Owens-Illinois Glass Company

                                 (1929-to date)

                    (Owens-Illinois, Inc. ~  since 1965)                    

This corporation is now generally known simply as “O-I”.            

Owens-Illinois Glass Company trademark/logo - Diamond - Oval- I entwined.
Owens-Illinois Glass Company trademark/logo – Diamond – Oval- I entwined.
Owens-Illinois' "Diamond and Oval with I inside" trademark, as seen on 1951 soda bottle
Owens-Illinois’ “Diamond and Oval with I inside” trademark, as seen on 1951 soda bottle
Owens-Illinois logo- date code 1952
Owens-Illinois Glass Company logo on green soda bottle base shard – date code 1952.

 

Owens-Illinois Glass Company was the result of the 1929 merger between two glass-making giants of the industry:  Owens Bottle Company (Toledo, OH – predecessor Toledo Glass Company began operation in 1896) and Illinois Glass Company (based in Alton, Illinois, with glass production dating from 1873).  See this page on  Illinois’  “I in a diamond” trademark.

Formerly headquartered at Toledo, OH;  now based at Perrysburg, OH,  Owens-Illinois, Inc. had (and has)  many glass manufacturing locations worldwide.  (See list of 20 currently operating glass container plants in North America, farther down on this page).

Known as Owens-Illinois, Inc. since 1965, (and officially known as just “O-I” since 2005), this corporation is currently (2022)  the largest manufacturer of glass containers in the world.


Owens-Illinois logo on base of Clorox bottle
Owens-Illinois logo on base of Clorox bottle
DURAGLAS trademark on the base of an amber medicine bottle
“Duraglas” trademark on bottom of amber medicine bottle
Owens-Illinois diamond/O/I mark on base of large water bottle
Owens-Illinois diamond/O/I mark on base of large water bottle
Duraglas and Owens-Illinois mark on base of 1959 soda bottle
Duraglas and “I inside an O” mark on base of 1959 soda bottle
O-I mark (most recent mark used by Owens-Illinois). This mark appears on the heel of an emerald green Ale 8 One soda bottle, date coded from the year 2011.
“O-I” mark (currently being used by Owens-Illinois) as embossed on the heel of an emerald green “Ale 8 One” soda bottle.
“DIAMOND & OVAL SUPERIMPOSED WITH AN I INSIDE” MARK

Several trademarks have been used over the years by Owens-Illinois.  Shown on this page are pictures of typical trademark variations used on glass containers, especially during the early years.  Most of the pics show the first and most widely recognized mark used,  beginning in 1929.

As pictured, it can vary slightly from one container to another.  This mark consists of a “Diamond and O (oval)  entwined, with an I in the center” and dates from 1929 into the middle and late 1950s. (Latest confirmed date code with this older trademark embossed on a bottle is 1966).   The mark may not have been, in actual practice, engraved onto all their bottle molds (in their inventory or being used at that time) until sometime in the year 1930, simply because of the time and effort involved in re-tooling/altering large numbers of molds already in use.  The mark is sometimes misinterpreted as the representation of an “eye” or of the planet Saturn.

Although author and researcher Julian Toulouse, in his ground-breaking reference work “Bottle Makers and their Marks” (published in 1971) promoted the idea that the diamond and oval trademark was used only up to 1954, implying a neat, clean “cut-off date”, in actual practice many bottles with this mark have been found that date several years after 1954.  (More info, below, in the paragraph on the “I inside an O” trademark).

On very small bottles, the mark may be rather indistinct and the “I” may be virtually invisible, or just a tiny dot.  It may be misinterpreted as the number “1”.

On the typical bottle, there is usually a number to the left of, to the right of, and below, the trademark.  (Note: The above arrangement is the most commonly seen, at least on soda bottles, but some containers, such as liquor flasks, are frequently marked in other ways and thus the codes may be arranged in a different configuration. See the paragraph on this page below,  titled “Liquor Bottle Permit Numbers”).


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PLANT LOCATION CODE NUMBERS

Typically, the number on the LEFT of the diamond logo is the plant location code number, the number on the RIGHT is a year date code, and the number below the logo (if present) indicates the mold number (mold identifying number, “mold cavity number” or serial number).    NOTE:  this arrangement generally applies to Non-Liquor bottles.  On many liquor bottles made by Owens-Illinois, the number on the left is a Liquor Bottle Permit Number, not a plant location code.  Please see the paragraph farther down for more info on this subject).

For example, plant code #2 stood for the Huntington, WV plant; “3″ indicated the Fairmont, West Virginia plant (that number was used up to 1981, later “3” was used by Muskogee, Oklahoma); “4” was Clarksburg, West Virginia;  “7″ indicated Alton, Illinois; “9″, the Streator, Illinois factory; “12″ was Gas City, Indiana; “14″ was the Bridgeton, New Jersey plant, #21 is Portland, Oregon;  #22 is Tracy, California;  #20 is Oakland, CA;   #23 is Los Angeles, CA, etc.

Note: Several of the plant numbers used by O-I were re-used by other plants that opened in later years, so it is important to take into consideration the date code, the bottle style and other characteristics to positively identify which plant location made a particular bottle.

For more info with a more extensive, detailed chart of known Owens-Illinois plant location codes, please check out the article by Bill Lockhart and Russ Hoenig at this URL:

The Bewildering Array of Owens-Illinois Glass Co. Logos and Codes.


DATE CODES

As stated above, a date code usually appears to the right of the Owens-Illinois logo.  On many bottles, a single-digit date code along with the “Diamond/Oval/I” mark may indicate the 1930s.  From information compiled in Bill Lockhart’s article (link below) on Owens-Illinois’ date code markings, it appears that, on containers with this earliest trademark, if a single digit date code (such as  a “1 or “4” placed to the right of the logo) is followed by a period, the chances are very good the bottle in question dates from the 1940s, especially the 1940-1947 period.   However, there are some exceptions to this general rule, and single-digit date codes were also used in later decades along with the later “I inside an O” mark (but without a period placed to the right of the code).
Most bottles from the late 1940s into the 1950s and 1960s have two-digit date codes.

NOTE: any bottle which is also marked with the brand name/ trademark DURAGLAS dates from 1940 or after, never before that year.  This can help narrow down the production date of some glass containers.


THE “I INSIDE AN O” TRADEMARK

The second primary mark used by Owens-Illinois Glass Company was phased in during the mid- 1950s with the removal of the diamond.  Julian Toulouse (Bottle Makers and their Marks, 1971), states this mark was used beginning in the year 1954.  However, more research over the years has shown there was actually a gradual changeover from the “old” to the “new” trademark on containers, which occurred over a period of four or five years beginning in 1954 (with a few known exceptions—see note below discussing a bottle made in 1966 which carries the “old” trademark on the base!).

Some bottle molds already in use were not re-engraved until as late as 1957, 1958, 1959, even, as mentioned, in 1966.  However, after about 1958 the great majority of O-I containers carried the “new” (second) principal trademark, which merely consists of an I inside an oval, or circle.  On some bottles this mark is very tiny or indistinct, often looking like a small “0” (a zero, or the letter O) with the “I” in the center hard to discern.

"I inside of an O" trademark/logo - Owens-Illinois Glass Company
Owens-Illinois Glass Company “I inside an O” trademark

 


OWENS” appears on the base of some clear prescription bottles.  Illustrated among the pics on this page is the base of a bottle made at the Columbus, Ohio facility (plant #18) with a date code of “7” which in this case probably stands for 1937.  I don’t know how late the word “OWENS” was embossed as a trademark on the base of those medicine bottles.


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LIQUOR BOTTLE PERMIT NUMBERS

IMPORTANT NOTE: Many liquor bottles and flasks made by Owens-Illinois have a DIFFERENT mold code configuration on the base, as compared to the way the numbers are arranged on most other types of bottles they made.  Typically, the bottle is marked with a number known as  a “Liquor Bottle Permit Number” followed by a dash and a second number which is the date code – indicating the year the bottle was made.   Many liquor bottles made by Owens-Illinois have the “Diamond and Oval with an I” logo embossed sideways on the base of the container.

For a list of liquor bottle permit numbers assigned to many glass companies in the United States after 1935, please check out this page I recently added to my site: 

Liquor Bottle Permit Numbers – Numerical List.  


NOTE: In July of 2013 I received a photo, submitted by Taylor McBurney,  showing the base of a Yacht Club Beverages ACL soda bottle, carrying a 1966 date code, but bearing the old logo!  This is the very latest instance of use of the “old” O-I mark that I am aware of.  Presumably, when this particular mold was pulled out of the storeroom, and used to produce some more bottles (probably for a relatively small order),  it wasn’t considered important enough to take the time to re-engrave the trademark.  Update: (posted October 1, 2019) – also check out the base photo of a possible 1978 bottle, shown farther down on this page.


O-I trademark used by Owens-Illinois-here on the bottom of a green glass gin bottle.
“O-I” mark currently used by O-I (Owens-Illinois, Inc)
“O-I” trademark

The “O-I” mark (being the third major trademark embossed on the company’s glass containers) was officially registered by the United States Patent & Trademark Office on March 20, 2007, under registration #3219434.  “First use” of this mark is claimed to have been on December 17, 1997, according to information posted on the justia.com website, here:
https://trademarks.justia.com/785/97/o-78597477.html

This trademark is in current use on most Owens-Illinois glass containers made within the United States (as of 2020).


Other marks include  “ILLINOIS”,  a brand name apparently used for a line of prescription bottles (similar to their bottles marked “OWENS”);   “DURAGLAS”  a trademark used after 1940 which is embossed on innumerable bottles of many types;  and “LOWEX” another brand name which was used for their borosilicate glass formula employed especially for power line insulators.  For more information on the brand name Duraglas, you might want to check out my page here:
Duraglas trademark on bottles.

Although Owens-Illinois has made containers of many different shades of color over the years, the great majority of glass bottles commonly found (especially older containers that show up often at flea markets, antique malls, yard sales, junk shops, ebay, etc) are found in clear (colorless), green (emerald, forest green or “seven up” green) and amber (“beer bottle brown”) glass.

The “Diamond & oval with I” mark is by far the most common identification mark on glass containers found in trash dump sites in the United States from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.  (The second most common mark encountered is probably the “Large H over small A” used by  Hazel-Atlas Glass Company.)


Electrical Insulators

Owens-Illinois took over operation of the Hemingray Glass Company factory, located in Muncie, Indiana, in 1933.  Hemingray was a prolific maker of electrical insulators (of many types and sizes) for power lines, telegraph, telephone and other uses.  Within a year or two, most glass insulators produced at Muncie were carrying date codes. Owens-Illinois continued to have the great majority of insulators marked with the “HEMINGRAY” brand name, with very few exceptions in later years.   Other brand names used by O-I  on insulators include “Lowex” and “Kimble“.  Many millions of insulators were made at Muncie,  the very last being manufactured in the year 1967.  (Please see my webpage on the Hemingray Glass Company  for more information on Hemingray insulators.)


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Owens-Illinois Inc. currently [2020] operates 20 glass manufacturing facilities within North America.   They are located in:  Atlanta, Georgia;  Auburn, New York;  Brockway, Pennsylvania [2 plants];  Ringgold, Virginia;  Lapel, Indiana;  Los Angeles, California;  Muskogee, Oklahoma;  Kalama, Washington (plant acquired in 2015, formerly Bennu Glass); Oakland, California;  Portland, Oregon;  Streator, Illinois;  Toano, Virginia; Tracy, California;  Waco, Texas;   Zanesville, Ohio;  Lexington, North Carolina;  Windsor, Colorado;   and in Canada:  Montreal, Quebec and Brampton, Ontario.


For more detailed discussion on Owens-Illinois Glass Company and their date codes, and a detailed, updated chart of  O-I plant location codes, please check out this comprehensive article written by Bill Lockhart and Russ Hoenig:  The Bewildering Array of Owens-Illinois Glass Co. Logos and Codes.


Click here for a page from O-I’s official website:

https://www.o-i.com/our-story/how-glass-bottles-and-jars-are-made/


Note: For a webpage on this site with an extensive list of glass companies that made electrical insulators (which are now considered collectible items), please check out this page:  Glass Insulator Manufacturers .

Click here to go to the alphabetical listings of trademarks found on bottles, jars, insulators and tableware:  Glass Bottle Marks (starting here with Page  One).

Please click here to go to my website  Home Page.   

Please check out my summary page on  Sea Glass / Beach Glass. Many older Owens-Illinois bottle and jar bases might be found among so-called “Beach Glass”. 

 


Duraglas mark used by Owens-Illinois Glass Company
DURAGLAS mark (introduced in 1940) on Owens-Illinois bottle
LOWEX mark on glass insulator made by Owens-Illinois
LOWEX mark on glass insulator made by Owens-Illinois
Diamond-O-I mark on base of emerald green jar made by Owens-Illinois Glass Company.
Diamond-O-I mark on bottom of emerald green jar
Owens-Illinois mark with 1947 date code on base of amber bottle
Owens-Illinois mark with 1947 date code on amber bottle
Second mark used - "I inside of an O" mark on base of emerald green jar
Second mark used – “I inside of an O” mark on base of emerald green jar
Owens-Illinois mark on clear bottle
Owens-Illinois mark on clear bottle
Diamond/Oval/I glass trademark: Owens-Illinois marking on base of green glass soda bottle made in 1948.
Diamond/Oval/I trademark on bottom of green soda bottle made in 1948.
Diamond and oval entwined mark used by Owens-Illinois
Diamond and oval entwined mark used by Owens-Illinois.
OWENS and diamond-oval mark on base of clear druggist bottle
OWENS and diamond-oval mark on base of clear druggist bottle
Owens-Illinois mark
Owens-Illinois mark
Diamond & Oval entwined with I in center - first type of logo used by O-I
Diamond & Oval entwined with I in center – first type of logo used by O-I
1959 Mountain Valley Water- Hot Springs AR - unusually late for "old" O-I mark!
1959 Mountain Valley Water- Hot Springs AR – unusually late for “old” O-I mark!
Base codes on Owens-Illinois amber glass handled jug, (1968 or 1969 date code, made at factory #14). B-1175 was jug style number. (Pic courtesy of Crystal Arant)
Base codes on Owens-Illinois amber glass handled jug, (1968 or 1969 date code, made at factory #14). B-1175 was jug style number. (Pic courtesy of Crystal Arant)
Base of Yacht Club Beverages ACL soda bottle, bearing 1966 date code along with older mark. (Photo courtesy of Taylor McBurney)
Base of Yacht Club Beverages ACL soda bottle, bearing 1966 date code along with older mark. (Photo courtesy of Taylor McBurney)
Base photo of amber Dad's Root Beer bottle, carrying the "old" Owens-Illinois mark, but with an unusually late 1960 date code! (Thanks to Ken Rudd for submitting this photo).
Base photo of amber “Dad’s Root Beer” bottle, carrying the “old” Owens-Illinois mark, but with an unusually late 1960 date code! (Thanks to Ken Rudd for submitting this photo).
"Old" logo with what appears to be a 1978 date code. I suspect this may actually be a case in which the date code "7" (for 1937) was not properly removed and an "8" was added to them mold to indicate 1938(??) If this really is from 1978, it would be, by far, the newest bottle with the old Owens-Illinois logo. (Photo courtesy Duncan Lucas)
“Old” logo with what appears to be a 1978 date code. I suspect this may actually be a case in which the date code “7” (for 1937) was not properly removed and an “8” was added to the mold to indicate 1938 (??)  If this really is from 1978, it would be, by far, the newest bottle with the old Owens-Illinois logo.  This is on a clear “generic” type of medicine flask. (Photo courtesy Duncan Lucas)

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Here are a couple other webpages on my site that might be of interest, as I included a few pics of Owens-Illinois bottles and bases on them:

“Federal Law Forbids Sale or Reuse of the Bottle” marking on liquor bottles.

Numbers seen on the bases of Glass Bottles and jars.


370 thoughts on “Owens-Illinois Glass Company”

  1. Have a clear shard, side panel only LI. heel Reg 610617, bottom 56 owens symbol date code 41 bottom # R-514 on top of all this is a mean looking dog mouth open with teeth, curious thanks

    1. Hi Kevin,
      You have a piece of a Gordon’s Dry Gin bottle. The weird animal with teeth is supposed to be a wild boar (their trademark), although sometimes you have to use your imagination to see it! The “56” is a liquor bottle permit number that shows the bottle was made at the Owens-Illinois Glass Company factory at Charleston, West Virginia, yes, in the year 1941.
      Hope this helps,
      David

      1. Hi David I found a glass bottle on the beach today with marking on the bottom. It’s a 9 then an I with a circle around it then a 6 and under that the number 2

        1. Hi Kev,
          The dating on that bottle can be tricky but I’m assuming the “6” is a date code for 1956. It’s possible it’s for 1966. The “9” does tell us the bottle was made at their Streator, Illinois factory. The “2” is a mold number.
          ~David

  2. Hello! I found a Four Roses whisky half pint on the beach. There is still remnants of the gold label on the front with black script and a State of California seal. On the bottom of the bottle is the diamond/oval stamp (no i) with 56 on the left of the D/O and 6 on the right, but no period. Would I be correct in assuming that this bottle is from 1940, by using your list of the liquor permit numbers?

    1. Hello Rachel,
      The “6” to the right of the Diamond/oval trademark is a date code. That date code stands for either 1936 (most likely) or 1946. The bottle was not made in 1940. I am sorry but there has been some misunderstanding about the permit number list because of the years I have listed (in parentheses) immediately to the right of each permit number. For readers, here is the page being referred to: https://glassbottlemarks.com/glass-industry-liquor-bottle-permit-numbers-numerical-list/
      The years in parentheses don’t represent the beginning or ending dates of a company, or the year any particular bottle was made, but merely indicate that the glass company was included in a list of permit numbers that was published or updated that year. So the permit number was likely used for many years before and/or after the year given in parentheses. Sorry for any confusion. I explain this in the text, but it is easily missed by readers. Thanks for writing, and I hope this helps! Take care,
      David

  3. Hi David!
    Bottle found today deep in the ground of my 1905 home. Aquamarine wide mouth external thread bottle with three indented panels on each side. Bottom is a hexagon shape with 3 markings (left to right) 8, square with an O, and 8. Measures 6.5″ tall, 6.5″ diameter and 2.5″ across hexagon bottle. Any help identifying appreciated as I cannot find anything like it with my own research. Bottle is in amazing condition!

    https://imgur.com/a/9kvfjSI

    https://imgur.com/a/Q8oreg4

    1. Hi Lisa,
      Thanks for including the links to photos of the bottle! That is a bottle style most closely associated with horseradish. Although horseradish was packaged in many different shaped bottles over the years, that is one of the more common shapes used, especially in the 1890s and through the early 1900s. The earlier types have a lip made for a cork closure, and later ones have a “screw threaded” top.

      The general “look” of the bottle is also somewhat similar to some bottles used for pickled products, olives, and in some cases, honey. But I am sure that example almost certainly originally contained a brand of horseradish. Of course, the original label is long gone. I did find a similar bottle (probably not exactly the same, but a similar style) in the Worthopedia site auction listings archives. The link is here: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-bottle-paper-label-kims-3848940177
      Your bottle was made by Owens Bottle Company (O in a square was their trademark) and it would date from sometime in the 1919 to 1929 time period. The numbers are mold numbers and/or date codes, but I’m not 100% sure about their exact meaning. Hope this helps a bit!
      David

      1. Thank you David! I can’t see the price on worthpoint due to membership requirement. Can you see what it says? Just curious- no cracks or chips on mine! Lived in clay rocky soil for this whole time!

        1. Hi Lisa,
          I am not a member of Worthopedia and use it just for basic information, that is, text and photos included on old ebay auctions listings. So I can’t see the value either. The “market value” is merely the ending price of the item, and that sales price may or may not give us solid information on “real worth” to collectors. And yes, aqua bottles usually have a little bit more value than clear, but it depends on what bottle is being discussed. In general, aqua bottles tend to be older than clear (with tons of exceptions). My site is not really geared toward values, and more about the history of glass, so I can’t give you a definite value. But, in general those bottles are considered pretty common (to longtime collectors). But the value assigned to that bottle with the original label would be considerably higher than a bottle with no label.

          On most older bottles, when the original label is still intact that usually adds value to antique bottles (because labels equals more information, more background, more provenance, more interest as far as colorful contemporary graphics, etc.) to the collector. If I were you I would perhaps try doing “saved searches” with keywords on ebay, over a period of time, and you might find similar listings and see what they actually sell for.

          Hope this helps,
          David

          1. Hi Lisa,
            Thanks for the link. I didn’t understand how you got the 1928 date. I didn’t see any base photos on that listing, but maybe I missed them? Without seeing the base code markings, it could theoretically be earlier or later (depending on what glass company made it, and if there is glassmaker mark and/or date code on the bottle).
            Thanks! David

      2. Hi David! I have what I believe is a 1939 fluted owens-illinois bottle, but I can’t seem to figure out what it was used for, I was wondering if there was a chance you or anyone else could take a look at it and find out what it was.

        https://ibb.co/nRgN0DV (Full Bottle, has 12 sides)
        https://ibb.co/1vKM5YW (Has a 5 on the side of the bottle)
        https://ibb.co/ynPfcjW (Possible mold number that looks like it says “E788”)
        https://ibb.co/djCRNk1 (Bottom of bottle, with a 2 and a 9)

        1. Hi Tyler,
          That actually looks like a weird combination of a soda bottle and a ketchup or pepper sauce bottle! To be honest I’m not sure what it held. The ‘crown top” is typical of soda bottles, but the fluted sides are more common on ketchup bottles. I suspect it could have been for an obscure brand of pepper sauce or maybe some other type of condiment. And yes I believe you are right that the “9’ is a date code for 1939. The “E788” would be the catalog number assigned to that particular bottle mold. Thanks and sorry I don’t have better information. Maybe an antique bottle collector / digger will land on this page and identify it for us!

          David

  4. I found a one-gallon bottle at a garage sale with the “earliest” trademark on it, and was interested in seeing if I could get a date for it. It has a 2 to the left of the diamond and a 6 to the right, with an 11 underneath it. It has Des.Pat. 96235 embossed below the trademark. The bottle has a basket weave pattern embossed on it. Thanks.

    1. Hello Dawn,
      With your information, I found the design patent on the web with a google search. Here is a link to the page with diagram and text of the patent issued for that bottle design: https://patents.google.com/patent/USD96235S/en
      The design was patented July 16, 1935. (87 years ago tomorrow!) The patent was in effect for 14 years, so, theoretically, bottles of that design could have been made anytime from 1935 to 1949. Your particular bottle was manufactured in 1936 (the “6” to the right of the logo is a date code for 1936). It was made at the Huntington, West Virginia plant, and the “11” is a mold number. Hope this helps!
      David

  5. I found a Duraglas bottle with the cap on the shores of Lake Michigan in southwest Michigan.
    It has the following markings:

    23- circle around the triangle and I’m guessing a one (but looks like a dot)-2
    3-H
    Duraglas
    1735-EP

    Can you please decode this for me?
    Thanks
    Jose

    1. Hi Jose,
      Duraglas was introduced in 1940, so we know your bottle was made after that year. The “23” is a manufacturing plant code number for their Los Angeles, CA location. (I assume you meant “diamond” not triangle). If you meant there was a number “2” directly to the right of the logo, that is a date code, and probably stands for either 1942 or 1952. Don’t know what “3-H” indicates. “1735-EP’ is probably a code number for that particular bottle style. Hope this helps a bit!
      David

  6. Good afternoon I was hoping you could help me identify a jar I found, It’s a regular mouth quart canning jar and on the front is the word Mason under that a star then under the star the word Jar. The bottom of the Jar has the (left to right) number 7 circle with an “I” inside then the numbers 75. next line is just the number 2.

    1. Hi Jessi,
      That sounds like one of their regular line of modern canning/fruit jars. From the markings you describe, I would say the jar was made at Alton, Illinois (their main plant, indicated by the number 7) in 1975. The “2” is a mold number. Hope this helps!
      David

  7. Is there a way to determine what brand of whiskey was in this bottle?

    amber whiskey bottle
    front: 4/5 QUART
    off center on base: Owens Illinois I in oval, diamond

    Codes on base:
    56
    R125
    5

    Although 56 is not listed in the permit code document you have shared, I read in several of your responses that it was OI’s permit number for their Charleston, WV facility.
    I understand R125 to be a rectifier number, but it is not listed in the web document you shared in response to another reader’s comment.
    I assume the 5 is a mold number.

    Maybe I am off base, or maybe there is nothing else that can be determined. Thanks for any thoughts you have.

    1. Hi Bill,
      With the original label missing, I don’t know of a surefire way of finding out what was originally contained in the bottle. From the markings you describe, your bottle sounds like a generic or “standard” type of “fifth” liquor bottle made by Owens-Illinois. I believe the “5” is a date code for 1935. And, assuming that the company (rectifier) that was assigned the number R125 distributed/produced/sold a number of different brands or types of liquor, I presume they would (or could) have used the same style of bottle for several different products, and, as per their routine, they merely applied different labels onto those bottles to reflect the contents.

      I might also note that fairly recently (after I had posted comments, over several years, about the #56 liquor bottle permit number) , with help from some other researchers, I’ve posted a more complete list of the permit numbers here on this webpage: https://glassbottlemarks.com/glass-industry-liquor-bottle-permit-numbers-numerical-list/

      So, to sum up, no, I doubt if you will be able to discover exactly what beverage was in your bottle.

      Thanks for writing, and I hope this helps a little!
      David

  8. Hello, what a great informative site you have! I found your site while trying to Id a bottle I found in Micronesia believe it or not. Hopefully the link to the picture works but if not : on the left of the diamond/oval is the number 20, on the right is number 1, and below is number 10. Then below all of that is 4637-GB. This bottle along with many other beer bottles (mostly Japanese) were found on or around the beaches from WWII era. From reading your page Im guessing this bottle was made in the Oakland factory? [url=https://postimages.org/][img]https://i.postimg.cc/J7cWT89t/mb2.jpg[/img][/url]

    1. Hi Eric,
      Yes, I was able to view your photo of the bottle base. I am reasonably sure the date code “1” stands for 1941 (as the Oakland plant started production in 1936). Although Owens-Illinois did use the plant code #20 for their earlier glass plant at Brackenridge, Pennsylvania, that factory was only in production for a short time in the early 1930s and I doubt if your bottle was produced there. Many Oakland-produced bottles are found in the Western states, and also occasionally in areas around the Pacific including Hawaii. The 4-digit number is surely a number that identified that particular style of bottle, or mold design. Thanks for writing!
      David

  9. I found a bottle while we were dredging out a channel. The markings on the bottom are D9, 56-42, M-899A. Diamond with oval logo.
    The front of the bottle has “Federal law forbids sale or reuse of this bottle”. What does the M-899A mean?

    1. Hi Arnulfo,
      The “M-889A” is almost certainly an identification number assigned to that particular bottle design (or bottle mold) by Owens-Illinois. The “56” indicates the liquor bottle was made at their Charleston, West Virginia plant. The “42” is a code for the year 1942.
      D-9 is a distiller code. Hope this helps!
      David

  10. I found a fairly large piece of brown glass with the Duraglas logo (circle inside diamond) the number to the left of the logo is a 6, and there is a 29 under the logo. Any ideas on date/orgin?

    1. Hi Jennie,
      The “6” to the left of the diamond logo is a plant location code for Charleston, West Virginia, but if the number that was placed to the right of the logo is missing, I can’t say when it was made since that would have been the date code. The 29 is a mold number.
      Best regards,
      David

    2. Hi! I found a brown half gallon Clorox Duraglas bottle. It has the diamond with the circle & I on the bottom. There is no number to the left and the number to the right is a 4 with no period. Any idea what date this is from? Found it in a swamp. Thanks!

      1. Hi Stacy,
        Can you study your bottle closely and compare with the pictures and information presented on this webpage on the Clorox company site? https://www.thecloroxcompany.com/company/our-story/bottle-guide/

        Please let me know if you are able to pin down the date with their chart. I think the “4” may stand for a year ending with 4 (1944 or 1954) but can’t say for sure without seeing the style of bottle you have and the exact code embossing arrangement. The “Duraglas” brand name was introduced in 1940 so we can be sure it doesn’t date before that year.

        Take care,
        David

  11. I found a small (approx. 6oz) clear bottle made by Owens-Illinois Glass Co. It has the I in the circle but there is only a single digit for the date code. (bottom of bottle) maker’s mark is on top – 3 is on left – 2 is on right – 9_ is on bottom.

    Any ideas on the actual date?

    1. Hi Jeff,
      This is one of those questions that are hard to answer with certainty! The bottle was made at Fairmont, West Virginia (Owens-Illinois plant number 3). I am reasonably sure the date code “2” would stand for either 1962 or 1972. I am inclined to believe 1962 is more likely, because this is the first year ending with a “2” since the Owens-Illinois trademark was changed to the simple “I inside an O”. However, on some very small bottles it is possible the mold engraver used one digit for the date code simply because of limited space on the mold. So I don’t think we can be 100% sure about this! But I invite any input from others as well.
      ~David

  12. Hi, I found a beautiful emerald green bottle, similar to Sunsweet juice container I’ve seen elsewhere (but it is not stamped Sunsweet). Instead there is the diamond and oval with an I inside. To the left is the number 3, to the right is also number 3. Below is the number 7 and below that is: PAT. APPLD. FOR. Do you think this might be from 1933?

    1. Hi Kim,
      I am assuming you are referring to the emerald green “CANTEEN” shaped Sunsweet bottles. There are a number of them also listed on ebay and I was trying to see some of the base pics (uploaded by sellers) of other examples of that bottle. It appears all of them (that I found, anyway) also have the “PAT APPLIED FOR” marking on the base. I don’t know what the actual patent number is for that bottle design (assuming that a patent was eventually issued). I suppose it is very possible that the “3” could be a date code for 1933 but I can’t verify that with absolute certainty. Perhaps another reader or collector will land on this site and clue us in on the year those bottles were first produced, or have info that helps hone in on the year meant by the “3”! I’m sure it is either 1933 or 1943, but not sure which is correct!
      Best regards,
      David

  13. This appear to be a 1970 Owens mark, but the bottle and label seem to me to date earlier.
    /Users/owner/Pictures/Photos Library.photoslibrary/resources/renders/D/DEF6308A-A417-4C58-813F-F542B2A629EC_1_201_a.heic
    /Users/owner/Pictures/Photos Library.photoslibrary/resources/renders/4/4803A160-6980-48CD-B714-FE290B9EA31F_1_201_a.heic
    /Users/owner/Pictures/Photos Library.photoslibrary/resources/derivatives/D/D8DB1ECE-2A36-4680-8296-526F3C5B04FF_1_105_c.jpeg
    /Users/owner/Pictures/Photos Library.photoslibrary/resources/derivatives/C/CABDEC66-1E46-429E-A3AA-107FD503FFFB_1_105_c.jpeg
    /Users/owner/Pictures/Photos Library.photoslibrary/resources/derivatives/7/75EBEAA3-1AA2-45F5-9B8E-623C74B9A0EF_1_105_c.jpeg
    /Users/owner/Pictures/Photos Library.photoslibrary/resources/derivatives/F/F13F0744-72A4-4CAA-BA9E-90DE43898225_1_105_c.jpeg
    /Users/owner/Pictures/Photos Library.photoslibrary/resources/renders/D/D4884D53-C9F5-42E6-BD88-D07E7B7D083B_1_201_a.heic
    /Users/owner/Pictures/Photos Library.photoslibrary/resources/derivatives/C/CC45224F-594D-48DF-8B57-F750DA772B84_1_105_c.jpeg

  14. Hi! Your website is so helpful as I’m finding old bottles around my house. I have an old screw-top Listerine bottle with Owens-Illinois markings. It looks like this:

    4 [Diamond I Mark] 9
    5.

    The 5 is centered and has a period next to it. I know you’ve said on here that a period may indicate the year it was produced, but as you noted, that’s typically to the right of the diamond mark instead of below. Can this be chalked up to a manufacturing difference? I know the 4 means it was produced in Fairmont, WV.

    Thank you!

    1. Alicia, I’m glad to hear this website has been helpful. I am not convinced that periods always have something to do with dates. There is conflicting info and theories online about the significance of periods placed to the right of date codes. (For instance, some hold that a period indicates another decade, i.e. the 1940s instead of 1930s). In the case of your Listerine bottle I’m not sure why there is a period next to the mold number, and the “5” is almost certainly a mold number. I don’t remember stating that a period may indicate a year a bottle was produced, so can you let me know where on this website I wrote that. (BTW, periods seen on some glass insulators made by Owens-Illinois, Whitall Tatum, Kerr and Armstrong CAN indicate years, but this is a separate issue from bottles). In any case, I may have been unclear in what I was trying to write, and may need to re-edit my text. Thanks and take care!
      David

  15. An odd shaped amber bottle (almost diamond shaped) with the symbol all the way to the right side. A dot on the top and bottom middle and a 5 all the way to the right side. Any idea?

  16. Hi. I was making a trail through my property in the UP of Michigan. I dug up multiple old bottles. Having a hard time identifying this one. It’s a brown (amber) bottle. Small, around 3.5/4inches tall. Round. A white cap that says “PD” the bottom is: 7 i in a circle 72 and then 14 under those. Thank you.

    1. Alexandria,
      It sounds like the bottle was made by Owens-Illinois in 1972, at their Alton, Illinois factory (plant #7). The “14” is probably the mold number. The “PD” might stand for Parke-Davis, the drug company, but I cannot be sure about that.
      ~David

      1. Hi David,
        I found this bottle in very good condition laying on top of the ground in some old woods in Saratoga Springs NY. https://photos.app.goo.gl/pZqpdxGLBq1z1R5w5
        Mfg mark of a Diamond with an “I” surrounded by an “O”. Code to left, “2”. Code to right “5”. Code underneath “3”. I understand the “2” means Huntington, WV, the “3” is a mold number, but is the “5” for 1955 or 1945?

        1. William, this is a problem with many Owens-Illinois bottles from the 1930s and later. We simply can’t be 100% sure of many bottles with a one-digit date code, such as the code on your bottle (assuming there are no other markings that could potentially give evidence or info that might help pin down a year date). It could stand for either 1945 or 1955. I’m sorry I cannot be sure which year is the correct one. BTW, that appears to be some kind of food bottle, perhaps for a condiment of some type.
          Take care,
          David

        2. I came across an amber colored bottle. On the bottom it states “Duraglas” in cursive. Below it, at center is the Diamond & Oval entwined with I in center. The number to the left is “9”. The number to the right is “5.” (with period) and the number below is “2”.

          Based on reading some of this my guess is the bottle was produced in 1945(?). Can you provide any more information, please?

          1. John, The bottle was made at their Streator, Illinois location (plant #9) and the “5” would stand for either 1945 or 1955. I can’t say for sure which year is correct.
            David

    2. Hi there! I live in south eastern Pa and came across this Owens Illinois bottle. I’m guessing the 39 is the date, however wasn’t sure what the SB stood for. I haven’t come across any other bottles with the labeling in this order, and hoped you could provide some insight. Thank you for your time, Candice

      P.S.
      Not sure how to post a photo, but it is a 5” amber medicine style bottle with straight sides and a cork top. The diamond logo within a circle is on the bottom of the bottle. Directly beneath that, all in one line, there is a small 14, then a larger 39SB and then after that a smaller 0.

    3. Hi David, I recently found what I believe is an Owen-Illinois glass liquor bottle. The bottle has the federal warning about the sale or reuse of the bottle. The code on the bottom base is D 23 then below is 62-7. The bottle label for Owen Illinois is side ways on the base as well. I have read that plant # 62 has been recorded by others on liquor bottles but can find no information about the plant itself. Was able to read by an article provided by you above that the plant was most likely closed by 1969 but could find no further information. Was wondering if you had any information regarding plant # 62 including its location. Thank you!

      1. Hi Hannah,
        No, I don’t know which O-I plant was assigned #62 as their liquor bottle permit number. I’m sure the information is out there Somewhere, but to my knowledge it is still a mystery at the present time! Perhaps eventually someone will uncover this information and let us know! And I assume you are referring to this extensive article about Owens-Illinois, it’s code numbers, etc, which was written by researcher Bill Lockhart:
        https://sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/OwensIllinois2015.pdf
        Incidentally, because the date code is “7” I suspect your bottle might date from 1937. (Liquor bottle permit code numbers were required by the US government beginning in 1934). Although this was not always the case, a single digit DATE code was used frequently in the 1930s.
        Thanks for writing and take care!
        David
        [Update ~ edited April 8, 2021] Hannah, the liquor bottle permit number “62” was assigned to Owens-Illinois Glass Company’s plant at Terre Haute, Indiana. This information is from a publication indexed online, at this link: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.$c127996&view=1up&seq=11&q1=LIST%20OF%20GLASS%20MANUFACTURERS%20TO%20WHOM%20PERMITS%20TO%20MANUFACTURE%20LIQUOR%20BOTTLES

  17. Hi!

    I have a 5 gallon bottle that has the I in the diamond surrounded by the O marking. It looks like a 7 to the left and 3 to the right. There does not appear to be a period next to the three. Also there is the code of 5250 on below the above line. Any thoughts on how old this is? It came from my grandma.

    Thanks!

    1. Hi Rob,
      The bottle was made at the Alton, Illinois factory, but I can’t say with certainty what year it was produced. It would have been made in 1933, 1943 or 1953. (However, if the brand name DURAGLAS is embossed anywhere on it, it would have to be from 1943 or 1953).
      Take care,
      David

      1. I found a 5 gal bottle with the I in the middle of the O and to the right is a 7B. Can you tell me more about it and it has a blue tint to it.

    2. Hello,
      I found a small 3 in tall glass bottle. The oval symbol with the diamond is on the bottom but nothing else inside of that. The diamond looks too small to add anything inside of it. To left of the symbol is number 12. On the bottom of the symbol is number 1 to the right of the symbol is number 4 with a dot on the top and bottom of it. The cap looks rusted on But what ever was on inside was white and has settled on one corner and some sand is also inside.

  18. We excavated a 32oz clear jar/bottle, which cleaned up quite nicely! Here are the marks:

    1875-C
    21 emblem 6

    All I figured out was that 21 is the Portland, OR plant. What do you suppose the 1875-C on top is?

    1. Porter,
      It’s probably a style or catalog number that was assigned to that particular bottle design or shape. Catalogs, invoices and other company paperwork would have listed that number to identify the bottle type. The “6” is a date code which would have indicated 1936, 1946 or 1956.
      Hope this helps,
      David

      1. Hello! I dug up outside my house underneath some bricks an intact Duraglas brown bottle possibly a beer bottle. The plant and date code is 20 oi diamond symbol 49, possibly a 7, Duraglas, beneath that says I or 1 way. Side of the bottle says No deposit ☆ No return, Not to be refilled. Bottom rim says 6 GB. If you could help me with any more insight, that would be awesome! In Ogden, Utah.

        1. Hi Dustin,
          Yes, it is a beer bottle. Some were marked with the “I WAY” embossing on the base, especially in the 1940s. The “20” is a plant location code that indicates the bottle was made at Oakland, California. The “49” is a date code for 1949.
          Best regards, David

  19. Hi David. I have a small brown glass bottle about 2″ tall with these markings. Top line 15 SB – Middle line 4 (OI Diamond) 1 . – Bottom line 9 – The date code has a period following it. From my reading i believe it to be from the late 30’s to early 40’s. What is the meaning of the top line 15 SB?

    1. Hi Garrett,
      I honestly don’t know for sure. I think it might have been a code designation for that particular bottle style/design.
      Sorry I can’t be sure what it means!
      David

  20. Have a smaller bottle. Height is about 2in or so. About like a baby food jar. It has small bumps all over the bottle except around the center of the bottle where the label may have been? It says duraglas in cursive along the lower face of the bottle below where the label would be, on the front and back side of the bottle. The bottom has a balancing scale and of course the usual marking. The I is inside the O To the left is a 4. The right appears to be 3. Looking at the bottom, at the top there’s a marking that looks like maybe a #1? Or maybe an I. Or maybe it’s not supposed to be anything at all? Maybe like some type or error. Please help
    Me with this one

    1. Hi Timothy,
      You have a jar used for some type of product marketed by McKesson & Robbins. Many of them are labeled “MCKESSON’S” and often there is an embossed image of a scales on the bottom. Check out this google Image search: McKesson & Robbins bottles/jars
      I suspect that most of those containers date from the 1930s-1960s but I really don’t know for sure. With a “3” date code and the later “I inside an O” mark, your jar may date from 1963. Hope this helps,
      David

  21. I have a large pickle jar, which has Duraglas embossed on the bottle heel. On the bottom of the jar, there is the I in an oval O, but no diamond. To the left is a 0 (I can’t find a plant for this), and to the right is a 2, but no period. It is difficult to figure the date, since everything I have read states that the I inside an O is after 1954. I then read that any dates after 1960 I believe, would be two digit numbers. Any ideas on what date this jar may be from, and which plant ?

    1. Brenda,
      There are lots of questions and “anomalies” concerning Owens-Illinois date codes. I do not subscribe to the theory that only 2-digit date codes were used after 1960. I suspect that the number you see to the LEFT of the logo was supposed to be a “10” but with the “1” poorly engraved — i.e. illegible or missing. If (REPEAT: IF) that is true, that would mean Atlanta, Georgia as the factory where the jar was made. The “2” would probably be a date code for 1962 or 1972. The brand name Duraglas was introduced in 1940, so we know the jar cannot date earlier than that year. There is also a VERY slight possibility that the mold for that jar was made in 1952 and the logo was re-tooled but the date code was not updated before that particular jar was manufactured from the mold. That seems very implausible to me, but as I said, sometimes questions remain and no one can be 100% sure about the Correct answer! Perhaps a reader will chime in with other ideas! Thanks for writing,
      David

      1. Thanks so much David. I appreciate your input. I was thinking along the same lines as you are. Just wish I knew for certain what year it is.

    2. We have a 4 and a half inch screw lid clear bottle with 3iii on top front panel and in script lettering Duraglas on the bottom in script writing. Duraglas plant 18, (maybe plant in Columbus, Ohio?) to the left of the oval and diamond and the number five to the right (don’t know if that is 1935?) Above the diamond and oval Duraglas in script writing is again stamped on the bottle. All the lettering feels raised. My husband found this bottle in a bottle dump at a County Park in Gloucester County, New Jersey. We are looking to see what the 3iii means?

      1. Hello Lilly,
        Your bottle probably dates from 1945, since the “Duraglas” brand name was not introduced until 1940. Yes, the bottle was made by Owens-Illinois at their Columbus, Ohio factory location. The “weird-looking number three” character is an old apothecary sign meaning “Ounce”. The “iii” is the Roman numeral “3”. So your bottle holds 3 ounces of liquid. It is no doubt a druggist bottle. Those types of bottles were made in a wide range of sizes for liquid drug prescriptions. Hope this helps!
        David

  22. Does anyone have any ideas what kind of beverage was originally in this bottle? Based on the info above I believe it was made in a plant in WV. It is aqua with ribs 2 diamond pane panels on the front (small on top, large o the bottom) and one small diamond shaped panel on the back. Stamped on the bottom 3 O with I inside 65 (next line) 14 (next line) G-18038 Thanks for any help.

    1. Hi Lynnette,
      Judging from the “G-18038” which is a style number used by Owens-Illinois, you have an RC (Royal Crown Cola) bottle. Owens-Illinois marked many of their soda bottles with a “G-number” on the bottom. The number identified a specific shape or style of bottle, irrespective of the exact glass color or markings on the bottle. I did a search on ebay and found a couple listings with that number embedded in their item descriptions.
      https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=Bottle+%22G-18038%22&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=1&_osacat=0&_odkw=Bottle+%22G-18038%22
      I am guessing the ACL (Applied Color Label) markings have faded from the bottle which makes it harder to identify. Also, the “65” is a date code for the year 1965 which is when your bottle was manufactured. Hope this helps!
      Take care, David

  23. We found the bottom of an Owens medicine bottle on the beach in FL- it has measurement lines up what’s left of the side. Bottom has a sideways 4, Owens, 6, and the O diamond mark. Does this mean the bottle is 1936 from Clarksburg, WV?

  24. Here are my DURAGLAS bottom markings: 7 ,the oval, 5 and at the bottom 11. This is for a large pickle jar. What do I have, what do the # mean?

    1. Hi George,
      The “7” on the LEFT of the logo is the plant location code, and number 7 indicates your jar was made at their main plant at Alton, Illinois. The “5” is a date code. I can’t interpret the year with certainty, but it probably stands for 1945 or 1955, assuming the glassmaker logo you see is the “Diamond and Oval with I” which was the first mark used by Owens-Illinois. The “11” is a mold number. Hope this helps,
      David

  25. I forgot to ask in my previous comment – I am assuming these amber jars are safe to use as drinking glasses? That was my intention for getting them. Thanks for all of the information you have gathered and shared on this page!

    1. Cassandra, I believe you are right about the 51 date code, although it may not be possible to be 100% sure about the “2” date code on the other jar… it could theoretically stand for 1952. Also, all typical American-made fruit jars are made of ordinary run-of-the-mill container or “bottle glass” which does not contain lead and is perfectly safe to drink from. (Assuming, of course, that there are no sharp edges on the rim, and the jars are nice and clean!)
      Hope this helps,
      David

  26. Hello! I believe I have two older amber jars. On the side of both jar ls at the base is says Duraglas on one side and on the opposite it says “Duraglas C 2932”.

    On the bottom of the first one – it has the symbol with a 9 to the left, 2 to the right (looks like an S honestly) and a 6 under the symbol.
    I am assuming this is 1942?

    On the bottom of the second it has the symbol with a 9 to the left, 51 to the right and 4 under the symbol. I am assuming this is 1951?

    Thanks for your help!

  27. Hello my son found a brown bottle in a mountain top lake- it has the circle over diamond with the I in the middle left number is 20 (Oakland) right is 2. (1940s?)from what I gathered reading your post the number above below the logo is the mold # 8 and above is patent # 4601-CB
    Which is where I’m struggling, I looked up that in US patents and had no luck- could you possibly enlighten me please or point me in the right direction? Appreciated this article it was very much the answer I was looking for.
    H

    1. Heather, the #4601-CB is not a patent number. It was most likely a catalog or inventory number assigned to that bottle style by the factory. The number would have been used on invoices and other paperwork and communications between the glass company and their customers.
      Hope this helps,
      David

  28. Hi David,

    I believe I have an Owens- Illinois Glass Company liquor bottle from 1941. I looked up the permit number in a document and the permit number wasn’t listed. Here is all the info I have – Base has R-174, Bottom 56-41 and under that “Design Patent applied For,” the Federal Law forbids… statement is also on the shoulder. My questions, do you know where permit 56 was used and I read that the R means Rectifier but what does R- 174 mean? Thanks in advance, Ross Lebo

    1. Hi Ross,
      The liquor bottle permit number “56” was used by the Owens-Illinois glass plant at Charleston, West Virginia. The “R-174” is a “rectifier number” and here is an info webpage (.pdf file) someone has put together with a number of distiller code numbers and rectifier numbers. It is not all-inclusive, but the best list I know of, online: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51379b83e4b02119d184b2a2/t/584a336ee4fcb59adb85c48b/1481257838281/User+Permit+numbers.pdf
      Hope this helps!!
      ~David

  29. Hi! I found a green bottle with a screw top lid. There are embossed grid lines at the top of the bottle. Markings on the bottle are 9 0-1 67. Could you tell me a little about it and what the bottle may have been used for? Thanks!

    1. Hi Michaela,
      The only info I can pass along would be that your bottle was made at their #9 plant (Streator, IL) and was made in 1967. Owens-Illinois has made thousands of different styles of bottles for every product under the sun (almost) :-), so I can’t come up with ideas on use without seeing the bottle. My email address is listed at the bottom of the website page. Thank you and best regards,
      David

      1. Hey David, I found this bottle today on the bottom of the bottle it say
        GB-7
        9 the I in the circle then an 8 above a 7
        29
        Duraglas

  30. I have an Owens Illinois Glass Company decanter with the image of a crown and the signature of Kalakaua 7887 above it. The bottom of the decanter shows the circle and diamond intertwined with the I in the middle. To the left is the number 7 (Alton, Il.) to the right is a single number 6 and below the logo is the number 7 which I understand to be the mold number. Since the number to the right of the diamond is a single 6 how would I know which year this is? I am a collector of all things King Kalakaua. I would appreciate your help, mahalo. Len Fergusen

  31. So my grandma has this bottle with the Owens-Illinois label on it..
    011
    56-41
    Des. Pat. 73096.

    She thinks it was a whiskey bottle..and it has patriot on the bottle with a few other cool markings like a boat and 4 stars and has one pint under the patriot.. also I believe on the back of the bottle it has at the top.
    Federal law forbids sale or re use of this bottle..
    it’s a pretty cool bottle would love to send at picture of it.. but any information would help thank you..

    1. Hi Alden,
      Your grandma’s bottle was made in 1941 (the “41” is a year date code). The “56” is a liquor bottle permit number assigned to Owens-Illinois Glass Company, indicating their factory at Charleston, West Virginia. The number “011” is probably a mold number. The “73096” is a “Design patent” number and here is a link to the patent information, as listed in the database on the GOOGLE PATENTS site:
      https://patents.google.com/patent/USD73096S/en?oq=d73096
      I hope this info helps a bit!
      David

    1. Hi Shannon,
      I honestly don’t know. Owens-Illinois Glass Company made huge quantities of “emerald green” salve and ointment jars of many different designs and sizes. I haven’t seen that particular one. It certainly has an attractive design! Thanks for writing, and sorry I don’t have information about it.
      David

  32. Hello, I found an Owen’s Illinois green glass ointment jar on our property today. I haven’t found another like it online. Photos included. Any idea what would have been in this jar? Thank you for looking.

  33. Found an antique medicine bottle (with unknown medicine inside) while out on a run through a Missouri River flood area. Still can’t seem to place the date using your page and the Lockhart article.

    Bottom engrossment reads “7 0” with a “7.” underneath.

    Thanks for compiling this, it’s super interesting!

    https://imgur.com/z5z6B7R

    1. Hi Brian,
      This is a case where the date code (the “0” to the RIGHT of the logo) could theoretically stand for either 1930, 1940 or 1950. I don’t know of a foolproof way of knowing, at least on that bottle, which date is correct, although my guess would be 1940. If the bottle also carried their brand name “DURAGLAS” (which it doesn’t, I assume) we would know it had to be 1940 or later, since DURAGLAS was introduced in the year 1940. The “7” below the logo is a mold number. The “7” to the left of the logo is the plant code number which stood for Alton, Illinois.
      Hope this helps,
      David

      1. Hi Cari,
        I haven’t done a search but it is likely that the patent can be found on the GOOGLE PATENTS website. Basically, those types of markings mean “Design Patent for this item [bottle] was issued by the US Patent & Trademark Office, and the number assigned to the patent is 89237”.
        Best regards,
        David

  34. While collecting beach glass, I found a green bottom of a bottle that says filled or re-filled 89 with the I O symbol to the right. Does this mean it’s from 1989 or something else ?

    1. Meredith, exactly which O-I symbol are you referring to? If it is an “I Inside an Oval, or letter O”, then yes, the 89 probably is a date code for 1989. Thanks!
      David

  35. I have an Owens-Illinois bottle with the following 4 lines on the bottom:
    1 – W5447
    2 – 55 9
    3 – WINE
    4 – DES PATENT 92116.

    It appears the date and plant codes are reversed. Have you ever seen this before?

    1. Hi Chris,
      I think this is a case where the “55” is actually a liquor bottle permit number, and the “9” is a date code, with the orientation as often seen on their liquor bottles. Even though the bottle is marked “WINE”, the style is very similar to lots of “flat” liquor/whiskey flasks made during that time period. The “55” is a liquor bottle permit number that was assigned to their Huntington, West Virginia plant. The bottle design patent number was actually issued in April of 1934. I suspect your particular bottle was made in 1939. See this page on Google Patents: https://patents.google.com/patent/USD92116
      I don’t know what the W5447 indicates, but it may be a code number assigned by Owens-Illinois to that particular bottle mold/style.
      Take care,
      David

      1. You hit the nail on the head! The patent design looks exactly like the bottle! I found it yesterday while clearing some brush on our very remote property in southern Oregon. Thank you very much!

  36. I have a clear bottle with ribbing, clearly states A Midwest Product on front and back has 6 3/4 fluid ounces on one side and BB 48 on the other and patent Du Quoin Ill pending and 18 the diamond oval I Mark 5 across the bottom and Midwest dairy products co. around the bottom edge. All in raised glass. I know the Illinois abbreviation changed after 1963, but still not sure how old it might be. It’s in perfect condition.

    1. Hi Justin,
      The BB48 marking was used on some Owens-Illinois milk bottles for a long time, but I don’t have info on just how late the mark was used. On your bottle, the “5” is probably a date code since it is placed to the right of the logo. That would mean either 1935, 1945 or 1955 but I can’t be sure which year is right. Probably the best way to get a better idea on age is to find old city directories, telephone books or newspaper issues from DuQuoin that might have info on when that dairy was actually in business. Hope this helps a little.
      Take care,
      David

  37. Hi, I have an old ribbed bottle that has the Owens Illinois mark on the bottom. On either side of the mark there is the number 9. Below all this are the large letters K.B.W. Near the bottom side of the bottle it says “KANKAKEE BOTTLING WORKS”. What does this all mean? Why would it be marked by two different companies?

    1. Hello Paul,
      Thank you for your post, as your question actually gives me the opportunity to address this and thus give a bit of background explanation… In the case of your bottle, the “Kankakee Bottling Works” was the name of the company that actually produced the soda or beverage (or, at least combined the basic ingredients, such as flavored syrup, carbonated water, etc) and then filled the bottles with that product. Owens-Illinois Glass Company is, of course, the company who manufactured the glass bottles which were sold TO (purchased BY) the Kankakee Bottling Works to use for their products.
      This is the general case with gobs of bottles for many different products…….. There will be a glass company (“glass bottle company” or “bottle company”) AND a “bottling company”, “brewing company” or “packaging company”. They are two entirely separate, unrelated businesses, and sometimes this is confusing to people who might assume that the product as well as the bottle were both made by the same company. In the great majority of cases, the firm who made a bottle is not the same company that made the product, such as a beverage, that is contained IN the bottle. (There are a VERY few cases in which a company makes both bottle and product, but it is not the norm in the business world!)
      Now, in your particular case, the “9” to the left of the Owens-Illinois logo indicates the bottle was made at their Streator, Illinois plant, and the “9” on the right is a date code, which would stand for either 1939 or 1949. I am not familiar with the Kankakee Bottling Works, but there have literally been thousands of soda bottling works located around the US and that’s just those that operated within the past century.
      I hope this helps,
      Take care, David

        1. Hi Nic, Thanks for the link.
          Although most of the material on that page is reasonably accurate, I have doubts if that “rule” always holds true. “Probably” is a good way to put it, as you have done. Also, I disagree with at least one other statement on that page, such as this one: “If the manufacturer’s mark found on the base of the bottle is the diamond IO mark (see Figure 2), then the bottle was produced pre-1954.” This may be so in most instances, but the statement is not really true since many, many Owens-Illinois bottles made after 1954 continued to bear the “old” (Diamond/I/oval) mark. Also, the drawing of the second variation (with the “I” serifs angled) is one I don’t think actually exists. The drawing in which the number below the logo is labeled “unknown code” is rather odd, since it has been known since Toulouse published his “Bottle Makers and their Marks” in 1971 that the number below the logo is usually the mold or “mold cavity” number. Whoever wrote that page has basically copied material from Bill Lockhart’s articles and Bill Lindsey’s site.
          Take care,
          David

  38. Found a tall green Canada Dry green glass bottle. No labeling, but has diamond embossed ring around neck and “canada dry” . The bottom has large triangle with big “c” inside. Above is the older owens-illinois mark with 9 on left and 5 on right. Also has the number 5 on lower left of the large triangle. The only other marking is at the side near base – C8118. It does have the seam line running all the way to the top of the lip, which is a rounded with band. Could you help me date this find please?

    1. Hi Shelly,
      Since in this instance the number to the right of the old Owens-Illinois logo (Diamond and oval with I) is a date code, that indicates the number “5” could stand for either 1935, 1945 or 1955. Sorry I cannot be sure which is correct. You would need to do research on the other clues including the style of graphics or lettering (for Canada Dry). I don’t know enough about the Canada Dry brand and their many bottle variants over the years to make an educated guess on which year is most likely. The “9” on the left does indicate your bottle was manufactured at Owens-Illinois’ Streator, Illinois factory.
      Best regards,
      David

  39. David,
    I found an old clear glass cork top 0.5 oz glass bottle with the oz marking on it along with what appears to be a teardrop impression near the bottom of the bottle. This marking is not on the base itself and there are no other identifying marks. I live near an old farmhouse area with wood and had found another older bottle previously. Can you give me any info. I am near Alton Illinois.

  40. I have a bottle that has a 7 to the left of the diamond I oval mark and a 78 to the right of the mark. How is it 1978 when they stopped using that type of mark in the 60s?

    1. Hi Duncan,
      [Readers, Duncan emailed me with a base photo of this mark. It appears to be a “78” date code but with the “old” mark used by Owens-Illinois. I have added his photo to my article here about Owens-Illinois. I am not 100% sure if this is truly a bottle made in 1978, but I do find this very interesting]. Thanks very much, Duncan, for the base pic!!
      Take care,
      David

  41. I grew up in Brockport NY, where there was an Owens Illinois plant, located on Owens Rd. It had its own railroad spur line. To my knowledge the plant ran until it’s closing in the early 80s. Since then the plant has been torn down, the South Ave ext which dead ended at the plant was opened all the way through, and a park now exists where the factory once stood. I have been finding bottles from the Owens era around the plant I work at in southeast Pa, since there has been a lot of excavation. Most bottles are in good shape and bearing single digit dates, up to the mid 1940s. My finds are mostly small bottles what look like medication or perfume bottles but I have found several Coke bottles dating 1945-47, and others what appear to be liquor bottles, that most have the single numbers after the OI logo. Thank You.

    1. Hi Rich,
      Thanks very much for your post! I enjoy receiving comments with interesting background info like this~
      And good luck on finding more bottles!
      Take care,
      David

  42. I have a medical vial? 7 (I inside a oval) 5 and 12 underneath. Any info? The label is gone and there is no other markings

    1. Tiffany,
      Owens-Illinois has probably made millions of small glass vials or “serum bottles” over many years. (Although, I think the most prolific maker of those types of vials is Wheaton, using their “W in a circle” or “T. C. W. & CO.” marks). Judging
      from your description, the “7” to the left of the logo is the plant location code, which in that case stood for their main plant (at the time) located in Alton, Illinois. The “5” is a date code, and would probably stand for either 1965, 1975 or 1985. I don’t know which year would be correct. The “12” is a mold number. Hope this helps,
      David

  43. Ill Be Specific. Columbus Ohio Found Bottom jar As Presented..
    12 ( io) 4
    3.
    Duraglas
    E1644
    P.s. (io) Is the Symbol Owens Illinois.

  44. Hello,
    I have a blue Shell oil bottle. It has 7 on the left of the Logo, and a 1 on the right side. I know the 7 is the factory but what is the 1.

    SHELL-PENN GLASS 1 QT MOTOR OIL BOTTLE, its 14 1/2″ tall.

    1. Chris, the “1” is a year date code but we can’t be sure what year it would mean. It could stand for 1931, 1941 or 1951, assuming the logo is the “Diamond/Oval/I” logo used from 1929 to the mid-late 1950s. If I had to guess, I would say 1931, but I may be wrong!
      David

  45. Hey David, glad i found your site! Wondering if you could help me with some info. Found a Green base of a bottle with G- 94 (what does this stand for?) on top “duraglas” in cursive below plant code #3, i inside of O, single digit date code of 5 (no dot) and then mold number of 15. Maybe 1955? Also, was green typically used as soda or alcohol? Thanks!

    -T.J.

    1. Hello T.J.,
      The “G-94”, from all the evidence, just stands for a specific mold shape/style of bottle made by Owens-Illinois Glass Company (regardless of glass color, brand name or markings on the side). This is a common shape of soda bottle. Other “G-numbers” are out there (used by Owens-Illinois for various other mold styles of soda bottles), but this seems to be one of the most common ones they used, especially in the 1940s and 1950s. Most of the bottles seen with this code on the bottom are emerald green 7-UP bottles. Sometimes a bottle in clear glass (of the same profile and measurements) is seen. Yes, I believe the “5” date code in this instance does stand for 1955.
      I did a keyword search on ebay, using a search string looking for soda bottles within their “Collectibles” category, and checking both title and description on their Advanced Search page. Any of the auction descriptions that contained the “G-94” will come up in the listings. I see a number of different 7-UP bottles as well as a very few bottles in clear, of some other brands of soda. I also used an URL shortener, as the resulting link was quite long: https://ebay.to/2OIVM2e

      Bright emerald green glass has been used for a very wide variety of bottles, both soda and beer as well as other beverages. However, green is more common for soda, and amber is more common for beer, just in a very general sense. Such beer brands as Heineken are bottled in green glass.
      Hope this helps!
      David

      1. Hey David,

        I’m sorry I couldn’t figure out how to ask a new question so it’s attached to this as a reply. Anyway I have a 1969 Coke Bottle Bank that has the Owens- Illinois trade mark on bottom. These were made for Coke executives as gifts. Is there any way to find how many were produced and the where?

        Again thanks for all your insight and information.

        John

  46. I found a bottle (I assume it’s for liquor because it says “Federal Law Forbids Sale or Reuse of this Bottle,” and it also follows the liquor marking laws I’ve found online). On the other side of the bottle it says “One Quart”. It has the I inside the O and Diamond logo on the bottom rotated 90°, and “R 377” on one line in the center and “56-6” on the second line. I know 56 is the permit code, but I can’t find out for which factory! I found this at the bottom of a lake in wisconsin!

    1. Hi Matt,
      Very good question! I don’t know which Owens-Illinois plant was given the number 56 as their liquor bottle permit number. I also have noticed that the number “56” is not in the list of liquor bottle permit numbers posted online (and that info was copied from papers published many years ago), so I suspect it was a relatively short-lived bottle making location and for some reason was not producing bottles during the time period the bottle permit lists were produced. But I could be wrong! Sorry I do not know. Perhaps someone out there will have better info and can chime in on this question!
      Thanks for writing,
      David
      [Update ~ Edited April 7, 2021: Matt, I need to add corrections to this reply. The liquor bottle permit number “56” was assigned to Owens-Illinois’ glass plant located at Charleston, West Virginia. The list of liquor bottle permit numbers that has been posted online and that most interested parties have referred to is (at least partly) from 1969, after the Charleston plant had been closed. The Charleston plant was operating from 1929 to about 1964, so many bottles are out there with the “56” LBPN on the base! Here is another online publication with more lists of liquor bottle permit numbers: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.$c127996&view=1up&seq=19&q1=LIST%20OF%20GLASS%20MANUFACTURERS%20TO%20WHOM%20PERMITS%20TO%20MANUFACTURE%20LIQUOR%20BOTTLES

  47. Hello. I have a tall clear glass candle holder with beautiful gold floral art work surrounded by solid satin green, finished by a one inch band of delicate scroll work in the same satin green about an inch below the rim. The markings on the center of the base are “Duraglas” with a lone “I” centered directly beneath “Duraglas”. The following also appears around the edge of the base,”PROPERTY OF VALLEY CANDLE CO.” and “PAT APP FOR”. Any help that you could provide in dating this candleholder would be appreciated. Thank you.

  48. I found a small 1oz. Bottle in a load of dirt from 4th st Chickasha, Ok. It’s a clear thick glass for a prescription bottle. On front side bottom Duraglas. Bottom of bottle is 6 emblem 2. Can you tell me when made and is there any value?

    1. Hi Patrick,
      Owens-Illinois made large quantities of these kinds of clear glass prescription/medicine bottles, in a wide range of sizes. They are often quite old, but have relatively little collectible value since they are typically marked only on the base, and were made in such large quantities that the ‘supply and demand’ rule has kicked in.
      The “6” is a plant location code for Charleston, West Virginia. The “2” is a date code and would stand for 1942 or 1952. I cannot say which year is correct. (Duraglas brand name was introduced about 1940, so we can be sure it isn’t from 1932).
      Best regards,
      David

      1. I could not figure out how to post a conversation. I have an Owens-Illinois 1941 bottle from Huntington WV casting 1 with crackled print in the glass, with a sailboat at the top.

        1. Laura, I sent an email to you directly and it was returned with a Mailer Daemon notice. I think the email address you left with your comment has a typo. Can you post your query again or send me an email directly (my email address is listed under CONTACT INFO / NOTES near the bottom of the page). I was interested in seeing a photo of the bottle you describe. Unfortunately my site is not set up to accept photos uploaded directly by readers.
          Thank you and best regards,
          David

  49. Ya my son just found a bottle about 6 in tall that looks like a small clear wine bottle possibly . It has what looks like the older symbol with a O and diamond and i and also a 2 on the left and a 0 on the right . And that’s on the very bottom but I also found on the sides towards the bottom a number 2 with a dot and A211B

  50. I have a Duraglas bottle-quart size-with the Duraglass logo on the bottom along with – 17 – top left- 51 top right- a capital A in the middle left. I’m having a hard time making out the center of the trademark though it does have the diamond and oval. Any ideas? Any help is appreciated.

    1. Hi Mary,
      To be honest, it doesn’t really matter much what can be discerned in the center of the diamond and oval mark, since on MANY bottles the “I” (which is “supposed’ to be there) is frequently absent, smeared, distorted or just halfway visible! Sometimes just a tiny dot is discernible! In any case, from the info you provided, the bottle was made in 1951 at their plant #17 which was Clarion, Pennsylvania.
      Hope this helps,
      David

  51. HI David,

    I have a clear bottle, 11.5″ tall and 4″ across. It has an art deco design. On the bottom, there is the diamond logo. The middle of the diamond is messy, similar to the the green bottle photo above. To the left of the logo is the number 4, to the right, the number 6 and the on the bottom, the number 6. There are no periods after the number. There is a seam up to the top, but a large, messy pontil on the bottom. On the bottom is also Des. Patent 90023. Any information about this bottle would be very appreciated. Many thanks,

    Randy Jansen

    1. Hi Randy,
      I did a search of the patent number on Google Patents. The “Design patent number” 90023 was issued in 1933, but I cannot say with absolute certainty when your bottle was made. I think, however, that the date code “6” on the right of the logo indicates 1936. The “messy pontil” is not really a true pontil mark, but what is called an “Owens Scar”, as seen on machine-made bottles. Pontil marks are only seen on handmade bottles. Here is a link to the patent page:

      https://patents.google.com/patent/USD90023S/en?oq=d90023

      I would assume this bottle was made in a range of sizes, and was produced for a number of years.
      Hope this helps,
      David

      1. Hi, I found a similar bottle, patent# D86565, a 7 on each side of the diamond logo. Same designer as D90023! How can I find out what the bottle was used for? And I would like to learn more about the designer.

      2. I have an Owens-Illinois liquor bottle with a “3” and a “55-51” code on it, as well as the federal law statement. Based on the articles I found the “3” refers to the manufacturing plant (Fairmont, WV) and the “55” refers to the liquor permit (Huntington, WV). Is it common for the manufacturing plant and the permit to be different locations? Also, does the “51” mean 1951? Is there any way I can identify what brand of liquor the bottle was used for? It has no labels left. Thanks. -Mark O., North Carolina

        1. Hi Mark,
          In your case I suspect the “3” is a mold number, not a plant code. The “55” liquor bottle permit number indicates the bottle was made at O-I’s Huntington, West Virginia glass plant. From all evidence it appears that each liquor bottle permit number is always assigned to just one specific manufacturing location (glass plant).
          Also, if there is no “Distiller number” it may be difficult to identify what product or distilling company was involved. Many of those kinds of liquor bottles, especially the common flasks, were virtually “generic” and might have held a number of different brands. Then again, there were many brands that were bottled in distinctive containers with identifiable trademarks or graphics on them.
          David

  52. I just found 2 bottles in Okinawa. One is a coke bottle with 68 on the left…the I inside the oval/diamond (Owens-Illinois)…and 45 on the right. This is on the side of the bottle, near the bottom. The other bottle is dark green in color. It has a big 0 with a line through it and a capital L next to it…..and a small 3 under both (one 3, just under the 0L. Any help with the year and manufacture would be appreciated!

    1. Hi Mark,
      Your first bottle was made in 1945 (45 date code) and the mold number is “68”. I am not sure about the other bottle you describe. It may be a bottle from Scandinavia (Denmark or Norway?) as they use the “slashed O” letter (Ø ) as part of their alphabet.
      David

    1. Amelia, although there are some occasional exceptions, the date codes on Owens-Illinois bottles are usually placed to the right of the logo. One notable exception is a period of time when some Coke bottles made by Owens-Illinois had the date codes on the LEFT, and the mold number on the right. Exactly what type of bottle are you referring to? Also, on the bottom of many O-I liquor bottles, a liquor bottle permit code number was placed on the left, separated by a dash, and then with the date code on the right.
      David

  53. Hello,
    My bottle is green and has G-94 duraglas then 3 the O and diamond symbol with an I in it, 49 and at the bottom 15. Can you help me date it? I think it was manufactured in Oklahoma. We found this bottle embedded in wet sand on our beach. It has been turned into sea glass. It is quite a rare find for that itself. It would be cool to know it was very old as well.

    Thank you

    Samanda Peak

    1. Hi Samanda,
      I tried sending you an email directly, but you typed in your email address incorrectly so I received a “Mailer Daemon” notice. In any case, that is a soda bottle, and the “G-94” is a code number that Owens-Illinois used to identify that particular shape/style of bottle. A number of different sodas were bottled in that particular shape. Many of them have the code “G-94” embossed on the bottom along with the Owens-Illinois Glass Company trademark and a date code. In your case, the “3” means it was made at their Fairmont, West Virginia glass plant, and the “49” is a date code for the year it was made…….1949. The “15” is a mold number.

      Just for a bit of info, check out this eBay keyword search I just did……….these are various bottles in which the sellers mention (in their item description) as having a “G-94” on the bottom. You will notice they appear to be the same shape, even though the glass color may be clear or green, and some are different brands. I am guessing your bottle may have had the brand name graphics wear off, since it was on the beach for some unknown time. Can you see any faint residue of a name such as 7-up?

      https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=soda+bottle+%22g-94%22&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=1&LH_TitleDesc=1&_osacat=0&_odkw=bottle+%22g-94%22&LH_TitleDesc=1

      I hope this helps,
      David

  54. Hello David,

    I love the site! It has helped greatly with bottle identification.
    I do have an interesting liquor bottle that I would like to just make sure I decoded correctly. It’s clear and embossed with a heart design. a large heart on one side, and a smaller one on the other side with what appear to be leafy vines in between. The side at the bottom is marked “4/5 quart” which I know equals “a fifth” in slang terms. the bottom of the bottle is stamped as follows from top to bottom and reading left to right. “Liquor Bottle”, The I inside the O logo on the left, “55-70” in the center with a “4” on the right raised just a bit above the 55-70. Finally, on the bottom “M258270”. I know, thanks to you, that 55-70 is the liquor stamp and it was made in 1970. I’m guessing the number 4 indicates the plant in Clarksburg, W.V., the one that interests me is the M258270. Any clue what that may indicate? Also any clue what brand of liquor bottle this is? I can send pictures is you would like.

    Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

    John Sunyog

    1. Hi John,
      As you know, the bottle was made by Owens-Illinois Glass Company (as shown by the “I inside an O” mark.) You are right that the “70” is a date code for 1970. The “55” is a liquor bottle permit number, and by checking a list of liquor codes online (here is a pdf file – https://sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/LiquorBottlePermits.pdf
      we find that the permit number “55” actually was assigned to their Huntington, West Virginia glass plant. The “4” in this case may be just a mold number. I am under the impression that on most, if not all, liquor bottles, when the liquor bottle permit number is present, (and is placed to the left of the date code, as they usually are), the actual plant code number is not used. Of course, this embossing configuration is somewhat different than what is seen on most other types of containers (i.e. non-liquor bottles) by Owens-Illinois.
      Honestly, I’m not sure what the “M258270” indicates. Perhaps an inventory or catalog number assigned to that particular bottle design?
      Also, I don’t know what brand of liquor your bottle contained.
      Best regards, David

  55. My bottle is clear with the symbol that looks like Saturn, the numbers say 7 before the symbol, 4 below the symbol, and 3 after the symbol. Also I can’t figure out what is on the symbol but it looks as if the Saturn symbol is like the second photo down.

    1. John, As you know, the bottle was made by Owens-Illinois. From your info, I can only say that the bottle was made at their Alton, Illinois location (plant #7), the “4” is a mold number, and the date code is the “3”. The date code might indicate 1933, 1943 or 1953. I can’t tell you with certainty which year is meant. Also, since the logo was usually hand-engraved into the inside of bottle molds, there are many very slightly different “looks” of the logo. But they are all meant to convey the same meaning…….merely the trademark standing for Owens-Illinois Glass Co. Although it is sometimes compared to the “look” of the planet Saturn, there was no real connection or intentional likeness, just a coincidental similarity.
      David

  56. Hi Today I found the bottom of a clear bottle. Front and rear say half pint. The bottom has 0-1 54-51 and a diamond with an oval. If you could guide me in the right direction. It’s fun trying to identify my finds. Thank you Kim W.

    1. Hi Kim,
      Here’s the only info I can be reasonably certain about: It’s a liquor bottle, and the numbers “54-51” are: Liquor bottle permit number #54 (which is the number issued to Owens-Illinois Glass Co. plant located at Fairmont, West Virginia) and the “51” is a date code for 1951, the year your bottle was made. Many liquor bottles are marked in this way, with a pair of two-digit numbers being the liquor bottle permit number and the date code. Keep in mind this is NOT the same way that many other types of Owens-Illinois bottles are marked. You can find an online list of “liquor bottle permit numbers” by doing a google search with those four words.
      Hope this helps,
      David

  57. Hello,

    I just got this glass – I would call it a liquor decanter – it’s stamped Des Pat Pndg, 7 oval sign with an I followed by a 4. Under seems to be either an one or I. Would that place it in 1954?

  58. Hey David!
    What a fantastic website you have! Extremely informative with a great forum. My hat is off to you good sir! I was wondering if you could help me date an Owens-Illinois glass jar I recently found. It appears to be a packer jar (clear glass), possibly for preserves. There are no other markings aside from the maker’s mark, although there is a thin, faint seam on either side of the jar. Additionally, the jar lacks shoulders and is a screw-top. In regards to the makers mark, it is an “I” inside of an “O”, with a “7” to the left, a “2” to the right, and a “15” on the bottom. Any information you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!

    1. Hi Shay,
      As with many Owens-Illinois Glass Company containers, it can be difficult to assign a specific year, especially when the date code (as in your case) is a single digit. In those cases, there may be more than one possible interpretation. In the case of your jar, the “I inside an O” trademark dates AFTER 1954. The “2” is the date code, and most likely would stand for either 1962 or 1972. The “7” is the plant code for their Alton, Illinois glass plant. The “15” is the mold number.
      Take care,
      David

      1. Thank you so much for your response David. The only issue I have with a post-1954 date is that the jar is actually collected from a historic site that is only depicted on an 1885 plat map. Of course, the jar could have certainly been discarded on site subsequent to the removal of the original structure (as there is a nearby active farmstead). But is there any chance the bottle could be older than 1954? Perhaps early 1930’s? Based on my review of aerial images of the location, there is no indication of a structure or disturbance of the site post-1937 (i.e. earliest available aerial). I sincerely appreciate all of your time and consideration!

        1. Hello Shay,
          It is generally agreed by researchers that the “I inside an O” mark used by Owens-Illinois was instituted beginning in 1954, and no earlier. As I tried to explain in my main text of this page, there was actually some period of time beginning in 1954 when many of the molds then in use were re-tooled with their second mark (eliminating the diamond). So, any bottle with the “I inside an O” may date from several years AFTER 1954, but not before. My suspicion is that it’s from 1962. I am assuming the jar was just a random “late-throw”, as is sometimes found at sites where virtually everything else is much, much older. Do you know how deeply this was buried, if buried at all?
          I have noticed this….. Nearly anywhere and everywhere throughout our country, “modern era” trash can be found, even in the “middle of nowhere” where there seems to be no logical reason for it being there. Some possibilities for random items include hunters, fishermen, hikers, surveyors, farmers, nearby landowners, vagrants, ATV riders, or just teens or children out “exploring the neighborhood” and leaving litter!
          Just some thoughts!
          Take care, David

  59. I have an old glass demijohn with the diamond and a circle within that the letter I. T the left is a 7 and the right side is a 5. Left bottom is ICC-10. Then directly beside that is marked 61/2 GAL. At the top it says 1951. And Finally M.C.A.STO. Does this information help. Because it doesnt in Google. Please I would love some info.

    1. Craig,
      The large water bottle was made by Owens-Illinois Glass Company at their Alton, Illinois location. The “7” is a plant location code for Alton. The right side number “5” is a date code, perhaps for 1955. I think the “1951” is the year the mold itself was manufactured, but I am not 100% sure of that. I don’t have definite info on the other markings.
      David

  60. I just purchased an apothecary bottle from an antique store with a lot of wonderful markings, and decided to start with the makers mark first because I thought it would be easiest. According to your very helpful site, it is from the Owens-Illinois, Inc. merger and it seems to fit all the requirements as the picture you have of the clear Owens medicine bottle though it is missing a few things. I wish I could post my picture but it has ‘OWENS’ just like yours, but in the middle of the bottom of the bottle, the rest of the mark is the – 6 and there is a little dot inside the circle. The label is flaking off and more fragile then a butterfly wing, but who knows if it is original and it is only 15% there anyway. What exactly do I have on my hands?

  61. Im just curious if you are able to help me determine when my jar was made. I dont see all the numbers described in your post. The jar says Presto supreme mason with “manufactured by owens – illinois glass company” on the back. The bottom of the jar looks only to have a large O with a sideways diamond and MAYBE a tiny I in the middle though hard to see.
    The ONLY number is a 2 to the left of the O/Diamond.
    Id appreciate any help at all, thank you so much.

    1. Hi Tifanni,
      If there is no date code, I can’t tell how old a particular Presto Supreme Mason is, but in general those jars were made in the 1920s-1950s by Owens-Illinois. Sorry I don’t have more info to pass along.
      David

  62. I have a small green bottle with an I in a circle. 17 is on the left and 82 on the right. Could you tell me more about it?

    1. Hi Rachel,
      It’s a bottle made by Owens-Illinois Glass Company (I in a circle) in 1982. The “17” (in this case) stands for their Clarion, Pennsylvania glass factory where your bottle was made. Without seeing the bottle, I’m not sure what it was used for, but if you can, send me a pic to my email listed at the right bottom corner of the page. (I’m sorry but this site is not set up to accept pictures uploaded by readers).
      Best regards,
      David

  63. I found a clear seamed glass seven ounce pry-off cap style “soda” bottle embedded in a bank on a wayward beach on the Hawaiian island of Moloka’i and have been unable to find a conclusive identification for it. It’s rather thicker than average and has the following raised markings in a circle around the bottom: I.A BOTTLED.BY M.E.CO. 20 (I) 62 (The I being in a circle rather than parenthesis). In the center it’s marked: NET CONT. 7 FLU.OZ. 359-G (Each group as a separate line).

    Any ideas?

    1. Hi Norman,
      I don’t know anything about an “M.E.CO.” but I would assume it stands for the name of the unidentified beverage bottling company. The bottle itself was made by Owens-Illinois at their Oakland, CA plant (plant code # 20) in the year 1962 (the year date code “62” to right of the logo). “359-G” is probably a code number for that particular style/shape bottle.
      Hope this helps a bit,
      David

  64. Hi there,

    There is an area I hunt where I have found the remnants of an old homestead, hasn’t been touched in goodness knows how long. Near the foundations of two log cabins I have previously found a tobacco tin dating to 1910 and a half pint milk jug from the 1930’s.

    Most recently I found a glass gallon jug, and I have been doing research but am having a hard time dating it. It is Owens-Illinois, with the O-I diamond logo. On the left side of the diamond is 23, which should be from LA according to what I have read. However, the right side is 4 without a period – which would mean 1934? However the LA plant did not open until 1949? It also has a ‘W’ which, if I understand correctly is a liquor code, but after 1934 there were requirements for other codes, which my bottle does not have.

    Details: the bottom of the jug has the O-I diamond, 23 on the right side and 4 on the left. It also says 4 directly below that. Further down it says 5755 W. Along the base of the jug it says Duraglass, and at the top it says one gallon. It looks like it was a twist-top style lid and there is still a rusted metal band around the bottom of where the lid was. It also still has a brown sludge inside that I am fairly certain I could get drunk off just from sniffing it!

    Any information you might be able to share about this piece, and any ideas about its age would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!!

    1. Ali, there is a lot of confusion on the date codes, as you have realized. I don’t believe that the presence or absence of a period after a date code can give absolute evidence on which decade is meant. Since the DURAGLAS brand was introduced in 1940 by Owens-Illinois Glass Company, we know it must date sometime after that year. The “5755” is probably a code number for that particular mold or style jug. I don’t know what the “W” means but perhaps someone else has figured that out on another website. The “23” plant code does stand for Los Angeles, and since that plant was started around 1948/1949, the bottle must date afterward. The single-digit codes were used, in some instances, on various bottles and jars of different sizes and shapes over a range of decades.
      I think the jug would date from either 1954, 1964 or 1974. Sorry I can’t pin it down for sure, but my best guess is that it stands for 1954. Gallon jugs of slightly different types were made by many glass companies in large quantities for a number of products, including vinegar, apple cider, soda syrups (such as Coke syrup to be used to make soda by mixing with carbonated water) and other liquids/beverages. Hope this helps a little.
      David

      1. “I don’t believe that the presence or absence of a period after a date code can give absolute evidence on which decade is meant.”

        I’ve been collecting soda bottles for 40 years, and I can tell you every single O-I soda bottle I have ever seen with a period behind the date is from the 1940s. I’ve yet to see one that wasn’t.

        1. Hello Ken,
          Thanks very much for your info. I will accept that, so consider myself corrected. However, the original question from Ali might bring up other, related questions: 1) Were single digit date codes used in ALL decades? 2) If a date code does NOT have a period after the number, that still leaves room for error because it could potentially stand for any decade, right? 3) What about other types of bottles besides soda bottles…. were any made in the 1940s that does not carry a period? 4) Do all soda bottles made in the 1940s carry a period after the number, or just some percentage of them? Thanks again! David

  65. David: Very nice site full of use full information. I have a ABM pattern molded amber swirled 1 gallon and a 1/2 globular bottles the mark on the bottom is a I in a diamond with oval 4 on the left side Clarksburg,WV? 9 on the right side 1939? 1 below mold cavity number? Also has the number E1152 On the heel rim at the bottom of the bottle? Don’t Know what this stands for? This is not a screw top it has a friction fit metal cap that says on it pry off with a Table Knife to reseal press on, it has glass lug around the top that you set the knife on and pry up. Also Metal Cap says keep in refrigerator after opening and serve chilled. No product name, this is what I am trying to figure out what was in the container. Apple juice? Any Idea! Beautiful Amber Swirled bottles, when seen through a sunny window they look like they have a double swirl bright and clean, probably two of the nicer ABM bottles I have ever seen outside of the cobalt Carter ABM cathedrals. Any Information would be appreciated! Thanks Jim Roth

    1. Jim, I’m not familiar with your bottle, but yes you are correct on the plant code, and the date code “9” is probably for 1939. The “E1152” is possibly a mold number (mold design number) assigned by Owens-Illinois to that particular bottle style. That number would probably have been used in invoices, catalogs, etc. Although, mold design numbers were usually on the base, not the heel, so I can’t be 100% sure about that.
      Best regards,
      David

  66. Hello! I picked up a bottle of peppermint oil from an antique store, the bottle says its from Halgren & Pettit Druggists in Ithaca Michigan (The Rexall Store) I’m inquiring about a date of the bottle. The bottom says “OWENS” and the right below is the diamond oval and on the left side of the diamond oval is a 7 and on the right is a 5, with no other marks prevant, the label look fairly old and has a plastic screw cap it still has oil in it which i thought was interesting based on the state of the bottle itself. Im guessing it might be from late 50’s early 60’s based on label and structure of the glass but i just want to know based on the markings on the bottom of the glass, thank you!

    1. Hi Jason, with the “Diamond and oval” mark on the bottom, we can assume it dates from sometime between 1930 to the mid-1950s. With the date code being “5”, that would indicate either 1935, 1945 or 1955. I would guess 1935 (since single digit date codes were more common during the 1930s although there are later exceptions) but I can’t be 100% sure! The “7” is a plant code for the Alton, Illinois factory.
      Hope this helps,
      David

      1. I have found an old Owens Bottle Co. ‘Want book and Price List’ dated 1929. Does anyone have information on this book? Thank you.

  67. Hi. I found an amber jar with the I in an O (no diamond) from plant 14, but the date code is just a 0 (no period). So would this indicate 60’s? I’m confused cause mostly what I have found says most everything after the 50’s had double digit date codes.

    1. Vicki, single digit date codes were still used in the 1960s and afterward. Not nearly as often as double-digit date codes, but they were used occasionally, especially on smaller containers. I would guess your jar was made in either 1960 or 1970.
      Best regards,
      David

  68. Hi! I found a 1 gallon bottle that has 14 and I in and O then 0 and a 4 under the I/O symbol. Since there is no period behind the 0 I assumed it was the 1930s but it also has raised letting on the foot of the bottle saying Duraglas. So would this have been made in the 1940s at the Bridgeton, NJ plant?

    1. Hi,
      Yes, since DURAGLAS brand name was instituted in 1940, the bottle is from the 1940s, made at plant #14 which was Bridgeton, New Jersey. I suspect it would be from 1940, although it might stand for 1950. (I do NOT subscribe to the theory that ALL date codes without a dot to the right of the number necessarily means it is from the 1930s, and all date codes WITH dots are from the 1940s or later, but that seems to be true in quite a few cases).
      ~David

  69. How long did owen illinois use the I inside an O mark. I have a bottle with the I inside an O mark with a date code of 1982.

    1. Hi Xavier, I’m not sure when the “I inside an O” mark was discontinued. If anyone who lands on this site has better information on the changeover, please contact me and I will update the page.
      ~David

  70. Hi David,
    First, Thank you so much for establishing this website. I have gathered so much information already. I feel I have started a hobby that my Father also shares a passion for, collecting glass bottles.
    I recently acquired a large 5 gallon glass jar/jug/bottle? Not exactly sure what It should be labeled as.
    It is clear in color and has a metal screw on type lid along with a wooden rotating handle fitted to a metal bracket attached along the base of the neck. The bottom of the jug is not smooth, has a very textured finish. I have located the large markings of the “I” inside of the diamond with an oval around them on the top of the base. I have a 7 on the left, a 7 on the right, and a 1 below with no numbers above. The bottom of the base has a large 5232 below the other numbers.
    I’m hoping you might have information as to the use of such a large container. I gathered from the articles you’ve posted it is an Illinois made container dating possibly 37 or 47. Any information is greatly appreciated. Thank you again for the great website.

    1. Adam, from your description it would be either a water bottle (carboys and demijohns are terms used in older glass factory literature for very large bottles) or a pickle jar, depending on the width/type of closure. I would suggest you search Google Images with those keywords and see if a similar container shows up in the results.
      David

  71. I found an old looking bottle under my house when I was digging a fire pit. It has an odd texture and 2 vertical seems running up the sides. I cleaned it off and was able to make out the diamond with an I and O in the middle. Above that it says John Morgan, it also says it is a 1 Pint bottle, below that it has a g178 and it says New York, N.Y.

    would love it if you could help me figure out anything about it, thanks.

  72. Hi! I found the bottom of a jar washed up on the shore of lake Michigan. The logo is the I in an oval and a diamond. Left is 7, right is 5, bottom is 5. Im just curious which year the 5 stands for. Thanks!! (It’s about 5 1/2 inch in diameter, maybe a gallon jug?)

    1. Sarah, it could stand for 1935, 1945, or 1955. My guess would be PROBABLY 1935, (because single digit date codes were used on most of their 1930s-era bottles) but there seems to be no way to be 100% sure on many O-I bottles.
      David

  73. I have acquired a large 2 1/2 gallon jug with 1/2 gal increments on 2 sides and very detailed decorative molding on opposing sides side panels at the half gallon areas. It has a finger loop at the neck and the Owens Illinois diamond on the bottom. It has a 1 over a 190 on the bottom as well as 1932 impressed on the bottom with considerable wrinkles in the glass from manufacturing of the jug (possibly straw marks as I am not sure). My question is what was this jug used for? Was it a fuel jug or could it have been sold as a multi-purpose container for other products?

    1. Mike, yes, it is a multi-purpose container. Those jugs were used for various liquids, such as vinegar, soda syrup, apple cider, etc. There is no way to be sure what was in it unless there is an intact label. The “1932”, in this case, probably indicates the year the mold was made, or perhaps the jug itself.
      Best regards,
      David

    2. Mike this is so cool… believe it or not today I purchased at a garage sale the same exact jug with the same markings on the bottom except mine has 1931! I was going to ask the same questions you did so thanks for doing all the work for me! lol

  74. I found several bottles. The first one has a 7 than the circle with the I in it and then a 9 all in one row. Below that is a single 9. Below that is the word duraglas. And below that is E – 2143. Can you help me identify it?

    1. One other thing. The circle with the I doesn’t have the diamond. It’s just a circle with an I in it. Don’t know if that helps identifying it.

  75. I found a clear jar. Approx 8oz. It has the logo (I inside o with diamond) to the left is a 4, to the right is a 6, underneath is an I or a 1. And it has 7 rings around it. It says duraglas on 2 sides… with a c2993. Can you tell me what year it was made? Thank you in advance.

    1. Stephanie, the “6” is a date code, and since the brand name DURAGLAS was instituted in 1940, we can narrow down the possibilities to 1946 or 1956. That’s the best I can do.
      Take care,
      David

  76. Hi David! I found an old brown glass gallon jug with this “diamond and oval with an I inside” symbol on the bottom of it. It has the number 7 to the left of the symbol, 6 to the right, and a 3 below it. It also has an X in the middle of the jug. I was hoping you could give me some information and history about this jug. Thanks in advance!

    1. Patricia,
      The only info I can provide with reasonable certainty is that the jug was made at their Alton, IL plant, and the “6” would stand for either 1936 or 1946 (probably 1936). The “3” is a mold number. I’m guessing it would be a generic gallon jug used for liquids such as bleach or other cleaning / chemical products. Or it might have been used for edible products such as Cola syrup, vinegar or apple cider.
      Best regards,
      David

    1. Anyone ever see an IP for factory code? Bottle dated 1944. I’m finding some odd bottles out here where the date code is gown 6 years after the factory closed example – 1945 bottle from Evansville IL.

      1. Eric, there are examples out there that seem to make no sense, according to what information is known on the factory location and date codes. However, I would submit (my guess) that in some of these instances, the bottle mold might have been moved to another plant but the engravings were not all updated (retooled) correctly on the molds. Thus, a plant code “11” (used at the Evansville plant) may have been left ‘as-is’ for some period of time after the mold was moved, and might have been correctly later, but the date code was retooled. Just an idea!
        ~David

  77. I found 4 bottles 2″h x maybe 1/2″ w cyclinder with a ever so slight green tint and bubbles in the glass. They have a circle inside a square on the bottom. I also found 4 simalar bottles one in which is 2.5″h and is a screw top with a oval diamond symbol on the bottom. Another is 2″ and has only an 18 on the front bottom as opposed to the actual “heel”. Lastly the others (both 2″) have a circle in a square on one and just 3 bumpson the other but otherwise seam identical. The last 4 do not have the green tint or bubbles in the glass but the shape seems to be almost indentical. Thoughts?

    1. Jonathan, the bottles with the “O in a square” were made by Owens Bottle Company and date from about 1919-1929. (See my page on that mark). They are probably medicine bottles of some sort. Owens Bottle Company (and it’s successor Owens-Illinois Glass Company) made tremendous numbers of bottles of many styles including lots of small medicine bottles and vials such as for products including aspirin, merthiolate, iodine and many others.
      David

      1. I couldn’t figure out how to just post a question so hopefully this gets to you. I have found something that looks like a rare bottle that Edwin W Fluerst patented with 87834. I have found one bottle on the internet that is plain with no shield or the “Federal law forbids sale or re-use of this bottle. The bottom of the bottle has DES PAT 87834 then below that is a circle with D8 on top then 64-8 below that. Then below the circle is the diamond with circle that has the “I” in the center. I believe that means it is an Owens bottle.
        The sides of the bottle has sort of a decorative look. The front of the bottle says ONE GALLON but on top of that has like a capital “D” with a 0 or o in the middle.
        Like I said it looks like the patented bottle but then it has the additions to it. Can you give me any information about it?

        1. Wendy, in many instances, the patent illustrations or model will not be EXACTLY like the bottle(s) that are actually produced. There may be a close similarity, but don’t be surprised if you see something just a bit ‘different’ in the finished product.
          David

  78. Hello, I am something of a hoarder when it comes to old things including bottles and jars. I have recently came across an amber glass bottle with the logo Durables on the base rim. The bottom shows the I within the O with a 7 to the left, a 7 to the right, and an 8 to the bottom. I can’t make it out but it looks like a identification code E-1536 or E-1596. I would love to know what the just what I picked up.

    1. Hi Eric,
      The trademark is “DURAGLAS” which was introduced in 1940. Your bottle was made at plant # 7 (Alton, Illinois) and the “7” on the right of the logo stands for either 1947 or 1957. Probably 1947, but it is difficult to be sure. The letter-numbers code is an inventory ID (style or design number) used in catalogs or invoices between Owens-Illinois and the end user company. I don’t know what type of bottle you have, but you could email me a pic of the bottle to my address which is listed on the lower right-hand corner of this webpage.
      ~David

  79. Hello David, great article here full of info. I have been trying to track down information on vintage bitters bottles that I collect and can’t seem to find any information on a particular kind. The most recent one I picked up has a rooster on it and says bitters above it, overlayed in sterling silver. The bottom of the bottle has a 2 followed by the O with diamond logo followed by a 3. Would this indicate 1930s? There are no ther dots or marks on the bottom of the bottle. Amazing to find this article by simply googling o with diamond logo glass mark. Thank you in advance for any info you Dan provide!

    1. Reilly, I don’t know for sure when it was made but, from doing a google search and seeing several different variants of the “Rooster’ bitters bottle, they appear to be intended as decanters or decorative “back bar bottles”. I would assume your bottle was made in 1933 at the Huntington, WV plant.
      ~David

  80. Hi David – I apologize if my question is redundant. You have a popular forum here and I’ve read far enough to acknowledge your credibility but not yet through all of the questions/answers.
    I found a brown amber, half-gallon jug. It is Owens-Illinois with plant code 14, date code 52, and mold code 1. It has the Duraglas logo as well.
    What I’ve not seen before nor have I found any info online is that twice around the collar of the jug is embossed “ONE HALF-GALLON”, but one instance is clearly misspelled as “ONE HALE-GALLON.” Any ideas as to the frequency of typos in the molds?
    Thanks!

    1. Hi Jeremy,
      Thanks for your kind words about the site. Mold makers’ spelling errors are fairly common on glass items such as bottles, fruit jars and insulators, and those errors are sought by collectors. Although most (not all!) errors are found on older, handmade items. (Insulators bearing mold errors are a popular collecting sub-category among insulator collectors).
      Just as a very general date range, I would say they are definitely more commonly seen on glass made before about 1920. Since your jug dates from 1952, that’s an instance of a relatively recent mold error. I am not familiar with that particular error and I don’t know how common it is. Sounds like a neat piece!
      ~David

  81. You have to love the internet, as I just found information on a bottle I found years ago. On the bottom, it has the diamond and circle with the I in it, so looks to be Owens Illinois. Below the trademark are 64, D-1, 46 stacked on top of each other. It is a cork bottle, 4/5 quart with the words around the shoulder: “Federal law forbids sale or re-use of this bottle”, which leads me to believe post prohibition. I’m guessing one of the numbers is the year the bottle was made?
    Thank you

    1. Hi Randy,
      On Owens-Illinois LIQUOR BOTTLES (different code configuration than on their other bottles) normally there are two code numbers, but the first one is a “Liquor bottle permit number” and the second one is a date code. You can find a list of “liquor bottle permit numbers” ( assigned to various glass companies) by searching with those four words on google. The first number, 64, was assigned to Alton, IL plant. The second number, 46, is a date code for 1946, the year the bottle was made. Keep in mind that other types of bottles and jars made by Owens-Illinois do not have the same arrangement of code numbers as their typical liquor bottles.
      Hope this helps,
      David

  82. David, I found a coca cola bottle with the O I logo on the bottom with an F above it and no numbering around it. It also has the town name on the bottom. Curious what the F stands for I believe it’s 1958 bottle ,mold number 19. Thats what I gather from the numbering in the skirt: 58•19

    1. Did you ever find what the letter “F” stands for? I just excavated a coke bottle with an F above the “I inside the O” logo with a “5” on the left (assuming the Charlotte, MI plant?) and “62” to the right (1962…did plant open late 1962?).

      1. Hi Dorian,
        The “F” on Coke bottles made by Owens-Illinois Glass Company apparently indicates their Fairmont, West Virginia glass plant. This is mentioned (briefly) within this really comprehensive article written by Bill Lockhart, here: https://sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/OwensIll_BLockhart.pdf That article includes a lot of detailed background info, much more than I have on my site. I am not sure about why there would be an “F” in addition to the “5” which, after 1963, stands for the Charlotte, Michigan plant. Perhaps the bottle mold itself was originally used at the Fairmount plant? Does your Coke bottle have a city name on the base for the bottling plant? The Charlotte glass plant (according to a brief note in my records) was producing bottles from October 15, 1963 to April 1, 2010. I believe I got this info from somewhere on the internet, but don’t remember where. Hope this helps! Take care,
        David

  83. I would like to find out a price for this bottle I found in this abandoned water drain in my yard. It’s brownish and about as long as my finger. I think its made by Owens-Illinois Glass Company and has the numbers 7, 3 and 360 on it. I would like to know if it’s worth something. You would probably know. Thanks – Reid

    1. Reid,
      Since you found it yourself and it can be considered as a part of the “local history of your own home”, I would find it of interest and I would definitely keep it, sort of as a souvenir or conversation piece. It sounds like an amber medicine vial of some type. My site is not really intended to be an appraisal site, but just for general information on bottle markings and manufacturers. I can say that Owens-Illinois Glass Company has made untold BILLIONS of bottles and jars of all kinds over the last 87 years. They have made tens of thousands of noticeably different types (counting all the different models, shapes, profiles, sizes, glass colors, and markings) and the truth is that most of them do not have much monetary value to bottle collectors at the present time,mostly because they are relatively recent, have no markings except for the bottoms, and are often of clear glass. There are exceptions such as some of the spice vials, kitchen canisters, some scarcer soda bottles, chemical/druggists bottle sets, and some of their various bottles in emerald green, or with unusual markings, unusual brand names, of very local distribution etc. Some Coke bottles made by Owens-Illinois for a particular town might be worth more because of their rarity and difficulty in finding a piece in good condition.
      The field of Owens-Illinois is a VERY WIDE field, and it’s very hard to make a statement without making clear there are lots of exceptions here and there. In your case, I would guess the “value” from a strictly monetary standpoint is very low, perhaps less than a dollar. But historical, personal, and/or sentimental value often outweighs any “cold cash value” in so many cases.
      Hope this helps,
      David

  84. Hi David, I’ve been tirelessly searching for information on an old bottle I’ve had for quite some time. Your website has provided me with my first lead! It’s a brown (amber) Hilex jug with the “diamond and oval with I inside” on the bottom. To the left is a 7, to the right is a 7, and a 4 on the bottom. With this information, would the plant be Alton, IL…..date 1906….and mold number 4? Also, on the bottom is “HILEX reg. u.s. pat. off.”. I’ve seen many Hi-lex jugs, however, on the neck Hilex is embossed vertically (four times around the neck) with the word “contents” in-between horizontally. These jugs are quite common, but I have yet to see this particular style anywhere. I appreciate the uniqueness of it, but I also enjoy knowing what I have. Thank you in advance!

    1. Hi Crista,
      Hilex was a competitor to the much more popular and well-known CLOROX brand of chlorine bleach. The Owens-Illinois date code on your bottle is “7” which would stand for either 1937 or 1947. (Probably 1937). Since Owens-Illinois was not formed until 1929, it could not stand for 1906. Yes, “4” is the mold number identifying that particular mold.
      I am not familiar with the various Hilex jug/bottle variants, so I can’t comment with authority on the type you have. Although, if you haven’t already, check out the page on Clorox.com that shows all of their early glass jugs and bottles. There may be some slight correlation with Hilex as far as the general appearance of the container, although perhaps not.
      David

  85. hi david my name is les I have searched and searched to find the year of this one gallon jug w2ith a Barrell that says quality control in it and it also has grapes and leaves or vines on it also it has 20 diamond logo 2 and 5676 W with a 5 under it any ideas?

    1. Leslie,
      The “2” to the immediate right of the “Diamond and Oval” logo is a date code. The number “20” was first assigned to Owens-Illinois’ Brackenridge, PA plant (which closed around 1940), but later assigned to their Oakland, CA plant after c. 1936, and is still in use. I suspect the jug was made at Oakland, California, and the date code stands for either 1942 or 1952, but I’m not sure which would be the correct year. The 5676 is a number assigned to that bottle style, but I have no info on that.
      David

  86. Hi David,

    I have what looks to be a small old round (maybe half pint size) possible medicine bottle? It has a rounded glass (oval depressions on side, flower depression on top) push/pull seal lid. It’s tough to tell on the bottom of this bottle based on your article. This bottom of bottle has a number 6 in the middle and above that has just the “circled I” (no diamond) followed by a single number 9 on the left of the circle I and single number 8 on the right side of the circle I.

    Any ideas would be very much appreciated. Thanks so much for your articles and responses to all inquiries!

    Regards,
    Brennan

    1. Brennan,
      The bottle was made at the Streator, Illinois plant and the date code “8” would PROBABLY stand for either 1958 or 1968. I can’t say which.
      ~David

  87. My family has a collection of Owens Illinois decorated yearly bottles,dating from the 1930′, 1940,and 1950. My father was a longtime employee for OI My mother worked for Libbey Glass .The collection we have are OI bottles We are interested in finding out more on their history .

    My name: Mary Sherer,

    My fathers name Samuel Staunton
    Thank you

    My email m54sherer@gmail.com

  88. David,
    I found what appears to be a Snowdrift (name on jar) shortening jar with marking on the bottom that look like the diamond and circle with what could be a I in the middle. It’s stippled around the top, the base and a band at the bottom. There is a 3 to the left of logo, 3 and a “period” to the right with a 7 at the below then the word Dura glass. Code C2997 on the side.

  89. Hi David,

    I was recently scuba diving in the St Lawrence, and I’ve found a clear glass pop bottle showing 3 I-O 57 with a 3 below the I-O mark and Duraglas in script underneath at the bottom of the bottle. At the top of the bottom of the bottle there is a barely distinguishable 03071 (I think).
    There are 16 horizontal embossed rings going from the neck to the body transition, and at 4 places around the neck transition within the horizontal bands, a logo similar to a portly child holding an oversized baseball bat or perhaps some sort of hobo sack or even an over-sized bottle. He’s facing the left and appears to be wearing pointy shoes and a pointy hat. He may even have a beard.

    Any info on this bottle would be greatly appreciated.

    Best regards,
    Rob

    1. (This was answered/discussed via direct email, but I will publish Rob’s post here on the site). Rob did more research and he actually found out the brand of soda bottle…….it’s a “Brownie” soda bottle, made in 1957 by Owens-Illinois at their Fairmont, West Virginia plant. Evidently the Brownie sodas were made for some period of time (1940s-1960s??) in many variants, and were distributed in a number of cities.
      ~David

  90. I have found a bottle and seeking further information on it.

    The best I can tell it reads 4 IO Diamond Logo 3 I can’t tell for sure if there is a period after the 3 due to the stippling of the base. Under that is the Duraglas Script and below that is a 1

    That much tells me I have (what I think is) a 1943 bottle manufactured in Clarksburg, WV.

    Additionally along what should be the “contact ring” of the bottom, there is a partial single line of stippling “dots” that can bee seen & felt but it is not continuous around the entire bottle.

    The bottle is clear and has “4/5 Pint” four times in a ring around the base and a very obvious seam line running up both sides.

    The neck is fairly short and bulges slightly in the middle and the top is threaded for a twist off type cap (that I do not have).

    So at this point I’m curious what the bottle was possibly used for (Soda, Beer, etc.) and who may have used it.There is no evidence that any logo in the form of painted, screened, or glued label ever existed.

    Thanks!!

    1. Steve, the bottle is likely a liquor bottle (judging from the “4/5 PINT” marking) and the date code could be either 1943 or 1953. Sorry I can’t be sure which year is correct. If you wish, send me a pic of the bottle to my email address, listed in the bottom right-hand corner of any page on this site.
      Best regards,
      David

  91. I have an Owens 3 oz medicine bottle that still has the cork in it, along with a little bit of clear yellowish syrupy liquid you can tell the cork hasn’t been removed for ages.. . The one different thing on this bottle that I can not seem to find on any other bottles on the web is that on the front just above the 3iii says: “pour here” with an arrow pointing upwards toward the lip of the bottle. Has the name Owens on bottom with the number 1 to the left of the diamond and oval … and the pontil mark is not completely round it’s almost oval shaped. Can you give me an Idea on the what year this may have been made in? I would send photo but doesn’t look as if can send one to add to comments… I’ll be happy to email photo if would help..

    1. Hi Lee,
      Many bottles made by Owens-Illinois are hard to date exactly. Your piece sounds like a generic or all-purpose type of liquid pharmaceutical bottle, probably dating from sometime in the 1930s-1950s period. Also, virtually all Owens-Illinois bottles are machine-made, and do not have a true “pontil mark”. Pontil marks are only seen on earlier period hand-made (mouth-blown) bottles, not machine-made bottles. There is a lot of confusion on what the differences are. The mark you see on the base is often called an “Owens ring” or “Owens scar”, produced during manufacture by machine.
      ~David

  92. Hi David…I have found a 32 oz clear glass bottle with Art Deco designs on the top, bottom and sides of both sides. It has a medal screw top lid. On the bottom it has the “O” inside the diamond but DOES NOT have an “I” inside the “O”. It has the number “7” to the left or the diamond, the number “6” to the right of the diamond and the number “9” at the bottom of the “O”. My question is…Although it does not have the “I” in the “O” is this still an Illinois/Owens Glass Company Bottle? If so, how do I determine it’s age and if possible, what the bottle was originally used for….Thank You…Paula

    1. Hi Paula, many times the “I” is either too small or indistinct to show up on the finished bottle, or was not engraved in the mold at all, but this has nothing to do with whether or not the bottle is a product of Owens-Illinois Glass Company. You may rest assured that it IS a product of that company. Because the mark was engraved BY HAND into the insides of bottle and jar molds by moldworkers, it can vary a little from one bottle to another in legibility and exact shape and size, and often the “I” is not apparent. If you wish, please send a clear pic of the bottle and the base mark to my email address which is listed on the bottom right corner of any page on this site. Best regards,
      David

  93. Hello I have enjoyed reading all of the comments on the bottles. I think I have learned some things but would love to verify. I found a brown bottle – around the top it says no deposit star no return and on other side not to be refilled. On the bottom there is a nine, the letter I with a circle around it, the numbers 62 and below the capital I another nine. There are many little dots along the base and the direct bottom of the bottle. Thank you for any information you can supply.

  94. Hi, I found a bottle with a crimped top that has a rubber seal right in the middle. Just like a medicine vial. The bottle has markings on the bottom 33 “I IN O” 91 with a big R directly under and a 2 under that…any idea what this might be?

    1. Jennifer, I don’t know what type of bottle you have, but I think it was made at Owens-Illinois’s Chicago Heights, IL glass plant in 1991. The “91” is a date code. “33” was the plant location code. Not sure about the “R” but the 2 is likely a mold number.
      David

  95. Hello,
    I have found a green bottle with a pattern of chains around the neck, and the diamond-and-O logo, but with an “I” in the “O”. The number to the right is a 6, but there is no dot next to it. The left number is 3, and the bottom number is 1. Does this mean it was made in the 30’s, or after? Thank you.

    1. Jack, in my opinion there is no foolproof way to date some Owens-Illinois bottles with 100% certainty, and this is an example. The date code “6” could conceivably stand for either 1936 or 1946.
      ~David

  96. I have found an old beer bottle Brown oval shaped bottle with the owens symbol on the bottom.
    However I do not have numbers around the logo. The numbers are located in the middle of the bottom with the symbol located to the side and the numbers read 0126 and below those it reads 56-51 and the on the posited side of the oval away from the owens symbol it has the number 18 or maybe an I 8 if you could help me out that would be great and it also does have the federal law forbids sale or re-use of this bottle.

    1. Hi Michael,
      The bottle is not a beer bottle but a whiskey flask (or other high-alcohol spirits/liquor bottle). I have some of this info embedded in answers to similar questions near the bottom of the “Owens-Illinois Glass Company” page. Basically, the “D-126” is a distiller code number. The “56” is a liquor bottle permit number, which in this case was the number assigned to Owens-Illinois Glass Company’s plant at Charleston, West Virginia. The “51” is a date code for the year the bottle was made: 1951. The “18” may be a mold identifying number.
      Best regards, David

  97. I have a large, probably 2.5 or 3 gallon jar I am researching for a friend. It has the I/O and diamond logo in the center of the bottom. It has a 7 to the left for Alton, IL. and a 65 to the right of the logo. I am unsure what that 65 would be as the info I’ve read here says the logo should be the I/O only if that date code means 1965. It also has raised swirl type markings on the bottom, which I see on several jars for sale on eBay. Any idea what the date of manufacture could be?

    1. Hi Tom, the “65” is probably a date code for 1965. Yes, most of their bottle molds had been re-tooled by the late 1950s, but some, for reasons that remain unclear, continued to carry the “old” Diamond/Oval/I mark even into the 1960s. I assume that is the case with your bottle. See the picture posted of the 1966 bottle with their “old” trademark.
      Best regards,
      David

      1. Thank you, David, that is what I figured, especially since it is such a large bottle that probably had a low run rate.

  98. Hi David!

    Your site is such a wonderful resource for nosy people like me, and who enjoy old things. Thank you for creating it!

    I have inherited what seems to be a large-sized Owens Illinois Glass Company water bottle. It does have the oval/diamond with an “I” on the bottom. The numbers are “1929” and “156”. You mention location or mold numbers, but I’m not sure which the three digit number corolates to. Would you mind shedding a bit of light for me?

    Thank you!

    1. Hi Kelly,
      I’m simply not sure about the interpretation of the base numbers in the case of your water bottle. However, currently there is a similar water bottle on ebay, and the “look” of the logo (diamond and oval) is such that I think the original marking was just a “diamond and I inside” but the oval was added (engraved) in the mold later, after the merger of Illinois Glass Company and Owens Bottle Company in 1929. The “1929” could be either a mold style number, or the year the mold itself was manufactured OR re-tooled. The “156” is problematic, but would seem to be a mold identifier number (assuming that more than one identical mold was being used at the factory for that particular style/size bottle). On the bottle listed on ebay, they show the number on their example as “754” (or ‘154″?). In any case, I think your bottle is one of the earlier versions, made in the very early 1930s.
      David

      1. David,

        Thank you for taking the time to look into this for me. I appreciate your time!

        Kelly

  99. Hi,
    I found a ONE PINT oval shaped amber glass bottle washed up on the shore of an island off of Florida recently. It had the O I Diamond logo on the bottom with a 13. below. Below the FEDERAL LAW PROHIBITS SALE OR RE-USE OF THIS BOTTLE there is D11 56 9 on the upper flatter side. There are roses (bottom) and vines with leaves decorating the two sides of the bottle. It has an aluminum looking screw cap with a cork inside and threads for another cap possibly. Any info would be appreciated.

    1. Andrew,
      It sounds like it might be a Four Roses brand whiskey bottle. The “56” (in this case) is a liquor bottle permit number assigned to Owens-Illinois Glass Company (indicating the bottle was produced at their factory at Charleston, West Virginia), and the 9 is a date code, standing for either 1939 or 1949, but I can’t say for sure which year is right. The “D 11” is a distiller code number.
      ~David

  100. Hello I found a very small, green bottle, maybe an inch an a half high. On the bottom it has the symbol of a sideways diamond, an 0, and an I inside the 0, like the symbol showed in your article. The left number was 3, which you wrote was from the Fairmont, WV plant, or post 1981 Muskogee, OK. My question was the right side date code. It was an 8 with a period after it. Does this mean that it is from the early 40’s, or is it from the 80’s. And how would I know which year its from?

    1. Tilman,
      The “Diamond and oval superimposed with an I in the middle” was phased out during the mid-1950s (although a few bottles carried that mark later, even as late as 1966, as explained in my article on Owens-Illinois) so your bottle was made at the Fairmont plant and almost certainly dates from 1948. By the 1980s, their mark had long since been changed to just an “I inside an O”.
      David

  101. Hi – I collect milk bottles which were made by some of the plants in Ill. These bottles are 10 quart bottles with a “stippled” surface and a clear rectagular space at the lower portion of the bottle that has the dairy’s name “etched” into it. The top has a 4″ opening and it has a wire metal handle with a wood handle over the top of the wire. I think they are from the 1930″s ? I am trying to find any info on these bottles. Thanks you for any help. Rick

  102. Today on my hike I found a bottle. It has the diamond with the IO on it on the left is a 12 and on the right is an 8 with a 10 underneath the emblem. From what I can gather it is a bottle made in gas city and possibly manufactured in 1938 but I can’t figure out the 10. Any idea what it could be?

    1. Gabe, normally a number positioned directly below the Owens-Illinois logo is a mold number. In your case the “10” is a mold number……..i.e. a number that identified the particular mold in which the bottle was formed. If you were to find other bottles of the exact same style/shape/type, you might find a different number in the same position as the “10”. Each mold in a series of identical molds is numbered to facilitate identification should problems arise with the finished product. Please check out my page on numbers on the base of bottles.
      ~David

      1. I have several Duraglas green bottles 7 oz. with “Here’s How” on them. The bottom has Duraglas, to the left #3 the diamond with the O and 48 to the right. The #42 is on the bottom. Can’t find any information on the “Here’s How”. I’m sure it was a soda pop brand name. Can you give me any information on that and what the bottles might be worth. Very good condition.

  103. I have a clear half gallon presto supreme mason jar. On the bottom back it says manufactured by Owens – Illinois glass company. Below that is the letter D with the number 16 after it. There are no markings on the bottom. Any idea of the year it was made

    1. Laney,
      According to the reference book “The Fruit Jar Works, Volume 2” (Alice Creswick & Steven B. Creswick, published 1987), there are a number of variations of the Presto jars with the marking “Manufactured by Owens-Illinois Glass Company” and their production period was from 1929 to circa 1946. Hope this helps!
      David

  104. On our property, I found a green, glass bottle. On the very bottom of the bottle it has 20 then the diamond, then a 3 with no period. Duraglas in on the side of the bottle at the bottom. Would the date on this be 1933? It is shaped like an old lemon juice bottle. Thank you for any help 🙂

    1. Hi Bethany,
      No, since their “Duraglas” brand name was introduced in 1940, the year date code “3” on that particular bottle would have to refer to either 1943 or 1953. Sorry I don’t know which year it would be.
      ~David

    2. How ironic …I too just found a glass green bottle(champagne?) on my property
      May 1. Cursive (durables) WP 9 1 45.
      Have lived on property 25yrs. Never noticed it before last week

      1. Hi Dee,
        Judging from your info, I would guess it is a soda bottle, and the cursive marking is actually “DURAGLAS”. the “45” is probably a date code for 1945. Take care,
        David

  105. Is there any information available on the “Roll Rite Glass Rolling Pin”? I believe they were made by Owens Corning and have a gold colored cap lined with cork so they can be filled with cold water/ice. I’d like to know a little more of the history of these items. The lid also has the Good Housekeeping Seal on it. Thanks for anything you can provide!!

  106. I have a 5 gal clear Duraglas bottle with an I inside a circle and a diamond. There is a seven on either side of the diamond and what appears to be a backwards “4” under the logo. Any information on this ?

    1. Mark, it’s a large-size water bottle. They were usually made in 5-gallon sizes. The “7” on the left is a plant code for Alton, Illinois where a lot of their large water bottles were made. The “7” on the right is a date code and I assume it stands for 1937.
      ~David

    2. The Duraglas process (spraying a stannic chloride vapor onto the hot bottles to provide scratch resistance) was introduced in 1940, so the bottle was probably manufactured in 1947.

      1. Hi Ken,
        You are absolutely right. OOPS! I knew that but in my haste to answer Mark’s post, I forgot the bottle was also marked DURAGLAS. Thanks for the reminder! 🙂 This adds more evidence that many single-digit date codes are not necessarily from the ’30s versus the ’40s or ’50s, as some research has suggested.
        ~David

  107. Hi.. I found just the bottom of an Amber colored bottle with a 6 to the right, 3 to the left of the logo… Then underneath is 33 and below that is G11… Could you help me ??

    1. Hi Crystal,
      I sent an email directly to you, but just received a “Mailer Daemon” notice since apparently your email address contained a typographical error, rendering it as “unknown”. If you can send me a picture of the base to my email address (listed at the bottom right-hand corner of any page on this site) maybe I could come up with some idea of what type of bottle the base shard is from.
      Thanks, David

      1. Hey David. I was metal detecting at a private property and boy did I ever find treasure. It was and owns duraglas bottle!! I love these old bottles but anyways could you please help me out man. There is an inscription the bottom that says owens, inside of a circle. Beneath the O is a period and beneath the period (all of this on the left) is the number 13 on the left and then the diamond and O plus I shape and also to the right a number 2. On the back top, middle is a 3iii looking thing but the three looks like a lightning bolt and there are measurements on both sides 2, 1, lightning bolt 3 on the left and 80, 60, 40, 20, CC on the right. Its white glass and slinder, shaped like a whiskey bottle and is about the size of my hand. I just know its gotta be a medicine bottle but could you tell me the year or date or at all what it might have once been. Thank you very much for your works. I read your page and its awesome to know someone actually cares about history as much as I do. If you respond I would appreciate it very much. But if you can’t respond, I completely understand. Thank you.

        1. Brad, it is a medicine bottle (and probably held cough syrup or some other liquid medicine). The “13” is a plant code number for Owens-Illinois Glass Company’s Chicago Heights, Illinois location. The “2” is a date code which probably stands for 1942. The “weird 3” is a symbol that means “ounce”, so your bottle held 3 ounces.
          ~David

  108. Hey… So I’ve got an O-I bottle, but I’m not sure (1) who it was made for, (2) where it was made, or (3) when it was made. It has a series of numbers stacked in three rows: 64 on top, 7 D89 in the middle, and 56 on the bottom. To the side at a 90 degree angle is the O-I diamond. Any hints or ideas?

      1. David,
        Thanks! That does help a lot. One more question… regarding the distiller code, any leads? I can’t find anything for D89. Google only turns up various whiskey code lists, none of which match. The only “89” number is for a distillery that came about nearly ten years after the bottle was made!

        1. Sorry, but I do not know of any source that lists distillery codes found on these types of liquor bottles. There may be a list somewhere, but if there is, I am not clued in to it! Sorry about that!
          Take care, David

  109. HI, i have have a bottle that i am completely stumped on. It is a 9 fl oz clear glass bottle, it has raised cursive letters saying sanitary brand and then next to it not in cursive says sanitary bottling works also raised, in the middle of the bottle. then on the lower part of the bottle it says indiana harbor IND. in raised letters along with content 9 fl oz. on the bottom it has 9 then the diamond/circle/I logo and then 3 with a . and then also in big letters says S.B.W…… can you help me figure out what or when it is from its driving me crazy! thank you!

    1. Hi Trisha,
      I’m not personally familiar with that bottle, but from a little researching I can tell you it is a soda bottle. (Tens of thousands of different glass soda bottles have been made in the US just within the last 150 years, and no one has seen them all!). Sounds like it would be a “crown lip” style bottle. The markings on the base indicate it was made at Owens-Illinois’s glass plant at Streator, Illinois (plant #9). The “3” is presumably a date code and stands for either 1933 or 1943. I would guess 1943 but can’t guarantee it! The “S.B.W.” of course stands for Sanitary Bottling Works of Indiana Harbor, Indiana. Many soda bottles (especially) of the 1910s to 1950s often have initials in large lettering on the bottoms. It has been told (don’t remember where I read this) that the initials helped identify bottles that were being returned for refilling. Oftentimes large quantities of soda bottles from more than one bottling company was returned, and stored/transported upside-down in crates so the letters could be easily seen, thus the bottles sorted/separated quickly. For other similar examples of your bottle, search google with “Sanitary Bottling Works” bottle. Hope this helps.
      ~David

  110. We found a George Washington 1932 bicentennial commemorative flask in our basement. I have since found out that it is a vinegar flask from some internet research. The code on the bottom has the oval and diamond with a small line in the middle that is very hard to make out but I’m assuming is the I. The left number is a 7 (Alton, IL?), bottom is a 7 and right is a 2 (obviously from 1932). Just wondering if there would be any way to find out how many of these were made? Thanks for your awesome website!!

    1. Hi Nicky,
      I don’t think there are any records in existence that would shed light on how many of them were made. However, I assume they were quite popular and were made in large quantities for that time period. I have occasionally seen them for sale at antique malls and flea markets, and they show up for sale frequently on ebay. I think a high percentage of the flasks were saved because of their subject matter, usefulness, beauty and well-done graphics, so lots of householders saved them to reuse as water bottles or just curios.
      An example I have carries the number “9” mold number which shows they were made from at least 9 different molds. I would assume the total number of molds used was either 10 or 12 since normally they were used in even numbers. Yes, the “7” shows production was at the Alton, Illinois factory.
      During the late 1920s and extending into the early 1930s there was a surge of interest in antiques (old flasks and other glass antiques in particular, partly due to such publications as “Magazine Antiques” which ran articles on old glass factories; and books about glass & glassware by Rhea Mansfield Knittle, Ruth Webb Lee, Stephen Van Rensselaer and others) so the issuance of this flask arrived “right on time”, combining the popularity of the “father of our country” with the popularity of glass as a medium of expression. Hope this helps!
      Take care,
      ~David

  111. I have what may have been old liquor bottle. Talk neck, very rounded and has a pinkish, purplish tint to the glass and fancy letters that look like WW on its side and N 3 on the bottom. It also has blow holes throughout the glass.also appears to be like a 3 mold design but the #s appear to be backwards
    and may have had a plug in it of some type. Any ideas?

    1. No ideas.

      You can try sending me a pic of the bottle; my email address is along the right-hand bottom corner of any page on this site.
      David

  112. I have a half gallon mason jar that says “presto supreme mason” on front and on back it says manufactured by “Illinois Glass Company”. The bottom says “8(left) E-EK(middle) and a diamond (right). Any ideas?

    1. Illinois Glass Company of Alton, IL made many of the “Presto” fruit jars, apparently starting in the mid or late 1920s. After Illinois Glass Company merged with Owens Bottle Company to form the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, they continued to make many more Presto jars for years afterward. The trademark “PRESTO” was registered in 1928 although it was probably used for a time before that year. The numbers are likely mold identifying codes …. not sure on their exact interpretation. Have you checked out my page on Illinois Glass Company (“I inside a diamond” mark)? Hope this helps,
      ~David

  113. I have a clear gallon sized jug with ribs along the top, a zinc cap and the letter A on the bottom with the number 6576 and a 6 under it. The cap is 2 and 1/2 inch and then the bottle widens. I got it out of my barn in New York which we purchased full of broken and miscellaneous antiques. Any ideas about what it was used for and how old it is? Thank you- Betsy

  114. Hi David,
    I have a clear glass, 1 pint, flask/bottle measuring 3.75″ Wide x 2″ Deep x 7.5″ tall. It appears to have a screw top. Art deco symbols on all 4 sides. I have determined it to be from the Owens-Illinois Glass Company. The mark is a diamond with a circle an the “I” in the middle. The mark is on the bottom and is about 1″ from one of the edges. The top portion of the mark is missing, it looks like 1/4 of it was cut off. There are no numbers to the left, right, top, or bottom. On the bottom, in the center are is the letter “D” followed by “26”, under that is “64-6”. ALSO, near the neck of the bottle is stamped a fancy crown with “TRADE”, “W”, “MARK” stacked on top of each other, all within the crown. I am at a loss as to what this might be, can you help? I can send pictures if needed. Thank you.

    1. Hi Brian,
      That’s a liquor flask, as evidenced by the “D-26”. All, or most, liquor (whiskey or other distilled liquor) bottles made by Owens-Illinois Glass Company bear a “D-code” on the bottom which is a distiller permit number. Some of the most commonly seen are D-9 and D-126. I do not have a distiller code list, but presumably a specific code was assigned to each distiller who did business with glass companies and had bottles made for them to contain their products.
      Most Owens-Illinois liquor bottles do not have their base code numbers arranged in the same configuration as is seen on many of their other typical, common bottles and jars (such as soda bottles). The “64-6” is a liquor bottle permit number (64 stood for Alton, IL), followed by a single-digit date code which was in all likelihood, either 1936 or 1946.
      See this link here which lists liquor bottle permit numbers assigned to several glass companies:
      http://www.sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/LiquorBottlePermits.pdf
      The trademark crown is certain to be an insignia used by a particular distiller / whiskey company, although I do not know off-hand what company that is……I’m sure a reader or knowledgeable whiskey bottle collector will recognize it.
      Hope this helps,
      ~David

  115. I just found this site surfing and am very excited with it. I have a jar with a cork on top. I’m assuming it is Owens-Ill. Glass Co. marks on bottom are a circle, 33, then a diamond looking spaceship and a6center it says-‘Sunsweet, under that,Pat.appld. for. beautiful green. But I couldn’t find those markings although the bottle is there. Can any one help me?

    Sincerely, Judy

    1. Hi Judy,
      From your description I think you have found an emerald green Sunsweet prune juice bottle / jar. I did a search on ebay with the keywords “green sunsweet bottle” (without quotes) and came up with several examples of the older Sunsweet bottles listed there. Most of them were of the “flattened fishbowl” shape, although other designs were used for that particular name brand of prune juice over the years. I can’t be sure what year your bottle was made, but it possibly dates from the 1930s or 1940s. That bright emerald green glass color has been used for many years for a multitude of bottles and jars made by Owens-Illinois, especially soda bottles and canister sets. Hope this helps,

      ~David

  116. I have a partial piece of brown glass that has the following markings:

    Looks like a 15, then underneath it says “Duraglas”, and has a 39 under the Duraglas. The rest is missing.

    Not sure if this is enough to identify, but I am curious.

  117. We found a I.W. Harper bourbon whiskey bottle that says 17 D-9 then under that it says 60 (I in circle) 56 under that M-89 A. I have gathered that it was an Owens Illinois bottle but I wanted to know more information on it. Like, what year was it made, is it worth anything? Etc. It is in a plastic container that also says iw Harper on it. Its pretty nifty we found it in the chimney.?

    1. Hi Alisa, Please check out this link:
      http://www.sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/LiquorBottlePermits.pdf

      The “60” is a liquor bottle permit number assigned to Owens-Illinois Glass Company in reference to their glass plant located at Gas City, Indiana. The “56” to the right of the logo is a date code for 1956. The “M-89 A” may be pertaining to the bottle design/style. I am not an appraiser, but in general, as I suggest to others who ask the same questions such as “How much is this worth”, please consider searching ebay auctions for similar bottles over an extended period of time, using relevant keywords in their search box, and noting actual COMPLETED AUCTIONS values. In general, these types of bottles were made in very large numbers, and are considered relatively “MODERN” by bottle collectors and do not have a lot of monetary value in today’s collector marketplace **at the present time**. Best regards, David

  118. I found an amber colored medicine bottle. The bottom of it has a 7 then the “old” O I logo with the diamond followed by a 4 to the right. Then below that 1845. Can you tell me what that means?

    1. Hi Amanda,
      The bottle was, as you know, made by Owens-Illinois at their Alton, Illinois glass plant (across the Mississippi River from St. Louis). The “4” is a date code for either 1934, 1944 or 1954; sorry I don’t know if anyone can be absolutely sure which year is correct.

      The “1845” is a stock or code number (could also be described as a model number, design number, catalog number, style number or inventory number) assigned to that particular bottle type. It is a number which would have been used within the glass factory, such as on inventory sheets, communications such as order forms between the glass factory and the company the bottle was manufactured for.

      I did a search on ebay and found several amber bottles similar to this, with various date code configurations on the bottom, and with the number 1845. I believe the 1845 may have been the “standard” catalog number assigned by Owens-Illinois to a particular series of round amber medicine or ‘chemical” bottles with the graduated numbers embossed along the side. The bottles were used for many purposes including liquid chemicals such as chlorine, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, fertilizers, cleaning agents, as well as medicines and other products.

      And no, the number has nothing to do with any date, in case you were wondering.

      Best regards,

      David

  119. I have a clear glass bottle. Art deco cut. D 126 on top of the logo. 55 to the left. 8 to the right. Des Pat 92901 Screw top with metal cap. Has the federal law forbids on the back. Any info would be great!

  120. Hi David, I have read this with great interest. I have a jar I am having trouble dating. It sounds like it is shaped much like Valerie’s, she commented above. The Jar is like a flat sided fish bowl shape. it has the angles from the bottom half way up, then is more rounded from there but has ridges on the sides from 1 o’clock to 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock to 11 o’clock. On the bottom is the regular capital I in the O with the elongated diamond.. To the left of the that is a 7 to the right a 2 with NO period and there is no stippling or bumps. under the logo there is the number 14 and under that is the PAT. APPL’D FOR, it also has the round rough uneven circle around the bottom of the jar. So I gather plant 7 Alton ill., mold 14, which seems unique. Oh it also has a screw top, but it has a small wire handle (not bale fastener) that doesn’t clear the zinc lid I put on it by much. What does the 2 to the right with NO period mean, maybe 1932?? This has driven me crazy trying to track this baby, what the year was and what might have been in it. I would say it holds more than a pint, but less than a quart.

    1. Hi Brenda,
      I sent you a direct email about this the other day, but will also post this comment publicly as a followup on the site for other readers. Your post is concerning a query submitted in 2013 from “Valerie” which is farther down on this page and may require some scrolling to find! Basically, I realized I had a similar “fish bowl” shaped bottle/jar, and the base on this example is marked: 7 [Owens-Illinois mark] 5 (over) 23. Underneath in an arc formation is “DES. PAT. 86712”. This pertains to a patent design issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on April 12, 1932. Here is a webpage from Google Patents which describes the jar: http://www.google.com/patents/USD86712
      I believe this jar was mostly used to contain pickles, olives, and/or perhaps molasses, honey, or some other food product. Since the style of jar was sold to various companies (customers) I am sure a variety of products was packed in it,depending on company, although pickles was probably the main product it was used for. Of course there would have originally been a label affixed to the front, and a wire bail which may be missing on most of them found today.
      Presumably most of these jars were made within just a few years of the issuance of the patent in 1932, but I don’t know for how long. If the design was popular it is possible they were produced for some years after 1932.
      I do think the “2” on your example is a date code for 1932, and the “5” on my piece stands for 1935. Of course, the “7” which is a plant code number stands for Owens-Illinois’s factory location at Alton, Illinois. The “14” on your example (“23” on mine) is a mold number.
      I hope this helps! Thanks for your post!
      ~David

  121. I’m trying to locate an all-encompassing list of mold numbers for O-I. In this particular case, I have a La Fendrich Humi-Jar with the O-I diamond & oval entwined with an “I” center and 7 (plant), 1 (date code) and 2 (mold number). I understand the “7” and “1”, but would LOVE to know what the “2” specifically stands for in relation to the mold and to have a listing for all O-I’s mold numbers in general. As a last resort, I may email O-I requesting a mold number list, but figure my chances are slim to none to get one. Appreciate your time!

    1. Hi Lynn,

      The term “mold number” can be confusing and can mean slightly different things depending on the context. In general, (and this is my own understanding…….I invite clarification or corrections from readers!!), there are two basic types of mold numbers:

      1) A range of numbers assigned to a series of IDENTICAL MOLDS being used to produce a particular type of bottle. For instance (just a random example), let’s say a particular ketchup bottle is being made by machine. The ABM (Automatic Bottle Machine) might have a set of 12 molds (or “mold cavities”) installed for making the bottle. Each mold is identical……but would be numbered from “1” to “12”. [In your case, the “2” is one of these type mold numbers].

      2) A particular number assigned to a specific style or design. Often these types of “mold numbers” might be more accurately termed “design numbers” or “inventory numbers” or “catalog numbers” or “model numbers” or “bottle style numbers”.

      Thus, a bottle with, say, the style number “2579” might theoretically also be marked with the mold number “6” if it is being made on a machine with a number of identical molds numbered 1 to 10 or 1 to 12.

      Keep in mind that low mold numbers such as “2” or “7” were used on thousands of different styles of containers over the years, so there is no direct relation between a (for instance) “2” seen on an Owens-Illinois-made soda bottle and the “2” on a coffee jar or beer bottle.

      Some glass companies seem to have used style numbers more often than others. Many British bottles are seen with 2, 3, or 4-digit numbers on the bottom which are style numbers. Hazel-Atlas Glass Company made a lot of containers with style numbers on the bottoms.

      Some Owens-Illinois soda bottles carried a “G-number” which was a number (G combined with 2, 3, or 4-digits) assigned to a particular shape or style…..I think those are more common from the 1940s-1960s.

      I often advise readers to, just for the heck of it, examine glass containers in their cupboards and refrigerators, and see if they can find various mold numbers on modern, present-day glass containers. The range of “type 1” mold numbers may extend well into the double digits on some types of bottles, such as soda bottles.

      I hope this helps a bit,

      ~David

  122. I have a old bottle the has the imprint on the bottom F.G on top half of Bottom and 7 on the lower half of Bottom. What would the history be of this bottle. There is no label.

  123. I have a duraglas players 10 oz. soda bottle with different sports players on the front of it, on the bottom of the bottle it has #3 for the plant code, #48 for the date code,#1 for the mold code. Does anyone know what its worth? Or where can I find a picture of it at? Or any other information about it?

  124. We have a duraglas from the Alton plant #7 on the left, the number 6 on the right (36 or 46?) and the mold #3 below. This is a Russian Soldier Vodka 1/2 Quart bottle, painted and molded, it pretty much looks like Stalin, big black mustache and with a bottle neck coming out of the top of his head. But we can’t seem to find this anywhere. Any contact with this bottle before? Or would there be anyplace to find info on the mold?
    Thanks,
    Bill

    1. Bill, I’m not familiar with the bottle, but Owens-Illinois has made tens of thousands of different bottles over the years. Perhaps a reader will have more info.
      Best regards, David

  125. I have a bottle with diamond/O and I logo. The left no. is 7 and the right side no. is 6. The logo no. below is 5 and the top of the logo no. is 5250. It is a giant bottle 20 inches tall.

    1. Hi Earnel,
      Sounds like it may be a 5-gallon water bottle. If so, the markings show it was made in Alton, Illinois by Owens-Illinois Glass Company. The “6” on the right is probably a date code for 1936 or 1946. The “5250” is, I believe, a code number for that bottle type.

      ~David

  126. I just dug my first bottle and would love to know more about it. It is 4″ tall x 2″ wide. Screw top (don’t have the lid) , says duraglas on the front, Owens on the bottom with a logo that looks like a sideways diamond with a circle going through it. There is a 6 to the left of the logo and an 7 to the right. Any ideas? Age? Value? What was originally in this bottle?

    1. Here are some points to help with age, etc:
      1) Duraglas is the trademarked brand name of Owens-Illinois Glass Company’s typical container glass, introduced in 1940.
      2) The number to the left of the Diamond/Oval logo is usually (but not always) the plant code number. “6” was the plant code for their Charleston, WV plant.
      3) “7” (date code usually on right) would stand for either 1947 or 1957. Probably 1947.
      4) Without seeing it, I can’t be sure of purpose, but most of these small screw-type clear bottles made by Owens-Illinois in the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s are quite common, and so have little market value to collectors. Still, a nice little piece of mid-20th-century Americana! (Send me a pic of the bottle to email address listed at lower right on any webpage on this site).
      ~David

  127. I found a brown bottle bottom on Ocean Beach in San Francisco. It has half the Duraglas trademark in the center. I am trying to find out the range in years of the glass I found. The Duraglas trademark began in 1940. Is it still being used on bottles? If not when did it stop?

    1. Isabel,
      I’m sure the info is out there somewhere, but I’m not sure offhand exactly when the Duraglas brand name was discontinued (not sure if it HAS been discontinued??). The information is probably available somewhere at the official U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website. (Try searching that site only if you have lots of free time and don’t mind being frustrated by long ‘wild goose chase’ searches. 🙂 I usually have trouble finding exactly what I’m searching for on that website).
      In any case, most of the bottles I see with the Duraglas marking seem to date from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.
      Best regards, David

  128. David, I find this so interesting because I found this glass in Jefferson Barraks memorial park here in St. Louis while mushroom hunting. This bottle has the 3ii on the back near the neck indicating size but no side markers. The top is a screw top and it’s got like a indicresiant coat on it and it’s clear

    1. Lindsey, the “weird 3” symbol stands for “ounce” so your bottle is a 2 oz. medicine bottle. The “iridescent” coating is a result of being buried for many years— over the years the moisture in the soil very slowly disintegrates a microscopically thin surface layer of glass (gradually leaching out some of the soda), creating the “look” which is sometimes called “sick glass”…. The appearance can range from just a faint whitish stain all the way to outrageously beautiful multicolor “rainbow” effects on bottles that have been buried for a very long time. I think that the type of soil (mineral content) can also play a part in how colorful the effect may be. Thanks for your posts! ~David

  129. Hi David I have a small medicine bottle marked 15 with a dot above the 5, oval diamond, 3. I can’t figure it out can you please help?

    1. Hi Lindsey,
      I’m not sure but I think the chances are good that your bottle was made at the Owens-Illinois Glass Co. plant located at Okmulgee, Oklahoma, which was their “#15 plant” until around 1939. The “3” may be a date code for 1933. However I don’t think there is any way to be 100% sure on that.
      ~David

  130. I understand your reluctance to make blanket statements. My source for this is an article by Bill Lockhart called “The Dating Game,” that appeared in the summer 2004 edition of Bottles and Extras. I have a .pdf file of the article that I’d be glad to share with you. As far as stippling goes, I just checked about a half-dozen of my 1940s 7 oz. bottles on the shelves (Squirt, 7up, Canada Dry, Bubble Up), and even the stippled bottles have clearly discernible periods.

    1. Hi Ken,
      Thanks for your comments —- good observations! I’m familiar with the article, and I am going to add another paragraph of text on this page, along with a link to that article. The base stippling, as you know, is less of a “problem” on larger bottles, but on some of the smaller bottles, it’s practically impossible to tell whether a period or dot (even though it may be slightly larger) is supposed to be there along with the single digit. However, we can just assume, with a pretty strong degree of confidence, that any Owens-Illinois bottle with a single digit date code number AND a period likely dates from the 1940s. Thanks!
      David

  131. Your explanation of the markings on the bottom do not seem to relate to the jar I have. It is a large clear glass jar which I believe is a coffee jar. The numbers on either side of the oval /diamond are a 7 on each side – so when was this made?

    1. Hi Marie,
      Owens-Illinois has made thousands of different containers, and on many of them the markings do not always conform exactly to the most “typical” factory/date/mold code configuration. In any case, from your description, the number on the left (7), typically a plant location code, indicates production at the Alton, Illinois factory. The number on the right (7) is a date code, but since it is a ONE-DIGIT code, it is not possible to be 100% certain whether it stands for 1937 or 1947. (It is almost certainly one of those years.) There may or may not be a number (mold identifying number) situated directly underneath the logo. In your case I assume there is not. Hope this helps,
      David

      1. Bottles and jars with single-digit dates can be distinguished by whether or not there is a period after the date. If there is a period, then it was made in the 1940s. I have hundreds of Owens-Illinois soda bottles, and the ones I am certain were manufactured after 1940 (bottle design, graphics, etc.) almost always have a period after the date. It was O-I’s dating practice before it switched to double-digit coding. I have a Del Monte coffee jar with a 1. date code, which denotes 1941.

        1. Hello Ken, Thanks a lot for your information. In general, I agree with you, and you are more than likely correct about O-I soda bottles…..but I hesitate to make any “blanket” statements on this site since I seem to find exceptions to nearly every “rule”. The practice of placing a dot after a single digit year code to indicate the 1940s may have been standard for most if not all soda bottles, but was this true on all of the other types? There are other problems including:
          1) Stippling (as you know, an overall pattern of tiny dots) on the base of many bottles makes it difficult, and sometimes impossible, to ascertain whether or not there is a specific ‘dot’ engraved after the single digit.
          2) I have a green 4 OZ jar marked with the “old” trademark and a single digit “1” but with NO dot discernable, although there is a general stippling on the base. It also carries the DURAGLAS marking which indicates production after 1940. So this could theoretically be either 1941 or 1951. Since there is NO dot, presumably this is from 1951?
          3) I have a small emerald green vial, marked with a single digit date code (9) to the right of the “newer’ (second) trademark, just an I inside an O. This may stand for either 1959, 1969, or 1979. It certainly doesn’t date from the 1930s or 1940s.
          Thanks and take care!
          David

  132. David I have a George Dickle bottle that has the newer O I mark but still says federal law forbids and the date code is 1970 but I know that they ended this in 64. Is this bottle unique or why did this happen?

    1. Hi Gerald, There are some bottles that continued to carry the “Federal Law Forbids” phrase on them, long after 1964. No one seems to know exactly why, but my “take” is that it simply wasn’t worth the time, effort and expense to retool (erase) markings engraved into the mold. It wasn’t of any “real” importance if the phrase was left on a bottle mold even after the phrase was no longer “officially” required. (Bottle molds were often used for a period of many years). Thus, some bottles made long after 1964 are seen with the phrase. David

  133. Hello David, we found a small clear bottle with “N [IO] 81 N8” printed in a single line at the base of the bottle. Since 81 was to the right of the new IO mark, we figured it stood for the year 1981, but is the N to the left of the IO the plant code?

    We found it half-buried in the woods on our land, and were just curious about what it might have once contained. Thanks!

    1. Hello John, Some relatively recent bottles made by Owens-Illinois do not conform to the “typical” marking system/configuration of earlier years. I believe the “81” is a date code for 1981, but I’m not sure what the “N” represents. It might be a plant location code. You can email a pic of the bottle to the email address listed at the lower right-hand corner of any page on this site. I am guessing it is a soda bottle.
      David

  134. I have a Duraglas water bottle with the lid. The numbers on the bottom are 7 (oval/diamond/ I ) 5. Can you please tell me an appropriate year for this bottle.

    1. Hi Kimberly,
      I can’t supply an absolute answer. The “5” stands for either 1945 or 1955. (My vote would be for 1945, but no guarantees). Since the brand “Duraglas” was not introduced until 1940, we can be sure it stands for sometime after that year. Also, it wouldn’t be 1965 since by that time the mark no longer carried the diamond. The “7” stands for their Alton, Illinois glass plant.
      Best regards, David

  135. I have a roll-rite rolling pin with a serial no of 3193 on the cap. Any info, this is a glass one made by Owens-Illinois glass company of Toledo, Ohio.

  136. Found a owens glass mason jar which has saturn symbol and left number is 23, right number 3. What year is this jar and do items like these ever have a value?

    1. Hi Eric,
      Owens-Illinois has made a lot of generic “Mason” canning or fruit jars. Some of them may have been “packer jars” (containing various foods, bought retail at the grocery store) and they were frequently saved to reuse as canning jars or containers for storage (nails, nuts, marbles, buttons, screws, etc.) . Your jar indicates manufacture at their Los Angeles, Ca facility (plant code #23); I believe that number was used circa 1948 to 2004. “3” probably stands for 1953. Value is subjective, but since these are common jars, typically they might have 50 cents to a dollar or two value to jar collectors. Any damage will reduce the collector value to virtually nil. Of course it can still be used for “practical purposes” and if in decent condition (no cracks or chips) will always retain some utility value, regardless of “collectability value”.
      ~David

  137. My husband was uncovering a rock wall along our property and came across a Duraglass bottle. It’s green. It has a 3 on the left of the diamond over the oval emblem. There might be a little something inside the diamond. Very hard to tell. To the right of the emblem is the number 4 and then a smaller 7 slightly above the 4. Under the diamond/oval emblem is the number 18. Any idea what year this is??

  138. Hello David,
    I found a gold decanter that has the OI on the right and D126 above 55 65 and 10 on the right. I’m wondering if this means its from Owens-Illinois Atlanta, Georgia in 1955-65? It also says “Federal Law Prohibits Sale Or Re-Use of This Bottle”.
    Thank you =)

    1. Hello Nora,
      These Owens-Illinois decanters and liquor bottles often have code numbers on the bottom that are arranged differently than the more common configuration as seen on most soda bottles. This has created confusion for researchers. I believe either the “55” or the “65” is a date code, but I don’t know which is correct. I think it is more likely the “55” (for 1955), but I really don’t know for sure. “10” may be a mold number. I understand that “10” was a factory code number for Atlanta, Georgia location, but that plant number was instituted around 1960. (The number “10” had also served as the factory code number for their Newark, Ohio glass plant earlier on, but that was in use circa 1929-1938). In conclusion, I cannot give you any information that I can guarantee is absolutely correct. (Perhaps a reader, or another researcher, has more information that can clear this up). Sorry about that,
      Best regards, David

      1. Hi David, Mind if I butt in? Without seeing the actual mark…the format for liquor bottles was usually the bottle maker permit # on the left (which would be the 55 – Huntington, WV)…and the year of manufacture on the right…so 1965…which seems 1 yr too long for the Federal warning law bottles that began in 1935. ?? Hmm.
        There is a list of permit codes for glass companies making liquor bottles after Prohibition and the 1935 (34) law on the Historic Bottle website:
        http://www.sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/LiquorBottlePermits.pdf
        The D126 is the liquor distiller’s code…which I havent Found a list of…yet. But Jim Beam bottles will ALL have the same code, etc.

        1. Hi Carol!
          You know, I was dimly aware there was a list of those liquor bottle manufacturers’ permit numbers available somewhere on the ‘net but I had not taken the time to research it thoroughly like I should have!! Thanks so much for that link! It makes total sense and I am sure you are correct. The date code would then certainly be 1965, and the “55” (placed on the left) is the permit number assigned to Owens-Illinois’s glass manufacturing plant at Huntington, West Virginia.

          About the “Federal Law Forbids” phrase…….it is apparent that some bottles continued to have been made with the marking even into the early 1970s. I think (repeat: think) that these are cases when the mold engraver, for some reason, simply never bothered to “update” the mold and remove the engraving (this involves filling in the engraving and smoothing over so there is no apparent “disturbance” of the glass surface on the finished bottle). Although the notice was required up until c. 1964, there was nevertheless no strictly compelling reason for glass manufacturers to immediately erase the engraving from a mold, especially considering that this was time consuming and cost them more money!
          I even recall a query concerning a liquor bottle that appears to date from very recently (possibly post-1980s?), with that FLF phrase embossed on it. I think that thread would be in the Comments section at the “Federal Law Forbids Sale or Reuse of this Bottle” webpage within my site.
          Thanks, David

    1. Krystal, the makers mark is “I inside an O”. Made in 1985 by Owens-Illinois Inc, emerald green non-returnable soda bottle, perhaps contained Sprite, 7-up, etc). Many of these types of soda bottles from the 1980s and ’90s have rather faint embossing arranged along the lower “heel” of the bottle.
      David

  139. I found a Dad’s Root Beer 10-oz. bottle (“Big Junior” size) dated 1960. It was made in Alton, Ill, and it bears the diamond O-I trademark. It’s the first bottle from the 1960s I’ve found bearing the old trademark, and I’ve been collecting soda bottles since I was 15 years old (1978).

    1. Hi Ken,
      Great! Would you be able to email me a pic showing the base markings? You can send it to the email address shown at the bottom of any page on this site. Thanks for letting me know~
      David

    1. Casey, a single digit, such as “3” on the right side of the “old” Owens-Illinois logo (Diamond and oval superimposed, with I inside) can theoretically stand for several different years, including 1933, 1943 or 1953. If the “3” is accompanied by the “newer” mark (I inside an O) it could stand for 1963 or 1973. Sometimes a date code was reduced to only one digit on a very small bottle. However, that doesn’t always hold true. If your bottle carries the “old” logo, I think the chances are highest that it stands for 1933, but I can’t guarantee that. Perhaps 1943. Sometimes additional information about the bottle can narrow down the date range. For instance, if the bottle also carries the DURAGLAS brand, we can be sure it was made after 1940, the year Duraglas was introduced.
      ~David

  140. I purchased a Kolb’s Bavarian Type Brew beer bottle. The Kolb Brewery was in Bay City, Michigan and closed during or shortly after prohibition. Left of the diamond-I logo is a 3; to the right is a 6; below is a 2. Near the opposite edge of the bottle is a larger “G 11.” Can you tell me how old the bottle is?

    1. Hi Russell,
      The bottle likely dates from 1936 (the 6 on the right of the logo is a year date code). Assuming your information on the date of closing of the brewery is correct, it would not stand for 1946.

      Best regards,
      David

  141. I found a bottle in a farmhouse basement that is green with the I O diamond mark. The center I barely has any length. To the right is a 2, the bottom seems to be stamped off center so cannot tell what was stamped to the left. Beneath it is an 8. Beneath that is PAT APPLD FOR. It is not stamped with Sunsweet nor Duraglas. It is not completely round as it has flat angles coming off of the flat bottom but then becomes rounded on top so is neither completely round nor completes a hexagon. The flat front and back of the bottle have a set of 3 raised arcs at the 3, 6, 9, and 12 positions. I have seen one similar bottle for sale in a group of green bottles on ebay but the person had no information. Appreciate any help you can give! Thanks!

    1. Valerie,
      Can you send me a clear pic of this bottle,and a closeup of the base mark, if possible. (My email address is at the bottom of the page). I tried emailing you directly, but the email you gave was invalid.
      Best regards, David

  142. Hi David. My husband & I found what looks to be an old pickle jar in the woods. It has the Diamond & Oval w/capital I marking on the bottom with a #7 to the left, #4 to the right & #4 below. I think the #4 to the right is the possible dates of 1934, 44, or 54 ; probably 54. I think the #7 is the factory in Alton, IL, & the #4 below is the mold #. Am I correct? The one thing I can’t find any information about is the number C2989 located next to the name Duraglas at the bottom of the jar. Would you have any idea what that would mean? I am wanting to restore the jar- lid & handle- for my parents but I am not positive what the jar was used for. Any ideas from you would really be appreciated.
    Best regards and God bless,
    Mary

    1. Hi Mary!
      You are correct, although I am thinking the “4′ most likely stands for 1944. Would you be able to email me a photo of this bottle? (Send to the email address listed at the very bottom of any page on this site). The “C2989” would almost certainly be a code number for that particular bottle style (i.e. catalog number, inventory number, design number), used in communications between the glass factory and the company(ies) they sold the bottles to.

      David

    1. Milt, I don’t know of any source for information that specifically discusses Owens-Illinois whiskey bottle marks. Good luck on your search for info.
      David

  143. HI, I have a 10 in tall x 4 in wide Amber Glass Bottle, Diamond/ Oval and I inside marking on bottom. It has a 14 to the left, 3 to the right and 8 under the logo. What can you tell me about it?
    Thanks,
    Sharon

    1. Hi Sharon, the “14” is a factory location code number for Owens-Illinois Glass Company’s Bridgeton, New Jersey glass manufacturing plant, where the bottle was made. The “3” to the right is a date code which stands for either 1933, 1943, or 1953. Sorry but I don’t know which year it would be. The “8” is a mold number.
      ~David

  144. Hello,I also found an old coca cola bottle with the diamond and oval with a capital I inside. It says Chicago, IL with an S on the bottom. Does this mean it was made in 1947? Can you give me any information so I may find the value of this bottle.

    1. I’m sorry, but I don’t do appraisals. I have no idea if your bottle was made in 1947, since you don’t mention any numbers on the bottle that might possibly be a date code.
      David

      1. Sorry, I had the numbers in the first time I entered my comment which did not take so I had to rewrite. The numbers were 17 on the left of the logo and 47 on the right.

        1. Hi Cheryl,
          Your bottle was made at the Clarion, Pennsylvania glass plant (facility #17), and yes, the number “47” on the right side of the O-I logo would indicate 1947.
          Take care,
          David

  145. I found an old bottle with this logo but there is a 6 to the left of the logo, a 17 under the logo, and a 6 to the right. Does this mean it was made in 1906?

    1. Hi Lindsay,
      I am assuming by “logo” you mean the “diamond and oval with an I inside”. To begin with, Owens-Illinois did not come into being until 1929 (O-I was a merger of Illinois Glass Company, and Owens Bottle Company). So it is totally impossible for the “6” date code to stand for 1906. The “6” on the left is a plant code number that stands for the Charleston, West Virginia glass plant. That plant operated up to (I think) around 1962, give or take a year. The “6” on the right, which is the date code, could theoretically stand for either 1936, 1946 or possibly 1956. However, I am of the opinion that it stands for 1946. Note that this is just my opinion…….I don’t have proof of that. The “17” is a mold number. Thanks for writing!
      David

      1. Hello David,

        I have a Duraglas 4/5 Quart bottle with 6 on left, I inside O logo, 6 on the right and a 27 centered underneath the I/O logo. Manufactured in Charleston West Va. ? The 6 on the right is the year manufactured ? And the 27 is the mold number?

        Best Regards, Zac

        1. Hi Zac,
          Yes, the “27” is a mold number. The “6” on the left does represent their Charleston, WV bottle factory, and the “6” on the right is a date code. Since the “Duraglas” brand name was introduced in 1940 we know it can’t be from before that year. I am assuming you do mean that the logo is ONLY an “I inside an oval” with NO diamond, correct? If so, the date code would probably be for 1956. If there is a diamond as part of the logo, the date would be 1946.
          ~David

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