth Jane Meyer and lives in Houston, Texas with their daughter and three wonderful grandchildren. The Meyers are also very involved in Quarter Horses, antiques and early United States postage stamps. Ferdinand is the past 6-year President of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors and is one of the founding members of the FOHBC Virtual Museum.
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