AB-Connected mark ~ beer bottle base mold codes

  List of  letter/number mold codes recorded on the bottoms of  “AB-connected” antique glass beer bottles (c. 1905 – 1917).

The “AB-connected” marked bottles are generally believed to date from the  1905-1917 period, and were made by Adolphus Busch Glass Manufacturing Company and American Bottle Company.   The majority evidently held Budweiser brand beer, although labels for other brands are also found on these bottles  (see this page for more background information).

Usually alpha-numeric (letter followed by a number), these are believed to be “shop marks” or mold identification codes, embossed on the bottoms of antique mouth-blown (handmade) crown-lip “export beer” style bottles.  The “AB-connected” logo is positioned directly above the code.  To my knowledge, no one has yet proven exactly what these codes mean.  The letter/number codes do not give us any precise information on dating.  They are most likely codes that each identified a specific bottle mold that was used at the glass factory.  Each mold would have been used to produce bottles (over an unknown period of time),  perhaps with thousands or tens of thousands of bottles having been produced from each mold until it wore out or was replaced.

Some of the code letters are followed by numbers ranging above 40, yet other letters tend to be accompanied mostly by numbers on the lower end of the spectrum. Some letter/number combinations seem more common, others scarce – or simply not yet reported.  Perhaps time and more research will reveal the “whys” of the code numbers found on these containers.

AB-connected glass beer bottle mold code: "AB / G 30" (Photo courtesy of Frances Riley, Prince Rupert, BC, Canada).
AB / G 30 bottle (Photo courtesy Frances Riley, Prince Rupert, BC, Canada)

These bottles are typically found in light blue-aqua glass, occasionally in light green, sun-colored amethyst, and (rarely) amber, and were evidently produced in VERY large numbers, with many cast iron or steel molds for this particular type of bottle being utilized simultaneously.  The bottles were made in two sizes, the so-called “pint” and “quart”, in reality holding (respectively) about 12 ounces and 24 ounces. The great majority of these bottles were mouth-blown, although a few have been found that appear to be machine-made and have a somewhat different profile (see the “Roman numeral” codes at the bottom of the list).


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AB Connected aqua glass beer bottle:  AB/ A 9 bottle base (photo courtesy Ernie Parks), found in Arizona.
AB / A 9 bottle base  (photo courtesy Ernie Parks)

These codes have been confirmed / reported on actual bottles. If you have codes that don’t appear on this list, you’re invited to email me (check “Contact Info / Notes” near the bottom of any page on this site) and I will add them to the list with credit to contributor.  This is a list in-progress, first published on the web February 27, 2014.

Notes:

1) All listings followed by the notation “TUR” denote bottles recorded in an unpublished manuscript detailing an archaeological excavation in Tucson, 1967-1973: “Beer Bottles from the Tucson Urban Renewal Project, Tucson, AZ”, by James E. Ayres, William Liesenbien, Lee Fratt, and Linda Eure — 1980, Arizona State Museum.  Some of the AB bottles recorded from the TUR project bore embossed heel codes (7-B, etc) which may be date/plant codes (such as 1907- Belleville, IL plant?). Those heel codes, if present, are noted here also.

2) Large numbers of these bottles were used in the construction of the Rhyolite Bottle House (Tom Kelly’s Bottle House) at Rhyolite, Nevada during the 1905-1906 period.  A number of the codes are recorded below which I’ve been able to discern from studying various closeup photographs of the outside walls of the house and posted on the internet  (thank you Flickr!)   I’m sure there are some, if not many, other codes on AB bottles that were used in it’s construction that I don’t have listed on this page.

3) Base codes submitted by archaeologist Carol Serr  (“CS”) were recorded on whole bottles and base shards from several archaeological projects in the San Diego, CA area.   Thanks a lot, Carol!

4) Codes followed by the notation “Chena” indicate bottles (whole, or base shards) recorded during the Barnette Street/Chena River Waterfront archaeological project at Fairbanks, Alaska in 1992/1993. Many artifacts were found dating from the early 20th century, including many AB marked bottles. Historical Development of the Chena River Waterfront, Fairbanks, Alaska: An Archaeological Perspective (CD-rom – 1998),  edited and compiled by Peter M. Bowers & Brian L. Gannon, with Catherine M. Williams, Andrew S. Higgs, Amy F. Steffian, Owen K. Mason, Ronald D. Navarro, Debra Barringer, Stacie J. McIntosh and other project participants.

5) None of the listings from eBay auctions mentioned below imply in any way that I endorse, promote, or agree with the description or value listed on any of those bottles.  The information was gleaned from eBay auctions merely as a tool to assist in compiling known and reported letter/number codes on these bottles.

6) Please note that some bottles are also found with the “AB Connected” mark along with “CO” and they are also seen with the same type of letter/number combo on the bottom. I have begun including them in the list (8/23/2015), but always with a notation that the “CO” is included.  

AB-connected bottle base - mold AB / P 21 (photo courtesy James Turner)
AB bottle base – P 21 (photo courtesy James Turner)
AB (connected) beer bottle (Photo courtesy James Turner)
AB (connected) / P 21 beer bottle. (Photo courtesy James Turner)

A 1 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; TUR; CS; Chena; Quart size found by James Fassotte near Fairbanks, AK in 2016; also an example reported by Joe Molenda, Helena, MT on 1/31/2017; bottle found on the island of Roatán, north of Honduras, by Quincy Pinet – reported 8/23/2018; also a bottle found at St. Joseph, MI on 10/25/2019- reported by Joel Chandler)
A 2 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; TUR; quart-size bottle reported 6/3/2018 by Barbara Lancaster, Mina, Nevada; quart size bottle listed by ebay seller solutionremarketing, Spokane, WA – 4/15/2021)
A 3 (Chena; Daniel Camacho, Fairbanks, AK; also an example found by Theo Ely during excavation for building construction in Clearwater, Florida, 12/2016)
A 4 (Chena; Quart size bottles found by Daniel Camacho & James Fassotte near Fairbanks Alaska in 2016)
A 5 (TUR)
A 6 (reported by Joe Molenda, Helena, Montana 1/31/2017; ebay seller recrafted – 4/17/2021)
A 7 (antique-bottles.net by member EpGorge –  1/25/2007)
A 8 (reported by Peter – found in Belen, New Mexico railyard 8/2016; another example bought by Amanda Hartley at “This-N-That” secondhand shop, Douglas, Wyoming on 10/11/2021)
A 8 / 05 (found 7-7-2022 in creek bed in SW Missouri by Shelley Jones. This bottle is lettered “AB [connected] Co”.  The “05” is placed below the “A 8”. It is possible, but not proven, that the “05” represents a date code for 1905).
A 9 (base shard found in Courtland, AZ by Ernie Parks; ebay seller pjenks21 – 6/08/2014; example found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska; also a bottle base found by Kim on the beach at Sargent, TX after storm surge from TS Hanna – reported 7/30/2020)
A 10 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; an example also reported by Stephen Parker 2/2017)
A 11 (example found in Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia -reported by Bryan VanMetre 4/14/2023)
A 12 (TUR ; ebay seller klugarsh – 3/01/2014 ; an example found by Greg Young under house addition built circa 1910; one also reported 4/17/2015 by “SAW” – found near Mud Lake, east of Victor, Idaho)
A 14 (Example found in Patatka, Florida – reported by Winston on 6/24/2019)
A 15 (reported by Tiffany on 5/14/2014)
A 16 (pint size reported by Daniel Camacho, found near Fairbanks, Alaska)
A 17 (base shard found by Joel Chandler in old St. Joseph, MO dump on 6/11/2023)
A 19 (example reported by Jason Van Oordt on 5/28/2018)
A 20 (bottle found in Illinois – reported by Sharon Vaughn 10/29/2017)
A 22 (base shard found in old dump at St. Joseph, Michigan – found by Joel Chandler on 1/19/2021)
A 25 (Example found at Huntsville, Texas on 8/9/2019 – reported by Bruce Moore)
A 26 (TUR – 8-B)
A 29 (blue aqua bottle found during sewer excavation work in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada by Stephen Harrison – reported 2/17/2018)
A 30 (Quart size found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska – reported 7/31/2015)

B 1 (TUR – 7-B; Chena; example reported by Robyn Jones 6/7/2015; example found in Mercer County, Illinois by Kathy Hale-Johnson 11/4/15; another example reported by Tressa Overfield – found in 1973 at Lake Tahoe, California)
B 2 (ebay seller cowboyray45 – 3/01/2014; also reported by Dougie C, Hawaii; example also found by Rich Cates in creek bank, Bollinger County, Missouri in 4/2020)
B 3 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; ebay seller casiem99 – 3/01/2014; 2 examples found/reported by Tina on 7/27/2018; ebay seller jlwsew – 4/15/2021)
B 4 (reported by Daniel Camacho, found near Fairbanks, Alaska 8/5/2016)
B 5 (Rhyolite NV bottle house)
B 6 (reported by Michael Helms 4/18/2019 – found in Contact, Nevada)
B 7 (reported by Leann P – found in farm pasture, Carbonado, Washington – 1/2015; also a bottle found in Martin, South Carolina – reported by Dorothy Willis on 2/24/2022)
B 8 (ebay seller jamesw80 – 6/08/2014)
B 9 (TUR – 8-B; base shard found in old dumpsite @ New Albany, Indiana- but without 8-B on heel)
B 10 (TUR- 7-B)
B 11 (base shard found 10/10/2022 on beach at Vieques, Puerto Rico, after passage of Hurricane Fiona – reported by Lori Strickland)
B 12 (Chena)
B 14 (reported by Dennis Blackburn 3/10/2018- found in Bicknell, Utah)
B 20 (Daniel Camacho – found near Fairbanks, Alaska)
B 24 (found in old farm dump in lower New Hampshire in 1960s – reported by Michael McConnell 9/3/2022)
B 30 (found along the Fraser River, Lillooet, British Columbia, Canada – reported by Hugh Keeffe on 4/11/2023)
B 33 (reported 8/2015 by Elizabeth Yates –  found in Rainier, Washington; ebay seller treasurehuntadventures – 4/15/2021)
B 34 (reported by Andrew – example found at Atkinson Island, Galveston Bay, Texas)
B 35 (has 8-B embossed on heel, this example reported by Katrina, found in dirt basement of old house in Ontario, Canada)
B 80 (found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska, reported 7/31/2015)


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C (Chena)
C 1 (Chena; example found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska, embossed “9-B” on heel; quart size bottle listed by ebay seller solutionremarketing, Spokane, WA – 4/15/2021)
C 2 (Chena; Quart size found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks Alaska in 2016)
C 3 (TUR); (TUR – 8B)
C 4 (ebay seller used-and-rare – 3/01/2014; Chena; example found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska in 2016; Quart size example found north of Yreka, California near mining camp by Greg – reported 8/2016; ebay seller perdidobeachtrading 4/15/2021)
C 5 (bottle found in Washington County, Mississippi on 5/1/2015, reported by Brent Johnson; Quart size found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska in 2016)
C 6 (CS;  Chena; ebay seller 2014brcollectibles – 11/27/2014;  example reported by Joe Molenda, Helena, Montana 1/31/2017; bottle seen listed by ebay seller rocko-tiki-maria05, Iowa Falls, Iowa – 4/15/2023)
C 7 (CS; Rhyolite NV bottle house; another example in light blue glass found in 60 feet of water off Vancouver Island, BC, Canada – reported by Tanner on 12/12/2021)
C 8 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; example found by David R. in Marshall, Missouri 11/2015; Quart size found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks AK in 2016; bottle found by Ray at yard sale in Maine – reported 8/2016)
C 9 (found by Sage at Belchertown, Massachusetts – reported 9/26/2017)
C 10 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; CS; Chena; quart size bottle found under old building in Tucson, Arizona, listed by ebay seller urmanm16 – 4/17/2021)
C 11 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; TUR)
C 12 (Rhyolite NV bottle house)

D 1 (Example found in Patatka, Florida – reported by Winston on 6/24/2019)
D 4 (Bottle reported 8/3/2019 by Randy Morgan – acquired in Brattleboro, Vermont; ebay seller richmanpoorman55_3, located in Connecticut – 4/17/2021)
D 9 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; also reported as artifact item listing “1c5 MT-12” in Archaeology of the Old Spanish Trail/Mormon Road by Myhrer, White & Rolf – report detailing excavations in NV analyzed in 1989)
D 12 (reported by Bill Forret on 4/17/2015)
D 15 (bottle found behind a retaining wall built circa 1900, reported 5/17/2020 by Todd Weber)
D 16 (example found by Joel Chandler at dumpsite, St. Joseph, MI – 10/25/2019. The bottle carries small “6-B” on heel)
D 19 (antique-bottles.net post by VintageUrbanblue, 04/30/2012)
D 25 (bottle found on a sandy beach, nearly buried with just the top visible, on the Pacific island of Guam.  Found on 6/26/2023 by Lia Castaneto)

E 1 (pint bottle reported by Tracy Fetters on 3/2/2019 – originally found while fishing at Peter Hope Lake, near Merritt, British Columbia, Canada in the early 1980s)
E 2 (found on Vancouver Island, Vancouver, British Columbia- reported by John Hodgins 2/7/2017)
E 3 (reported by Daniel Camacho – found near Fairbanks, Alaska)
E 4 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; TUR – 8-B; ebay seller americanrecrafted- 4/15/2019; also an example reported by Dougie C, Hawaii; Quart size found by James Fassotte near Fairbanks, Alaska in 2016)
E 5 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; Daniel Camacho- found near Fairbanks, Alaska); ebay seller vivianw2770 – 4/02/2014)
E 6 (CS)
E 7 (ebay seller villastorm – 8/6/2015 – quart size;  another example found in Oxford, Mississippi – reported by Grant Crockett 12/29/2022)
E 8 (inquiry posted on “Ask Digger”, bottlebooks.com –  07/2002)
E 9 (example found in Iowa – reported by Samantha Johnson on 11/21/2015)
E 10 (ebay seller lytus51 – 3/11/2014; Chena)
E 11 (reported by Daniel Camacho – found near Fairbanks, Alaska)
E 12 (ebay seller hilarys.attic – 9/15/2014)
E 13 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; Chena; also a quart-size example reported by Carren Larson 4/7/2015, found @ garage sale in Phoenix, Arizona -apparent ‘R’ on heel;  another example excavated in Plattsmouth, Nebraska – found by Daniel  Martin 10/14/2023)
E 14 (TUR – 7-B; 9-B; Chena; Quart size bottles found by Daniel Camacho & James Fassotte near Fairbanks Alaska)
E 15 (intact bottle found by Nichol Shrider at Goldfield, Nevada on 6/23/2022 – reported by Brett Weathersbee)
E 16 (photo shown in .pdf article on American Bottle Co. by Bill Lockhart)
E 17 (Chena;  quart size bottle seen listed by ebay seller lorbil5653, Flandreau, South Dakota – 4/15/2023)
E 18 (Chena; example reported by Lorraine Saxon- found in Reno, Nevada on 7/27/2017)
E 19 (ebay seller farmrrus – 4/22/2014; also an example found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska – reported 7/2015)
E 20 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; example found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska – reported 7/2015; bottle reported 7/24/2019 by Kim Lovell)
E 21 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; a bottle reported by Daniel Camacho – found near Fairbanks, Alaska; also an example reported 4/18/2015 by Tammy S. – found @ estate sale in Andalusia, Alabama)
E 22 (Chena)
E 23 (Chena – 7-B)
E 25 (Rhyolite NV bottle house)
E 27 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; Chena)
E 29 (Rhyolite NV bottle house)

G 28 (TUR – 7-B)
G 30 (reported by Frances Riley 4/2016 – purchased from someone who had found it near Osland, British Columbia, Canada)

H (Chena)
H 1 (amethyst bottle found in Hawaii by Anthony Sylvester – reported 7/19/2017)
H 2 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; an example reported by Melissa on 6/15/2015; another bottle reported 5/14/2018 by Rebecca Harris – found @ New Smyrna Beach, Florida; also an example reported 5/17/2020 by Todd Weber – found behind retaining wall built about 1900)
H 3 (TUR – 7-B;  Chena;  ebay seller premiersportsplus – 4/02/2014; also a quart-size example – 12 &1/2 inches in height – reported by Robin Ellen Morris on 3/6/2022)
H 4 (ebay seller farmrrus – 3/24/2014; example found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks Alaska)
H 5 (TUR; Chena; clear quart-size bottle reported by William Stevens as found near Lahaina, Hawaii on 1/26/2021; bottle base found in Idaho panhandle – reported by Willow on 5/7/2023)
H 6 (Chena; quart size bottle found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska in 2016)
H 7 (reported by Marissa Webb, found in antique store, covered with coral)
H 8 (CS; Chena)
H 9 (Chena; Quart size bottles found by Daniel Camacho & James Fassotte near Fairbanks, Alaska)
H 9 (mold variant with letter-number code placed ABOVE upside-down AB, reported by Robert Frisby, Sandy, UT in amber glass – see pic below; also an aqua example visible at the Rhyolite NV bottle house)
H 10 (quart size bottle reported by Susan Rose on 9/13/2014; also a quart size bottle found in Cashton, Wisconsin – reported by Ray Carson 7/2017; another bottle found in CO or WY – sold on ebay and indexed in Worthopedia archives)
H 12 (reported 10/9/2018 by Serena & Daniel Camacho, Fairbanks, Alaska; also a bottle reported 5/17/2020 by Todd Weber – found behind retaining wall built circa 1900)
H 13 (found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska)
H 14 (TUR)
H 15 (found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska)
H 16 (CS)
H 17 (found by Serena Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska)
H 18 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; TUR; ebay seller wendydaniel7630 – 4/10/2021)
H 20 (example found in antique shop 1/2016 by Daniel Camacho, Fairbanks, Alaska)
H 23 (reported 8/2015 by Taylor Wyatt- found in Fairbanks, Alaska)
H 24 (ebay seller orduckfan83 – 9/15/2014)
H 26 (found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska)

Unusual Amber AB-connected bottle - this one is marked with code H 9, but the code is placed ABOVE a "mirror reflecrion" of the AB mark. This photo is not "flipped" as the base appears as shown. Apparently the mold engraver engraved the lettering incorrectly so the mark appears as shown on the bottle. (Photo courtesy of Robert Frisby)
Unusual amber AB-connected bottle – this one is marked with the code H 9, but the code is placed ABOVE a “mirror reflection” of the AB mark. (The code could also be interpreted as “6 H”).   This photo has NOT been “flipped”,  as the base appears just as shown. Apparently the mold worker engraved the lettering incorrectly into the mold so the mark appears as shown on the bottle.  (Photo courtesy of Robert Frisby)

J 1 (ebay seller agls57 – 3/01/2014; TUR – 7-B)
J 2 (example found by Eddie McVey in tidal creek, Savannah, Georgia on 7/4/2016; also found in Atlanta GA excavations for subway system in 1970s, as reported by archaeologist Jessica Moss)
J 3 (TUR; also an example found by Erika Gorman in New Mexico 3/2016.)
J 4 (reported by Justin on 7/10/2015; also another bottle was found by Joseph Karnes in the mountains above Pecos, New Mexico on 10/4/2020)
J 5 (TUR – 7-B; also I saw an example for sale in a booth at Florence Antique Mall, Florence, Kentucky on 11/4/2017)
J 6 (base shard recovered during San Antonio River dredging project 2007-2009 – reported by Ansen Seale on 1/18/2022)
J 7 (Bottle reported 1/31/2020 by Christine Coates – found in Indian River at Grant, Florida)
J 8 (reported by John, 1/2018 ~ bottle found in Metropolis, Illinois)
J 9 (reported 9/14/2015 by Dianne Davis-Bibb – example found at flea market in Cabool, Missouri)
J 15 (TUR)


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K 1 (Chena; Quart size found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks AK in 2016; example found in southern British Columbia and reported by Lesa Lee 7/27/2018; example found on Pelee Island, Lake Erie, Canada- listed by ebay seller pallada – 4/15/2021; another bottle seen listed by ebay seller elfigo2005, Belen, New Mexico – 4/15/2023; bottle found in northern Idaho – reported by Noah on 8/6/2023)
K 2 (Chena; Quart size found by James Fassotte near Fairbanks, Alaska in 2016)
K 3 (TUR; Chena; example reported by Diane- found in Loring, AK 9/2015; bottle found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska in 2016; another example found by Donny along Big Creek, Otto, Texas – reported 9/27/2023)
K 4 (Chena; Quart size found by James Fassotte near Fairbanks, Alaska in 2016)
K 5 (Chena)
K 6 (Chena; Quart size found by James Fassotte near Fairbanks, Alaska in 2016)
K 7 (Chena; ebay seller farmrrus – 9/15/2014; Quart size bottles found by Daniel Camacho & James Fassotte near Fairbanks, Alaska in 2016)
K 8 (Chena; also an example reported by Eric Halkyard – found in Houlton, Maine; quart bottle found by Daniel Camacho, near Fairbanks, Alaska in 2016)
K 9 (TUR – 7-B)
K 10 (Quart size bottle found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks Alaska in 2016)
K 11 (Chena; Quart size found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks Alaska in 2016)
K 12 (example found near Palmer, Alaska by Jeremy & Bethany Crenshaw – 5/17/2017)
K 14 (bottle found at Durham, North Carolina – reported by Brandon Goff on 11/17/2021)
K 15 (CS; ebay seller rustynailbyron – 1/28/2018)
K 16 (reported by Dougie C, Hawaii)
K 17 (ebay seller Uneakdragon, located in Nevada – 1/2/2022)
K 18 (reported by Gary Patterson on 5/24/2015; another bottle seen listed by ebay seller antiquariangoddess, Weatherford, Texas – 4/15/2023)
K 20 (found at auction in box lot of old bottles from barn near Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada – reported by Ray Padua 9/9/2018;  ebay seller weauction4you – 4/15/2021)
K 22 (ebay seller jonw262 – 11/27/2014)
K 23 (reported by Kristie & Shane Davis 2/2017; also an example found by Rachael Lee Watkins & her Mom – reported 11/9/2017)
K 42 (found by Ami Castleberry on beach, Tea Table Key, Islamorada, Florida Keys – reported 12/30/2019)

L 1 (pint size light blue bottle found west of Ely, Nevada – possibly an old campsite, near old dirt road – reported by Beed on 11/4/2021)
L 2 (example reported by Jacquie Cook- found along San Luis Beach on the island of Guam on 10/27/2016)
L 4 (CS; pint-size bottle found by Scott Baughan in Rhode Island 9/19/2014; base shard found in Nogales, Arizona – reported by Sherrie Nixon 4/15/2021)
L 5 (CS; also an example reported by Ruth Tivald on 10/19/2016.
L 6 (example found on the island of Guam – reported by Elisa Miller on 9/5/2015)
L 7 (reported 10/2015 – found by John Engst near Mountain Lake, Minnesota; also another example found in a Goodwill store – reported by Jake Berg on 10/1/2022)

M 1 (example from old dairy farm near Greeley, Colorado – Reported by Al 2/18/2016)
M 2 (found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska)
M 3 (example reported by Mike Clark on 5/8/2018)
M 4 (TUR – 7-B; example reported by Jourdan 6/16/2015 – found in barn at Isanti, Minnesota)
M 5 (example found by Ginger, Telluride, Colorado, reported 7/8/2017)
M 6 (CS; example purchased in box lot at auction – reported by Melissa Wilson, Keyser, West Virginia 10/2/2018; also another example found during excavation at substation project at Davis, California – reported by Rebecca Cruse on 8/23/2021)
M 7 (CS)
M 8 (CS)
M 9 (reported by Buddar on 6/16/2015)
M 10 (TUR; ebay seller jackiestutto5andmore, Roanoke Rapids, NC – 4/15/2023)
M 11 (CS; also a bottle found by David Beach at Ehrhardt, South Carolina – reported 7/2/2019)
M 12 (found by John Napoli)
M 13 (found by Anne-Marie Venne at flea market in Quebec, Canada – 5/14/2016; example found at estate sale and reported by Mary P., Hannah City, Illinois on 8/25/2018; another bottle seen listed by ebay seller rrho5557, Nahunta, Georgia 4/15/2023)
M 16 (Rhyolite NV bottle house)

N 15 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; also an example found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska on 6/8/2018)
N 22 (Chena)


AB / P 10 bottle (encrusted with coral) as found off coast of Maui. (Photo courtesy of Betsy Sears).
AB / P 10 bottle (encrusted with coral) as found off coast of Maui. (Photo courtesy of Betsy Sears).

P 1 (TUR – 8-B; “pint” size example seen for sale in Harrodsburg, Kentucky during the annual “Rt. 127 Yard Sale” event – 8/8/2015; also a bottle found at Shiloh, Volusia County, FL by Erich H. Konjevich on 4/11/2020)
P 2 (TUR – 7-B; also an example reported by Jill Harbour – found 6/16/2015 north of Cimarron, New Mexico)
P 3 (TUR – 7-B;  bottle seen listed by ebay seller supergrayjohn, Apopka, Florida – 4/15/2023)
P 4 (CS)
P 5 (found by Rob during excavation work @ Wilmington, North Carolina on 1/12/2016; another example reported by Matthew Simmonds 11/6/2022 – in Newfoundland, Canada)
P 6 (listed on ebay, pic shown in Bill Lockhart et al article: The Dating Game: The American Bottle Co., A Study in Contracts and Contradictions, 2007)
P 7 (ebay seller rumrooster, Boise, Idaho – 1/28/2018; ebay seller vg500 – 4/15/2021)
P 8 (ebay seller goodsport49, Prescott, Arizona; also an example reported by Mark Reid – heel is marked 8-B; example reported by Jason on 11/30/2019 – found at Hickam Air Force Base, Honolulu, Hawaii)
P 9 (found in BC, Canada by Garth Johnson, query posted on bottlebooks.com – 09/2002; example reported by Tina on 7/27/2018)
P 10 (TUR – 8-B; example found by Betsy Sears on dive near Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii (partially encrusted with coral – see pic);  also an example reported by Eric Halkyard – found in Houlton, Maine)
P 11 (CS; ebay seller hamptdog – 9/15/2014; also, an example bought from booth at Centerville Antique Mall, Centerville, IN on 11/2/2019; ebay seller jaern29 – 4/10/2021)
P 12 (example found in downtown Seattle, Washington by Nate Provident during construction excavation–reported 8/27/2014; also, a blue aqua bottle found while diving at Boynton Beach, Florida – this bottle has a matte “sea glass” look and was found by Cat Kelly on 9/6/2021)
P 13 (TUR – 9-B; also an example reported by John, found near Fairfield, California in 2/2015;  ebay seller bessifinds, Kingman, Arizona – 4/15/2023)
P 14 (“pint” size example verified at sales booth near Harrodsburg, Kentucky during “Rt. 127 Yard Sale” event on 8/8/2015; also an example was reported by Sergio Martinez on 6/12/2022 – he found a bottle with this code in Florida;  bottle seen listed by ebay seller devas_29, Buford, Georgia – 4/15/2023)
P 15 (reported by William Linzenmeyer – bottle found during excavation for construction project in Spokane, Washington 7/2017)
P 16 (CS; ebay seller holliwoodhostess, Sarasota, Florida – 4/15/2023;  also an example found on the beach on Bainbridge Island, Washington – found 4/23/2022 by Amy. That example also carries a “7-B” code on the heel)
P 17 (example purchased at resale shop in Vienna, West Virginia – reported by Amy Houser on 2/15/2019)
P 18 (CS; Rhyolite NV Bottle House)
P 19 (CS)
P 20 (reported 1/19/2016 by Becky Rakestraw – found in Dallas, Georgia)
P 21 (reported by James Turner)
P 22 (TUR – 8-B;  ebay seller premiersportsplus – 4/02/2014)
P 23 (CS; an example found by Anne-Marie Venne at flea market in Quebec, Canada 5/14/2016; also an aqua example found by Lad Akins underwater near Miami, Florida – reported 9/25/2018; also a bottle found in Illinois – reported 11/11/2021 by Tom Dant)
P 24 (base shard found in Courtland, AZ by Ernie Parks; bottle reported by Phil in Tennessee; also a bottle found washed up on the beach by Gary L. Coleman, near Cape Sable, Florida – 2/2016; and a bottle found by Cheryl on Vancouver Island, British Columbia 3/6/2016)
P 25 (TUR; CS; ebay seller goodsport49, Prescott, AZ)

R 1 (reported by Delfina Lampi – example found in an antique shop in Southern California)
R 2 (reported by Hugh Mortimer – found near Leechtown, British Columbia, Canada in the 1960s)
R 3 (TUR; bottle found in Rainier, Oregon – reported by Scott Stump 9/2/2018; bottle seen listed by ebay seller greatstuff_2006, Bemidji, Minnesota – 4/15/2023)
R 4 (example reported by Cindy Wood- found 11/12/2015 in Covington, Texas)
R 5 (CS; 24 oz example found by Alan Havens in Gastineau Channel, Douglas, Alaska in 2001)
R 6 (CS; ebay seller harlandcollectablesstore – 4/10/2021; ebay seller imperialantiques05 – 4/15/2021; also an example found at the old John Slaughter Ranch, east of Douglas, Arizona – reported by Vickie Dunn on 1/20/2022)
R 7 (base shards found 5/28/2018 @ Maplewood Conservation Flats, North Vancouver, BC, Canada – reported by Patty)
R 8 (CS)

S 1 (CS; ebay seller freshkills-glass – 4/15/2021)
S 2 (Rhyolite NV bottle house)
S 3 (reported by Jessica Cost – 8/2015)
S 4 (TUR – 7-B)
S 5 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; CS; also an example found by Gary Jolliff in Enid, Oklahoma – reported 9/15/2020;  “beach glass” partial base piece – ebay seller  thelittlepeddler, Wakefield, Rhode Island – 4/15/2023;  bottle seen listed by ebay seller sued85, West Plains, Missouri – 4/15/2023)
S 6 (ebay seller Miltt123, Alabama – 1/28/2018; example reported by Tina 7/27/2018)
S 7 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; TUR – 9-B; CS)
S 8 (reported by Bonnie Kay, found at excavation site at Winslow, Arizona, 1/2015)
S 9 (CS)
S 10 (Rhyolite NV bottle house)
S 11 (base shard found on beach at St. Michael, Alaska; also a bottle base found at ghost town Swansea, AZ – reported by Janice on 2/5/2021)
S 12 (bottle found in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – reported by Majken Cooke on 12/9/2017; another example reported 7/25/2019 by Martin Calle – found in California)
S 13 (example found under Odd Fellows Lodge building built 1910, Pawnee, Oklahoma- reported 5/22/2018 by John Teckemeyer; also a bottle reported by Donald Dickerson on 5/15/2019)
S 15 (pic from ebay auction by unidentified seller; also a bottle with this code was found in an old barn at New Gloucester, Maine – reported by Tamara Hutchison on 8/11/2021)
S 16 (ebay seller cowboyray45 – 3/01/2014; ebay seller baby22 – 4/10/2021)
S 17 (ebay seller Lenoxhill – 1/28/2018)
S 18 (base shard found in creek, Marietta, Georgia – reported by T.J. Santangelo)
S 19 (CS)
S 20 (example reported by Tom Rockwell – found in Baja California desert on 12/6/2016; ebay seller garde8064 – bottle found on family farm in SE Nebraska – listed 4/15/2021; another example listed by ebay seller jetwaves2011, Schenectady, New York – 4/15/2023)

T 1 (bottle reported by William Linzenmeyer – found during construction project in Spokane, Washington 7/2017)
T 2 (CS)
T 7 (“pint” size [9.5 inches tall] found by Kristi Kirschner @ antique store in Washington state- reported 9/12/2014)
T 12 (bottle found by Rich Ballweg, reported 7/7/2017)
T 15 (base shard recovered during San Antonio River dredging project 2007-2009 – reported by Ansen Seale on 1/18/2022)
T 18 (bottle bought by Amanda Hartley at “This-N-That” resale shop, Douglas, Wyoming on 10/11/2021)
T 19 (bottle reported by Joel Chandler 1/2019- found in Holland, Michigan area)
T 20 (ebay seller wamaam – 3/01/2014)
T 21 (pint-size bottle found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska)
T 22 (reported by Kelli 11/2015)
T 24 (base shard found in old dump site at St. Joseph, Michigan – found by Joel Chandler on 1/19/2021)
T 25 (reported by Derek Mauk 9/15/2014 – found in West Virginia)
T 26 (reported by Vanessa Shields on 6/25/2015 – found at Lake Tahoe, California)
T 30 (found by Nicole Douglas along San Marcos River, Texas 6/16/2016)
T 31 (example found during excavation in Trinidad, Colorado – reported by Brian Dierks 12/13/2016)
T 34 (ebay seller kkj1314 – 4/15/2023)
T 35 (bottle found at a thrift shop in Fernandina Beach, Florida – reported by Bonnie on 10/23/2020)
T 37 (bottle reported by Raimund Krob – found 2017 in about 30 feet of water during archaeological project off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic)
T 41 (TUR)
T 43 (ebay seller paulsantiques2011 – 3/01/2014)
T 45 (base shard found at Diamond Lake, Mundelein, Illinois – reported by Heather on 2/12/2019)


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U 5 (TUR)
U 7 (found by Ted Bryan near Palatka, Florida on 8/28/2018)
U 8 (example found in Eugene, Oregon – reported 8/15/2015)
U 13 (reported 11/29/2016 by Lee Williams in Montana)
U 14 (bottle reported by Winston Haselden on 12/10/2016)
U 15 (found by Joel Chandler in dump at St. Joseph, Michigan on 4/9/2020)
U 18 (found at yard sale, Moultrie, Georgia – reported by Linda Neely on 12/27/2019)
U 19 (found in Atlanta GA excavations for subway system in 1970s, as reported by archaeologist Jessica Moss 11/18/2016)
U 21 (bottle base found in yard by Allison of Webster Groves, Missouri – reported 11/4/2018)
U 23 (reported by Chase on 9/6/2014; also an example reported by Ragan 10/25/2015 – found in Nantucket, Massachusetts)
U 24 (TUR)
U 25 (reported by Audrey Wilbur 7/26/2016 – found in Lake Worth Lagoon area {Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway}, Palm Beach County, Florida)

V 1 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; example found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska in 2016; another bottle found by Jeff Shurtleff in Glenwood Springs, Colorado –  4/5/2017)
V 2 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; ebay seller prehistoricflorida – 3/01/2014; ebay seller villastorm – 8/6/2015 – pint size)
V 3 (Rhyolite NV bottle house – in a green color, also examples in medium/dark sun-colored amethyst)
V 4 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; also example reported 8/2015 by Taylor Wyatt – found in Fairbanks, Alaska)
V 5 (Rhyolite NV bottle house, in sun-colored amethyst; also quart-size bottle reported by Deb McMahon)
V 6 (Rhyolite NV bottle house)
V 7 (reported by Daniel Camacho, found near Fairbanks, Alaska; also an example reported 1/17/2020 by Eric Phillips – found in Johnson City, Tennessee; ebay seller brum.mist – 4/15/2021; another bottle found on the bottom of the Black River, Poplar Bluff, Missouri by D. Steward on 10/2/2022;  ebay seller jomajic, O’Fallon, Missouri – 4/15/2023)
V 8 (Rhyolite NV bottle house)
V 9 (base shard found along Ohio River below New Albany, Indiana; also an intact bottle found in Florida while kayaking – reported by Matthew Fischer 12/30/2022)
V 10 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; example reported by Megan Lierman – found at Tatitlek, Alaska)
V 11 (reported by Daniel Camacho, found near Fairbanks, Alaska)
V 12 (Rhyolite NV bottle house)
V 13 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; ebay seller cowboyray45 – 3/01/2014)
V 14 (reported to me by Gary on 4/21/2014)
V 15 (reported by Daniel Camacho, found near Fairbanks, Alaska)
V 16 (Rhyolite NV bottle house)
V 17 (found in NW Arkansas by Kathy, reported 9/5/2014).
V 18 (TUR; Daniel Camacho, found near Fairbanks, Alaska)
V 20 (TUR; also an example found in antique shop, Fairbanks, AK by Daniel Camacho – 1/2016)
V 21 (reported 10/9/2018 by Serena & Daniel Camacho, Fairbanks, Alaska)
V 22 (Rhyolite NV bottle house)
V 23 (Rhyolite NV bottle house, sun-colored amethyst glass)
V 25 (Rhyolite NV bottle house)

X (Chena)
X 1 (Chena)
X 2 (bottle base recorded by Alex, from archaeological excavation at Tempe, Arizona, 2016; bottle found at Parachute, Colorado – reported by Laura Cammarota – 5/9/2023)
X 3 (found near Fresno, Montana by Frank Schend; base shard found NE of Globe, Arizona – reported by J. Metzger on 11/8/2021)
X 4 (CS;  Chena;  also an example found in Greenville, Indiana – reported by Maryjo Kimberlin 8/8/2017)
X 5 (CS; also an example reported by Kari Hill on 4/27/2019; another bottle found by William Godwin in creek at Huntsville, Texas on 5/5/2023)
X 6 (pictured on antique-bottles.net)
X 7 (CS; Chena; example reported by Derek Mauk- found in St. Louis, Missouri; ebay seller coastal.sales – 4/15/2021)
X 8 (Quart size bottles found by Daniel Camacho & James Fassotte near Fairbanks Alaska in 2016; pint size bottle found by Rob Houchin at Gull Lake, Hickory Corners, Michigan)
X 9 (ebay seller chrisbaur – 3/01/2014)
X 10 (Chena; also an example reported 7/7/2019 by Terry Williamson)
X 11 (base shard recovered during San Antonio River dredging project 2007-2009 – reported by Ansen Seale on 1/18/2022)
X 12 (reported by Brett Weathersbee – found in Pleyto, California)
X 13 (AB-connected along with CO – seen at estate sale near Danville, Kentucky on 8/6/2021)

Y 1 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; also an example found several years ago at estate auction in Idaho Falls, Idaho – reported by Phillip & Susan Miller 9/16/2021)
Y 3 (found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska; also a dark amber example found by Robert Frisby in Sandy, Utah – found inside a home wall, apparently left there during construction or remodel- reported 1/2018; also another example bought by Amanda Hartley at This-N-That secondhand shop, Douglas, Wyoming on 10/11/2021)
Y 4 (found by Brook Taylor at flea market in Eufala, Oklahoma – reported 8/2015. This bottle is marked with a crude, small, thinly embossed “CO” to the right of AB, which appears it could have been a later hand-tooled addition to the mold.
Y 5 (example reported by Kim Williams 5/11/2016)
Y 6 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; Chena; also a bottle found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska in 2016)
Y 7 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; Chena; also an example found by Brittany Uribe when diving off Kauai, Hawaii – reported 2/25/2022)
Y 8 (reported by Tiffany-found along the shore of coastal Georgia on 2/22/2015; also an example found by Rob during excavation work @ Wilmington, North Carolina on 1/12/2016; another bottle found by Joel Chandler at c.1905 dumpsite, St. Joseph, Michigan on 1/30/2021)
Y 9 (example found in upstate New York – reported by Beth Harrington on 9/5/2021)
Y 10 (TUR; Chena)
Y 12 (TUR)
Y 13 (TUR)
Y 15 (ebay seller htmcollection – 3/01/2014)
Y 18 (reported by Robyn Jones 6/7/2015)
Y 20 (bottle found in Williamson, WV – reported by James Muncy on 5/31/2020)
Y 22 (reported by Phaedra Spencer 9/21/2015 – this example has a smaller, lightly-embossed “CO” to the right of the AB, which appears to be a later addition to the mold (as noted on Y 4); also a bottle found by Brandon Holthaus underneath a house in Virden, Illinois on 4/21/2016 – but without small “CO” on that particular example).
Y 23 (example found while digging for garden – reported 6/11/2017 by Duane Syverson of Guthrie, Oklahoma)
Y 25 (CS)
Y 27 (partial bottle found 2/22/2015 by Dave Munro on beach @ Bellingham, Washington)
Y 30 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; also a bottle reported by Emily LaParle – found while snorkeling near Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii on 3/21/2018; another example reported by Stephanie Brown 11/16/2019 – found in the Pokegama area between Klamath Falls and Ashland, Oregon).
Y 33 (found in Atlanta GA excavations for subway system in 1970s, as reported by archeologist Jessica Moss 11/18/2016)
Y 37 (example found by Brian Kutter near Waxahachie, Texas on 2/13/2016).
Y 40 (base shard found by Karen Lotz on the bottom of Lake St. Catherine, Poultney Vermont – 9/2018)
Y 43 (example reported 8/21/2017 by Lynn – found in Walterboro, South Carolina)
Y 45 (bottle base found by Elizabeth Welch on 7/29/2023 – among surface finds in a sugar cane field near the Mississippi River, in St. James Parish, Louisiana)
Y 49 (bottle reported by Jim Pennington 4/7/2019- found in Bolentown, South Carolina)
Y 53 (seen on base of aqua bottle bearing partial, original Budweiser label – archived on Worthpoint)
Y 61 (found by Walter Kopp during excavation for sewer lines in Tulsa, Oklahoma, reported 10/2015)
Y 63 (ebay seller baltic.950 – 4/22/2014; also, 12 ounce bottle in dark amber glass found in a creek at Ennis, Texas by Craig Ross Dlabaj on 3/24/2021)
Y 67 (reported by Danny, found in Corpus Christi, Texas; also an example found by Robbie Baker 2/1/2016 during utility dig at Natchitoches, LA)
Y 69 (bottle found in Vail, Arizona – reported by Linda Pope 9/12/2017)


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3 (or 8?) (found in Nevada desert by Jim Lehan, reported 12/2014)
4 (found by Jeff KcKenzie in Hebron, Nebraska, reported 5/11/2016)
6 (Qt. size found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks, Alaska – 2016)
7 (machine-made amber bottle, Bill Lindsey; also an example reported by Levi on 6/26/2015)
8 (Quart size found by Daniel Camacho near Fairbanks Alaska in 2016)
10 (Chena)
13 (Chena; another bottle reported by Brandon Veenstra on 9/6/2019)
15 (reported 12/2016 by Mayron in Isla Colón, Bocas del Toro, Panama).
16 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; Quart base shard reported by Rich Littlefield on 7/5/2017)
17 (base of bottle found by Joel Chandler in dumpsite at St. Joseph, Michigan 4/14/2020)
29 (bottle base found on Matagorda Beach, Texas on 2/29/2020 – reported by Kasey Bownds)
44 (reddish amber “pint” size bottle, originally listed on ebay and found in Worthopedia archives)
51 (dark amber bottle found at Camp Buckner, Burnet, Texas – reported by Bill Averitt on 2/25/2020)
52 (amber bottle base found near Lake Britton, northern CA – reported by Kyle Dennis 10/23/2019)
54 (pic from ebay auction, unidentified seller)
59 (amber pint bottle, found near Olnes, Alaska, reported 8/23/2020 by Danny Camacho)
71 (reddish-amber bottle, reported by Will Grice 10/2015)


ROMAN NUMERALS    These “AB-connected” bottles are machine-made,  have a gently-sloping “Apollinaris Mineral Water” bottle profile, and are in shades of green, olive green or teal green which are not at all typical of most AB-connected beer bottles.  They look like British-made bottles because of the color and style, but their place and date of manufacture isn’t known with certainty.   It is possible these are some of the last bottles made with the AB-connected mark. 

II / S  (on olive green bottle, this base photo posted on the antique-bottles.net site by member “gdog68” on 10/24/2022)

AB II S - olive green crown-lip bottle (gdog68 member on antique bottles net site)
Base of olive green bottle (photo courtesy of “gdog68”)

II / X  (on light green bottle base found in Indiana Township (Allegheny County), PA, reported 5/5/2020 by David O’Donnell)

III / X     (seen on dark teal aqua or teal green soda or beer bottle which may be machine-made—found in Quebec, Canada).   Another similar bottle (base shard) was reported by Christian Schoemen, found near Caledon, Capetown, South Africa in 3/2018.    A third bottle in green glass was found in Michigan by Donald Sigman and reported 11/26/2019.   A fourth example in teal green was found in a dump in Bergen County, New Jersey by Robert Maldonato – reported 2/3/2022 on the antique-bottles.net discussion site (see pics below). There is a small “5” on the heel of that bottle.

Teal Green bottle marked "AB(connected) / III / X" (photo courtesy of Robert Maldonato)
Teal Green bottle marked “AB(connected) / III / X” on base (photo courtesy of Robert Maldonato)
Base of teal green-colored glass AB / III / X bottle (photo courtesy of Robert Maldonato)
Base of teal green AB-connected / III / X bottle found in New Jersey (photo courtesy of Robert Maldonato)

Click here to see the webpage with more background information on the   AB-connected marked beer bottles. 

Return to the Glass Bottle Marks, page one.

Here’s my webpage about Numbers seen on the bottoms of Glass Bottles and Jars.

Please click here to go to my site  Home Page.


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248 thoughts on “AB-Connected mark ~ beer bottle base mold codes”

  1. Got a base shard of A 17 on June 11, 2023 in St. Joseph, Michigan dump dating to around 1908.

      1. I have a AB D 25 bottle that I would like to share with you.
        I can’t seem to add a new comment on here.
        Lia C.

        1. Thank you Lia! Yes, I got your message. Since all comments left by readers are moderated, there may be a delay before the comment actually appears on my site. I appreciate your reaching out. I’ll add your bottle to the AB-connected code list soon. Thanks and take care!
          David

  2. Found today April 11, 2023 on the dry hillside shore of the Fraser River, Lillooet, British Columbia, Canada – a base only of a pint-size blue glass AB bottle, marked B 30. I note you have not recorded a B 30 one before. Being that Lillooet held the longest hotel/liquor license in British Columbia since the Gold Rush era, perhaps those records exist that can be searched to show where beer imports/shipments to this area came from.

    1. I found an aqua blue, intact, AB CO. A8 05 bottle in a creek bed in Southwest Missouri on 7/07/22. Curious about mfg date.

      1. Hi Shelley,
        Is the “AB” on that bottle connected, or are the letters separated? Also, I can’t give you specific information on manufacturing date. Most of the AB and AB(connected) bottles were probably made between 1905 and 1917.

        David

  3. Hey ! I found an aqua blue bottle marked AB Y7 (Rhyolite NV bottle house; Chena) while free diving here in Kauai. It’s fully intact and the sand gave it a really cool texture! Should I eBay it? My email is: brittthetwit007@gmail.com if anyone is interested! I always find old bottles on dives here, so I have a good assortment if you were a collector.

    1. Hi Brittany,
      As a rule I normally don’t approve posts with glass items for sale here on the site, but I will break my rule here. I don’t usually feel comfortable with readers sharing their email addresses publicly, but am posting your comment intact. (If anytime in the future you would want it removed, let me know and I will edit the comment). The bottle does sound neat, and might classify as a “sea glass find” if the entire surface has become noticeably “matte” or “frosted” like typical sea glass found along the beach.
      Best regards,
      David

      1. I found a 100% intact, 5/57-38 ,anchor H, teal bottle with mold line. Found in Clinton river, Shelby township, Michigan. Very cool

  4. Completely intact AB R6 found at John Slaughter Ranch (historical museum/ranch) east of Douglas, AZ where Cavalry was stationed (supply camp to Camp Harry J Jones) during Pancho Villa’s reign.

  5. Great site! Thank you for the info. I found an L1 AB-connected light blue pint bottle about 5 miles west of Ely, Nevada. Location was about 15 feet off a long-abandoned, barely visible dirt road, along with several ketchup bottles and rusted cans. Looked like a picnic or camping spot.

  6. My hubby found one under the ground while digging on a substation project. Mark was m-6 on light blue glass (found in Davis, CA). He has found some other antique glass out here. I was really excited to find this info!

  7. Found in Swansea ghost town in Arizona the bottom of a bottle with AB-connected with S 11 under it. It is light green in color. This ghost town was a mining town founded in 1909 and has many ruins about, it is 17 miles into the desert or nowhere. There are piles of broken glass and tin cans and such all around this “town.”

  8. Found AB connected Y8 base and ABGM Co. F3 missing the neck at old 1905 bottle dump in St. Joseph Michigan on January 30, 2021.

  9. Dug bases of A 22 and T 24 in a dump in St. Joseph, Michigan on January 19, 2021. The dump dates to at least 1905.

  10. For Halloween I took the kids camping in a ghost town. The town was from 1905-1915 and was a mining settlement. You can search for the town ‘Cochran, AZ’ if you want more background. All I have is the bottom of the bottle with the marking ‘AB X10’ I can provide a picture if necessary.

    1. Hi Thor,
      Thanks for your post! Those beer bottles were evidently extremely popular for several years in the early mining towns of the West. It seems quite a lot of “AB-connected” bottles (and shards of bottles) have been found in ghost towns and old mining camps in AZ and other western states. You are welcome to email me a pic if you wish. My email address is listed at the bottom of the page under “Contact Notes/ Info”.
      Thanks and take care,
      David
      PS. I used to live in Tucson when I was much younger, although it’s been over 40 years. A lot has changed since then!

  11. Been awhile since I added a bottle to your list, but out digging yesterday with the wife near Olnes, Alaska I dug a pint sized Amber bottle with the AB 59 mark. Hope this helps your list out. Daniel and Serena Camacho

  12. After the recent storm surge from Hanna, I found the base of an Aqua bottle with AB A9 on the beach in Sargent, TX.

    1. Hi Kim,
      Thank you for your post. I’ve added your find to the database. You never know what you might find after a tropical storm or hurricane moves through! 🙂
      Best regards, David

  13. Found AB connected II (Roman numeral 2) followed by “x”. Greenish tint bottle base. Found Indiana Township, Penna

      1. Digging for Indian artifacts in my front yard in Williamson WV and came across one that says AB then under it says Y 20. I noticed you didn’t have that one listed so figured I’d let you know about it my friend.

        1. Hi James,
          Thanks for your post. I will add that one to the list soon. Take care and good luck with your searching for Indian artifacts, as well as any other goodies you might find including antique bottles!
          David

  14. Light Amber 12oz bottle base, AB connected 29, found on Matagorda Beach, TX, near Sargent Beach, TX on Feb 29, 2020

      1. Hello, AB L 4 Base Shard found in Nogales Az, Color light Aqua. Apparently there was a dump site on my mother’s property. She dug up a lot of various colorful shards n pieces in the late 1980’s. I’m going to wrap them in wire and hang them in a mobile.

        1. Hi Sherrie,
          That sounds like a really cool idea! Thank you for your post, and I will add that code to the database soon. Thanks and take care, and good luck with your mobile!
          ~David

  15. Greetings,

    I recently found (9/14/19) an A.B Co bottle “A 33” in the Patagonia Mountains, east of Nogales, AZ.

  16. Hello, I came across an AB connected bottle with D 4 on the base. Not sure if you are still updating your list, but I didn’t see that number on the list. I got the bottle in Brattleboro, Vermont. Thanks for all the info you provide on this site. Randy

  17. Hi, Thanks for the info on your site. I recently found several bottles and broken bases and one had AB Y49 on it’s base. I live in Orangeburg SC. I found the items in a small community named Bolentown which is in Orangeburg County. Jim

  18. Hello, I was just walking along the creek across from my house and found a E 12 AB bottle. I live in the country in Harlan, Iowa

  19. Hi there. I recently received one of the beer bottles that you speak about , however, you do not show this one in your listing. AB connected with E1 underneath. If you have an email or such I can send pictures to I will

  20. Bought aqua 12 ounce AB connected with number T 19 on it in Holland Michigan. I suspect it had been found many years ago.

  21. Over the weekend while bottle digging with my husband I found two unlisted AB connected bottles marked H12 and a V21!!

  22. An AB connected bottle shard, bottom fully intact with Y40 was found at the bottom of Lake St Catherine in Poultney VT in September of 2018 by Karin Lotz.

  23. HI David,

    I just cleaned a bottle that had an aqua AB K20. Is there a way to send you a picture or is that even necessary? It does appear to have a tooled finish as well and in great shape.

    I discovered it here in Winnipeg, MB after buying a 2 box lot of 50 bottles for $10 total! Apparently the collection was from a barn north of the city that went to auction. Then after a couple of other owners it eventually landed in my hands. So glad the person who sold it to me cared nothing about them…just saw a bunch of dirty bottles 🙂

    All the best!
    Ray

    1. Ray, I will add that AB bottle variant to the list. No need for a pic. Looking through a bunch of dirty old bottles is my idea of fun! You never know just what you will find, and especially after cleaning them up. Thanks for writing!
      ~David

  24. Hi my name is Quincy Pinet. I live in an island off the coast of Honduras, called ROATAN. I found one AB bottle with the letter A1 in the bottom of AB.

      1. My name is John and I have recently found an AB connected bottle with A1 in Big Pine Key,FL. Thank you for all the information!!

  25. Hi, I found a AB M11 bottle in perfect condition tumbled like seaglass on the beach between carpinteria and rincon, ca today 6/30/18. Suspect it washed down stream this winter during the floods after devastating fires in the area. Your list shows m11 with (cs). What does the CS mean?

    1. Hi Carl,
      Thanks for your post. That does sound very interesting about finding the bottle on the beach. There’s just no telling what you might find after the flooding in your area. The notation “CS” means that particular code was seen and reported on at least one bottle by Carol Serr, an archaeologist in the San Diego area who is an online friend and researcher. She had compiled a list for me. Please check out my introductory notes on that page with more info.
      Take care, David

  26. Hello i found this bottle bottom wile looking arrowheads in NC. You had very little about the markings. AB connected. X4. I will send you a photo if you contact me. Thanks.

  27. AB R7 bottle bottom & pieces found May 28, 2018 at Maplewood Conservation Flats in North Vancouver, British Columbia.

  28. My aqua bottle had AB connected with a B intertwined with the A above it. It also had an H stamped on the bottom of the second B. I have no idea what I have nor it’s value. Thanks

  29. Hi David- I have an Anheuser Busch Brew Assn pint light green bottle with a blob top. It is embossed with an “A” only and an eagle. Trade Mark at the top and Registered at the bottom lip. There is nothing on the bottom. I have never seen one like this. Can you help in dating this bottle. I can send pictures if you want me to. Thank you, Dave Zurick

    1. Dave, I’m sorry but I don’t have information on the many slight variations of Anheuser Busch bottles that are out there. I would guess it is from sometime in the 1890-1920 era, although a “blob top” style lip would point more to the early years of that range.
      best regards,
      David

  30. I have a AB V8 found a number of years ago in New England. Found it in a box of my wife’s Grandfathers. The bottle is in great shape. No chips or scratches

  31. Hi David: I found diggin today september 7, 2017, an amber beer bottle 9 1/2 inches tall in downtown Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, with embossed base: A.B.G.M.Co. inside a circle and with number 3 and horizontal BELLEVILLE and ILL.

  32. My husband and I were working on a firebreak around our house on Pyramid Highway Reno NV. on July 27, 2017 and found this bottle AB E18 up about a half mile from the highway

  33. Thank you for all the wonderful info. I was excited to find an aqua blue bottle with AB connected and an X 4 on the bottom in Greenville Indiana. 2017

  34. Hi David: I found diggin today august 7, 2017, an amber beer bottle 9 1/2 inches tall in downtown Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, with embossed base: A.B.G.M.Co. inside a circle and with D6 at center.

  35. A.B.C.M. Co 11 (we think it’s stamped 11) then P17 in the center. Found in Creek Bed
    2010. Santa Cruz Ca Mountains

  36. Hi David,
    I dug an AB connected with base mark H1 in an amethyst color out her in Hawaii. I tried emailing you but it does not seem to work or I donʻt understand the directions. I would like to list it here.
    Mahalo, Anthony

    1. Hi Anthony,
      Thanks for the info. I will update the list shortly. My email address is written that way (at the bottom right of any page on this site) to help reduce spambot email address harvesting.
      Take care,
      David

  37. Hi David, just found a AB H 10 aqua blue Quart bottle and a aqua blue pint bottle in Cashton Wisconsin. The pint only has 7 5 13 or it might be 17 5 13 on the heel. Just found your web site this weekend. Great job,Great info. All the other emails i sent you, the bottles all came from the same pit in Cashton. Thanks keep up the great work

  38. Today I found at a church rummage sale an AB T12 and paid $1.00 for it. Any idea of its age? Did not see it on your list

    1. Rich, I cannot pinpoint the exact age of any of the AB-connected bottles, as explained in the article (see the other [main] article about these beer bottles; there is a link embedded in the text near the top of this page).
      Best regards,
      David

  39. Found a quart size base shard in Hazen, Nevada. The number below is “16”, no letters. This area was pretty well worked over by diggers many years ago and someone left a piece of history behind. Also noting that the AB logo is wider with thinner lines than on other same-size bottles. Don’t know if it is taller than other logos as the top 10% of logo is missing. Having a base shard made it easy to overlay on other AB bottles that I had. (picture available)

    Rich

  40. During the analysis of historic artifacts from our 2016 excavation in Tempe, Arizona, I identified an aqua bottle base with the “AB-Connected/ X 2”

  41. David, I just now cleaned the C1 bottle that I dug and is listed on your list. I just noticed that it’s marked 9-B. I don’t know if you have been wanting that info also. Now I’ll need to go and check the rest of them. Take Care.

    1. Stephen, the typical blue-aqua colored AB/connected beer bottles with codes on the base are very common and have only nominal monetary value to antique bottle collectors- perhaps 1 to 4 dollars or so. Such bottles often appear on ebay and do not sell at all unless the minimum bid is set very low. However, those in unusual shades of color, such as amethyst, may sell for more.
      Best regards,
      David

  42. Me and husband have an AB K23 aqua colored glass with uneven bottom inside and looks to be swirls on the top. Didnt see it on the list. Thought you might like to add it. Thanks.

  43. Hi David. Wonderful website. I have an AB connected light aqua blue bottle with the code E 2 to add to your list. It was found on southern Vancouver Island British Columbia Canada.

    1. Carolyn, the AB-connected beer bottles are extremely common, (made in the millions) and even though they are at least a century old, because of being so plentiful, and because there is no embossing (lettering such as brewery, brand name, city or state) on the front, but only the glass maker mark on the bottom, they don’t have very much strict monetary value to antique bottle collectors. On average, they might be valued at 1 to 4 dollars (note: this is just my own opinion), although they may be priced much higher at antique malls, flea markets and on online auction sites.
      Although I’m sure some of the code number/letter combos are much scarcer than others, there is not currently a lot of interest/demand in these bottles, and so it’s difficult to know which ones are harder to find. And since there is little collector demand for these bottles, the scarcity of some variants has little or no impact on “market value”.
      Best regards,
      David

  44. I dug up a bottle with the AB mark and the number T 31 while excavating near a building in Trinidad Colorado… I didn’t see this on your list… Wondering if you could tell me more about it

    1. Brian, all of the info I have concerning these bottles is already posted on my two webpages concerning them. I will add your find to the list. Thanks and best regards,
      David

  45. Hey David – Went thru my Pile and found a standard aqua beer with an R 1 code (which I notice is on the list), but the AB connected is fairly crude. Looks to be an early Crown Top to me – lots of bubbles, etc…? Steve

  46. Found one this weekend completely intact. We live in Mascoutah Illinois which borders Belleville Illinois and is just outside of St. Louis. The bottle contains the number S-17 and is light blue in color.

  47. My father found a small cache of Coors bottles in the Colorado mountains near St Elmo’s found in a barrel near a mine in the late 1960’s. I have 2. One is the A.B Co V 8. The other is a V 11. One was given to the corporate Coors since it still had a Coors label. My folks left quite a few in the barrel. My mom has a bottle with a label still and some of those bottles in the attic.

  48. Found a bottle AB A8 Belen rail yard, Belen New Mexico bottle is in perfect condition four feet underground. Interested in finding out what year this would be thanks.

    Peter.

    1. Hi Peter, all of the information I’ve gleaned about these bottles is already presented in my two articles concerning them. Basically, these bottles were evidently made between 1905 and 1917. For what it’s worth, it appears that no particular “AB-connected” beer bottle can be dated to an exact year.
      ~David

  49. David

    A collector I know recently found an Amber 7up ACL 7 ounce bottle with the typical swimsuit girl ACL label that has a heel mark of 29S6. That code is the only embossed marks on the bottle and there is no AB accompanying it. According to Bill Lockhart, the 29S6 mark was used by the American Bottle Company in 1929 and also by the Owens-Illinois Glass Company in 1929 when Owens-Illinois bought American Bottle that same year. However, because the bottle has a 7up ACL label, I can’t help but wonder what the connection might be between an apparent 1929 bottle and what should be a circa 1935-36 7up ACL label? Is it possible that its a 1929 ACL or is it more likely a repurposed bottle that Owens-Illinois used after they bought American Bottle?

    Thanks

    Bob

    1. Bob,
      I can’t say for sure, but I would guess the bottle was blown from an older, re-used bottle mold on which the heel mark (engraving) had not been ‘erased’ (filled in so it would no longer be visible). Many times molds were re-tooled and used again, since molds were and are expensive to produce.
      David

  50. Hi there,
    I found two bottles this week-end, one of which you already have, P 23, and another one you don’t, M 13! This was at an antique/flea market in Québec, Canada.

    Thanks!

  51. My brother found two Regal Lager bottles in Niagara Falls, Ontario while doing a Ren-o. One of the bottles has AB S-16 on the bottom and the other is blank. Regal Lager was a beer company located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. around 1915

    1. Hi Trevor,
      Thank you for your post and the information. This offers evidence that some of the “AB-connected” beer bottles could have been made as late as 1915. It is also very possible that the bottles in question had been re-used and had labels pasted on them several years after being manufactured. It was very common for all types of bottles to be saved and reused by both businesses and individual consumers, especially in the 1800s into the very early 1900s. So-called “bottle shops” operated in some large cities and they served as recycling centers and second-hand sellers of glass.
      ~David

  52. I found an AB connected beer bottle underneath a house in Virden, Illinois today. It has the Y 22 on the bottom, but not the small co to the right of the AB, as spoken about above on the list. Curious to know any other information. Thank you.

    1. Hi Brandon,
      Thanks for the note. Sorry, but I don’t have any other info other than what is already written on these pages. I’ll add your find to the list.
      Take care,
      David

  53. Hi! We found one in mint condition this weekend….it survived the Las Conchas Fire by the Valle Caldera in Northern New Mexico and was unearthed by runoff erosion post fire. We were walking through the runoff debris this past weekend and found it sitting there full of dirt but otherwise unharmed. Tough bottle to have survived so much. It has a J13 under the AB. Thanks for putting this page together!

  54. I was hiking in the bush today on Vancouver Island B.C Canada today and stepped into a mud bog and noticed the bottom of a bottle . Dug it out and to my surprise it was a AB p24 in mint condition . It’s a real head scratcher as to how it was there .

    1. Hi Cheryl,
      Thank you for your post. Probably someone was drinking beer while out hunting or hiking (many years ago) and disposed of the bottle in the most convenient way they could think of………merely tossing it aside.
      Best regards,
      David

  55. My 4 yr old son loves old bottles especially blue ones. Found an AB A 1 aqua in color at a thrift store for $1.99 as part of his Christmas gift. We had no idea of its age or origin, how exciting! Thanks for the information. We live in Comox Valley, BC, Canada.

    1. Hi May,
      Thank you for your post. Sounds like your son is a young and budding antique bottle collector! Best regards and take care!
      ~David

  56. Hi, just wanted to say your page was very helpful! I recently found a bottle marked connected AB E9 in IOWA I didn’t see it on your list!!!!

  57. Hello David-
    Great site with lots of useful info!
    I found an AB connected bottle with C8 on the bottom at a thrift store in Marshall, Mo today. Beautiful bottle with lots of really neat mold marks, bubbles in the glass, lines, etc. and NO chips, cracks, dents or dings. I gave $1.00 for it, hope it wasn’t overpriced!

  58. I found an slightly reddish, amber bottle, with faint 2 casting lines from top to bottom. On the bottom, is a connected AB (like pictured above) with a distinctive 71 below it.
    9 3/8″ tall and 2 9/16″ diameter.

  59. So cool!!!…We just found one in Guam. The code is AB L6. We found it in the water, at low tide, at Gab Gab beach which is on Naval Base Guam.

  60. We have a brook in our back yard in Enfield, New Hampshire with a lot of old broken glass dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. We did find many intact bottles and one of them have the AB symbol with H8 on the bottom. Can you tell me anything about it I am interested in learning about it.

    1. Mark, all that I know about those AB bottles is what I have already written on this webpage and the other page about the AB bottles on this site. Did you read both pages?
      ~David

  61. Hi David,

    We are landscaping in our backyard and the crew dug up an AB bottle with an M6 below the connected AB mark. We are excited to know that the bottle is about 100 years old. We dug ours up in a neighbourhood in Victoria BC Canada where many of the homes date to the early 1900s. We really appreciate your website! Thanks for the information. Noelle

  62. I’ve found an AB S-3 with an “S” embossed under the AB while going through my late mother’s things. She was an avid bottle digger back in the day. Aside from being dirty on the inside, it’s in great shape.

  63. I have a AB connected and B 33 on the base. I found it when my husband and I were tearing down an old mobile in Rainier, WA.

  64. Hi David, I have recently found two bottles that aren’t on your list. H23(with cork inside) and a V4 Fairbanks, alaska

    1. Hi Brett, I added your AB bottle to the mold codes list back in January, and wrote you a private email, thanking you for the reported find. Do you check your email spam/trash/junk folders? In any case, please be aware I do not approve/post every single comment I get to this site, or the site would soon be OVERWHELMED with thousands of posts for the web-surfer to wade through, and would cause the webpages to load somewhat slower for those with older or slower computers. I only answer about 30 percent or less publicly, but many are answered privately. I can barely keep up with answering comments/queries on this site, as, believe it or not, I actually have a full time job in my “other life”. I do not sit in front of my computer all day. Many questions are sent to me which I am simply unable to answer, and a lot of them are questions that are already answered somewhere on my site, or can easily be answered by taking a bit of time to do some keyword searches online. I hope you will understand. Sorry if this causes any inconvenience to you.
      Best regards, and Take care, David

    1. I found a bottle North of Cimarron, NM June 16, 2015. Bottom of the bottle was AB connected and P2 under it.

    2. Find any bodies down there? Tahoe is deep and cold! I was there in April and found an axe head and broken fragments of old bottles.

  65. Hi David, I was going thru my vintage bottle collection and found a light blue ” AB ” connected beer bottle with ” R1 ” embossed on the base. Your site was helpful in finding out a little information about it, thank you. I wish I could tell you more about exactly where it was found but I purchased it over 10 years ago in an antique shop in the Southern California area likely between Fresno California and Riverside California. Hope you can add this one to your list !

  66. Today I found an AB connected beer bottle with P13 embossed on the base. Found sticking out of the ground not far from the Budweiser plant in Fairfield, CA. Washed up beautifully, very clear non-scuffed bottle.

  67. I received the same bottle a few weeks ago with the same AB and s 8. It was dug up weeks ago at an excavation site here in Winslow, Arizona. A historic building, downtown caught fire approx. a year an a half ago & masses of bottles are still being found. I was lucky enough to be given a few. Also, this page was very helpful and easy to find when I searched the bottles’ markings. Thanks. -Bonnie Kay

    1. Hi Bonnie, Thanks for the information, and your kinds words about the site! I have added your bottle to the list of mold codes reported to me. Best regards, David

  68. I found an aqua AB bottle with the “B 7” stamped on the bottom. The B was actually stamped twice! Found in Carbonado, WA, in our horse pasture.

    1. Hello Leann,
      Thanks for your post! Your bottle has what is called “ghost embossing” when a part of the mark appears in duplicate–usually the secondary embossing is fainter. This is caused by the molten glass being blown into the mold and the glass shifts very slightly, “picking up” a part of the engraving (this may happen in just a second or fractions of a second, and might be somewhat akin to the idea of blowing a “balloon” of bubble gum, sucking it in slightly, then blowing it out again) before settling into it’s final place against the inside of the metal mold. I will add your mold code to the list. Thanks, David

  69. Hi! I found an aqua blue bottle base shard that has just the AB with S 18 under it in a creek in Marietta, GA. -T.J. Santangelo

  70. I have an AB V.5 in the quart size. Thank you for the great info. Sorry to have to write twice- writing over to enter your comments is soooo confusing to an old gal. Deb

  71. Just dug a blue bottle AB connected, P24 on the bottom. Southern middle Tennessee. Bottle in great shape except for some white staining on what looks like the outside and inside.

  72. found this at an auction in southern Indiana. it is ab connected with a p 8 on base and a 8 b on heel.

  73. David I hope you get excited like I am over what I’m about to tell you. I was out digging with my bud again Saturday and I see that I have three more AB bottles not listed in your data base here. And my wife thought it was cool that you added our names giving us credit and what does it mean. I told her well honey it means you have the only documented bottle of that mark, only one in existence until proven otherwise hahaha.
    Off the Six AB connected marked bottles three are not on your list (E-11, V-11,& V-15) I did manage to dig two more v-18 and one H-13 also. I’m going to have my buddy go through his bottles also for you. Thanks for putting up such a wonderfully and informative page. Daniel Camacho

  74. David,I’ve been digging bottles lately near Fairbanks,Alaska where some gold miners worked around 1908 at the earliest that have the AB connected base mark and of course trying to accurately date them I stumbled on this page of yours. So I went through my cataloged notes and found these AB connected base marks in my collection not listed here on your page. I hope this helps.
    H15,H26,H13 and Y3. Also my wife Serena dug one yesterday that is H17.The H17 is such a super weak mark you can barely make it out. I’m assuming the mold was pretty well used and worn by the time this bottle was blow. Daniel & Serena Camacho North Pole, Alaska.

  75. I found a bottle in a old homestead in the mountains in 2013, that has the AB (connected) A15 on the bottom, really cool! Thanks for sharing info on the bottles! Was really interesting and informative!

  76. Hi David, I just found an ab connected Blue bottle complete. The markings on the bottom of this bottle is AB.Co under that is The letters BIG and under that is 05. I’m stumped, thanks for any help. Debbie

    1. Hi Debbie,
      [Readers: Debbie send me a pic of the base]. The second line of text is supposed to be “B 19” although it does indeed look like “BIG”. I have not attempted to compile and list the base code numbers seen on the “AB[connected] CO” bottles, only the ones with just the “AB”[connected] . The “AB [connected] CO” bottles are not as commonly found as the “AB[connected]” ones. Most of those bottles seem to follow a similar pattern of letter/number combos on the bottom.

      In any case, it would seem that the ‘AB CO’ stands for American Bottle Company. Your bottle was likely made sometime in the 1905-1917 period. It is possible the “05” stands for 1905 but that is not certain by any means!! Usually, when a number appears on the bottle that is believed to be a date code, it is on the heel, not the base. Since this is on the base (third line of text) this presents more questions than answers!

      Take care, David

  77. The other day I dug up an AB connected beer bottle with M 12 embossed on the base. This was dug in an area that seems to range from 1910+/- to around 1930.

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